1994 Lexus Ls400 - Keys Locked In Trunk

[pachanga]

1994 Lexus LS400 - Car doors are locked - I opened the trunk - and like a big dummy - I dropped my keys into the trunk and then closed the trunk lid. So - the keys are in the trunk - the car doors are locked. I called Pop a lock - the guy said he can open the door - BUT... he thinks the alarm will go off disabling the car - and at the same time disabling the inside trunk release and thus I am ..as he said... very possibly up the creek in a wire boat without a paddle. So question - will the electric trunk release be disabled when he opens the door without a key? Is there a way to avoid the alarm system when he opens the door? is there a time limit before the alarm goes off?

[pj8708]

Hi Fredie,

Sounds like you don't have a second fob. I don't know the answer for your year and model. I suggest you call a Lexus dealer and ask your question. Also you can go to Lexus.com for a live chat with Lexus customer service.

Maybe someone else here will chime in with more knowledge.

Let us know how things turned out.

Paul

[pachanga]

Well.. after reading many previous posts.... it appears the easiest way to get into the car - is to break one of the door windows, reach in and unlock the doors with the door unlock/lock switch...then use the trunk remote button to unlock the truck. Just so happens I have a complete parts car and can use a window out of it to replace the broken window. Now.. a question - which window is the best or easiest to replace? I would think the rear door windows.

[1990LS400]

Breaking a window and then opening the door from inside should set off the alarm and may disable the inside trunk release.

[pachanga]

Ah nuts. Always something ....

[Exhaustgases]

I would hate to break a window. Trying to get into an LS400 without the key or with a goofed up hood release are the 2 dreaded things I can imagine with these cars. Rule 1 never just have one key. The best bet is to see if the dealer can make a key quick.

Wait till the battery runs out then you don't have to deal with the alarm. Maybe a month or so?

[1990LS400]

I would hate to break a window. Trying to get into an LS400 without the key or with a goofed up hood release are the 2 dreaded things I can imagine with these cars. Rule 1 never just have one key. The best bet is to see if the dealer can make a key quick.

Wait till the battery