How to unlock child safety door lock

How to Lock and Unlock the Child Safety Lock in Your Car

September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 1A Auto Team 1A Auto Blog Home

The child safety lock in your car can keep your pets and kids safe while you drive. It will prevent passengers from being able to open the door from the interior even if the door is lock or unlocked. This can prevent accidents from happening in case the door handle is unlocked and pulled open accidentally. This video and article lays out how to lock and unlock the child safety lock on most vehicles.

Steps to turn you car’s child safety lock on and off

Open the Door from the Outside
If the child safety door lock is engaged, you won’t be able to open the door from the inside with the lock on or off.
Look along the Door for the Switch
On many cars, you’ll find the switch for the child lock on the rear doors. With the door open, look along the door for a switch. It will be on the inside of the door on a section that’s not visible when the door is closed.
Move the Lever to Engage the Switch
Move the lock’s lever to engage the switch. You may have to use your vehicle’s key. Each door will have its own lock, and the passenger door may not have one.
If you do not find a lock on the rear doors, your car might have an electronic system. This can be accessed from the dash or steering wheel. Check your owner’s manual for more information.

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Summary

How do you unlock a child lock on a car door?

I want to get rid of the child lock on a car door because my kids are older now. How to disable a child lock on the front and rear car doors?

Liz Jenson · Answered on Nov 29, 2021

Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.

You can unlock a child lock on a car door using a few different methods depending on the type of system you have.

If you have an electronic locking system, disable them using a switch. You can find the switch either on your dashboard or on the armrests of the front doors. If you can’t find the switch in your car, check your owner’s manual to find the exact location in your car.

If you don’t have an electronic locking system, open the back passenger door of your car and switch it to an unlocked position. Repeat the process for both rear doors.

This will work for most cars, but some cars have model-specific steps to disable child safety locks. If these two methods don’t work for you, check your owner’s manual to see if the instructions differ.

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MORE: Tips for holiday road trips with kids

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What to do if the lock does not open

Did you come home as usual, went up to the floor, but could not open the door to the apartment? Found that the lock is jammed tightly, and it does not turn even half a turn? What to do in such a situation?

First (and most importantly), stop panicking. So you won't help the cause. Secondly, it is necessary to soberly assess the situation. There are cases when you can repair and open the lock yourself, and with improvised means, but the possibility cannot be ruled out that you will need the help of experienced professionals.

Valuable information

Let's immediately consider the situation that under no circumstances will you be able to open the lock yourself, but you need to act as soon as possible. What to do in this case?

You have 3 ways out of this situation:

Contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations for help. Rescue workers are specialized in solving such problems (among others). Even if they cannot open the lock, they will resort to more drastic measures - they will remove the door from its hinges, wring it out, drill the lock or, in extreme cases, climb into the window and open it from the inside.
Call the company where you purchased the door or lock. Their masters often provide assistance in opening mechanisms in emergency situations.
Use the services of a company that specializes in opening apartment and car locks. Such services do exist and at the same time provide services legally.

Please note that in all three cases you will need to provide documents that you are the owner of the apartment and have access to it. It can even be a passport with a residence permit.

As a rule, opening locks in such situations takes from 5 minutes to a couple of hours. It depends on the nature of the problem, the configuration of the shutter mechanism, and other factors.

How could this happen?

There are many reasons why the lock jammed and stopped opening. Consider the most characteristic and frequent:

Foreign body in the keyhole. Do not write off elementary hooliganism: for example, children blocked the opening with chewing gum, or some ill-wisher clogged the well with a wooden chip.
Corrosion, dust and debris ingress. Even locks in apartment buildings are often clogged, to say nothing of models installed in private homes and having contact with the external environment. Moisture is detrimental to metal components, and dust can cause moving mechanisms to jam.
Breakage of the lock secrecy mechanism (also called larva0. This may be due to both the poor quality of the lock itself and rough handling. If you notice that the key scrolls more than 2 turns and the bolts do not move, then you are dealing with a serious breakdown, which only a specialist can fix.0014
Key damaged. Here we are not talking about a total breakdown or bending. The slightest deformation of the teeth can cause the pins to jam.
Wear parts. This is a natural breakdown of the old lock, and it will only need to be replaced with a new one.

By determining the exact cause of the jamming of the lock, you will solve 50% of the problem. Then you need to choose a solution method, which will be discussed later.

What should and should not be done?

Be extremely careful and don't make too much effort. If the key does not turn, then do not try to turn it with force, as this will only aggravate the situation.

To get started, try pressing on the door with your shoulder or vice versa - pull it towards you by the handle and turn the key. It is possible that the canvas simply swelled and moved, and this led to the clamping of the crossbar.

If this does not help, try pressing your fingers on the cylinder (larva) and turn the key. This option will help to put the cylinder mechanism in place if it has moved for any reason. Turning the key in the lock, try to press the handle. This method also often helps to solve the situation.

Recall once again that any manipulation can lead to even greater damage to the lock. If you are not 100% sure that you will cope with the problem, then seek help from a specialist.

Lever lock solution

Often it does not open just because a key is inserted into it from the back. You can push it back with a knitting needle or a thin screwdriver, but only if the key is simply inserted into the hole and not turned to the side (in this case, you are unlikely to be able to move it even a millimeter).

If a foreign object is stuck in the well?

In no case do not try to pick it out with a key. So you only drive it even deeper. Here you need to arm yourself with narrow pliers and something sharp (for example, an awl or a thin knife).

If there is a piece of the key in the well, then carefully pick it up with narrow-nose pliers and slowly pull it towards you. Once it has moved, move on, grab more, and pull again. If you find a chip or chewing gum, then rest the awl or knife on the side of the well, press on the foreign object and try to wring it out, and pick it up with narrow-nose pliers with your other hand. This should help.

What to do if the lock is rusty?

Alternatively, you can use a special tool called WD-40. This is an aerosol spray that can be easily injected into the keyhole. It will help dissolve rust and oxidation.

In addition, try using special lock lubricant, which can be purchased at a hardware store. Some recommend using engine oil, but keep in mind that it should be as purified as possible, and not used.

Lubricated the lock - try turning the key in the well. Did not work out? Pull out the key, lubricate again (literally 2-3 drops), wait 5 minutes and try to insert and turn the key again. This procedure must be repeated about 3-4 times, and if the lock is simply rusted or clogged, then over time it should open.

What if the key gets stuck?

In no case do not pull it out by force, do not pull it towards you and do not turn it. Try to gently turn it in different positions: a little deeper in the lock or vice versa, closer to the exit from the well.

Alternatively, you can additionally inject the above agent into the lock and wait for a while, but note that there is a risk of breakage. No one will solve this situation better than a specialist anyway, so do not take unnecessary risks.

Now you know what to do in cases where the front door lock is jammed and does not want to open in any way. Try not to give in to fear, act soberly and deliberately, and then you will be able to find the right way out of this situation.

And if you do not want to get into such unpleasant situations, we advise you to qualitatively approach the choice of door locks. The company "Bastion" offers its customers a wide range of locks for entrance and interior doors from leading manufacturers.

Plastic window locks that protect children

Parents are fully responsible for the health and life of their young children, who, due to their age and body development, cannot independently react in some situations and help themselves.

The statistics are horrific, because every year dozens of children fall out of windows, get injured or die. This happens when children's curiosity is combined with an unreliable window structure, which does not act as a guarantor of protection. All mothers and fathers rejoice at the first steps of their child and understand that he will use this skill to the fullest, namely, he will begin to climb even where it is impossible. This behavior is characteristic of all children, so parents only admire, looking at the growing up of their child, and do not scold him. But safety must come first, because little ones can be harmed by tiles, outlets, and unprotected windows.

When a parent fully understands this problem, he tries to provide the fullest possible protection. For example, he thinks about how to secure the windows of grandmothers, aunts and uncles who have a child for a while. Unfortunately, it is not enough just to constantly monitor the baby, because the situations are different, and the reaction is not always fast. So here, mother does not have time to “blink an eye”, as a child who has just stood nearby is already making every effort to climb onto the windowsill. Therefore, manufacturers offer special window protection for children, which will avoid the tragedy.

Plastic window opening limiter

Locks that are installed on plastic windows are popular not only because of the protection of children, but also adults. No one is safe from an accident, and often, for example, in the process of washing windows or watching what is happening on the street, a person accidentally falls down. Therefore, it is a mistake to believe that such a terrible situation can only happen to a person who is intoxicated.

Even if the word “children” constantly appears in the name of window locks, this does not mean that the limiters should only work for them. In fact, they also come in handy for keeping pets.

Types of window locks for children

As mentioned above, protection prevents children and pets from falling out. And if you live, for example, on the ground floor, then you can prevent an intruder from entering your home. The installation of the mechanism is carried out both with the installation of a window, and already on a previously installed structure.

Installation of the security system can be done in the following ways:

Installing the lock on a fixed frame.
Blocking of movable leaves.
Insertion or imposition of a lock.
Used as protection for sockets and combs.

Reliability and simplicity are combined in a mechanism such as a handle with a mortise lock. You can even install them yourself, if you have certain experience and skills.

Window lock mounted on a movable sash

In essence, such a mechanism is very similar to a latch. The blocker mount is lateral and is installed from the side of the moving part of the window. Fixing must be done in such a way that the window cannot be opened outward, but the ventilation function must remain available. If necessary, several blockers are installed on one opening.

Lock features

Locks have been designed to prevent children or animals from adjusting the position of the window unit.

In practice, a large number of improvements to window construction are used. Each has its own goals, advantages and disadvantages. For example, the well-known mosquito net prevents insects from entering the house. If the cat wants to "escape" through the net, then she will not let him through, but she will no longer be able to withstand the weight of the child.

From the side of the street, a grill can be welded over the window. No one will argue about the reliability of this solution, but as far as aesthetics are concerned, there is something to think about. You have to choose what is more important for you: a presentable appearance or safety?

Fasteners, which are mounted on fixed frames, are easy to install, but they hit the wallet hard, as they are expensive. But their functionality is not as extensive as that of mechanisms with a higher price.

How it works

Understanding how the restrictor works is fairly easy. To begin with, it is mounted on a fixed window frame, and then it begins to fulfill its task - preventing the window from opening. It is recommended to place clamps at the very top of the structure so that the child cannot reach them. However, even some adults, due to their height, cannot reach the top of the window, so there are latches on the market that can be unlocked by pressing a button or using a key.

The main stages of self-assembly of the mechanism:

Determining the places where the clamps will be located in the future.
Marking for holes that are intended for fastening. A purchased blocker can act as a pattern.
Drilling holes is done with a special construction tool - a cordless drill.
Fastening the mechanism in prepared holes. To do this, stock up on self-tapping screws.
Installing caps on fasteners for decoration purposes.
Insertion of locking mechanism (if present) instead of plug.

Types of window locks

The demand for window locks from children is growing at an incredible pace every year, so manufacturers, wanting to stand out, offer a variety of options. But, nevertheless, even the same models produced by different companies may differ from each other in quality and price.

If you have a window with hinged sashes, then you can choose a regular handle with a lock. In the case when preference is given to plastic with different variations of positions, a limiter with cables is used.

Lock-blocker for turning the sash

Let's consider a situation where tilt-and-turn windows are installed in the apartment, and you want to "run" fresh air into the room as often as possible by ventilation. In this case, the movable sash blocker will become indispensable. The option is good in that you can ventilate the window even if the limiter is in the closed position. In addition, the mechanism is sold at a bargain price and does not cause difficulties in the installation process. It is worth noting that such a lock is suitable for a structure made of plastic, aluminum, wood, equipped with an iron frame.

Child lock

The term "child lock" includes all mechanisms that are designed to ensure security. That is, if you have heard of an overhead child lock, then know that this is any blocker that is installed on top of the elements of the window structure. In this case, it is not necessary to embed the mechanism inside the frame, sash.

Handle with a key

Some parents take the trick and remove the handles, thinking that without it the child will certainly not be able to do anything. This, of course, is true, but an adult will not be satisfied that every time, if necessary, to open a window, he will have to look for a handle, put it on and take it off after completing all the actions. In addition to inconvenience, this negatively affects the quality of the handle, as it wears out faster. An excellent alternative is the installation of a handle with a built-in lock.

This solution allows you to choose a beautiful handle that will have maximum ease of use. It is enough to unscrew the handle, and in its place install the handle with a lock. And as a result, the baby will not be able to open the mechanism with his own hands, so moms and dads can not worry that their child is in danger.

Handle with button

The main weakness of the handles on the key is the performance of the usual actions, as they say, on the machine. After a long period, the use of the key becomes reflexive, and as a result, one should not exclude the possibility that one of the household members accidentally leaves it in the pen. Companies involved in the production of such locks come up with various solutions to avoid such situations. For example, the keys are painted in bright colors. But then they will attract attention not only from adults, but also from children.

Other manufacturers suggest replacing the lock bore with a hard button. The child does not yet have sufficient strength to help him press the button and change the position of the handle.

Opening limiter with a cable

Surely, many still remember from personal experience or from watching Soviet movies that chains used to hang on the front doors, which acted as protection against intruders entering the home. The same principle of operation is inherent in the opening limiters with a cable.

The cable is attached to the inside of the lock, and it is installed on a fixed frame. This mechanism limits the width to which the window can be opened. To remove the restriction, you need to open the lock with the key, releasing the end of the cable.

It is worth talking about the advantages of this limiter:

Ability to withstand force - up to 500 kilograms.
Versatility lies in the fact that the installation of the device is carried out on any window.
It is possible to set the angle and width of the window opening.

Wrapping

Previously, there were rare limiters on windows, but this does not mean that they did not exist in nature. The first blockers should be considered wrapping, which, by the way, you can buy today. It is a simple rotary valve.

Rules for choosing window locks

Your child's safety depends on the right choice, so it is important to consider the following:

European companies are considered leaders among manufacturers, as their products have repeatedly proven efficiency and reliability in practice.
Before you buy a bollard, ask the seller what parts should be included in the kit. This knowledge will help you check the availability of the right parts.
Prefer parts made of durable metal. It is worth abandoning elements made of plastic and silumin.
Pay attention to whether the kit includes instructions for assembling and installing the blocker.

Installing interlocks

Installing any type of interlock requires that the person performing the action has at least a little carpentry experience. For example, it will not be superfluous to be able to work with a drill, read instructions, and so on. However, if you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to seek help from professionals.

Benefits of bollards

Simple installation that does not require much skill.
Installation in any weather.
Easy to operate.
Affordable cost, as the model range is quite wide.
Acts as an additional means of protection that prevents an outsider from entering the apartment.

Disadvantages of bollards:

When the latch is equipped with a lock, you need to put the key in one place, because if it is lost, problems can arise.
Often the locking mechanism is not installed as it should be, which leads to malfunctions.
Difficulties with the installation of the mechanism on the door installed on the balcony.
Product quality can only be determined during operation.

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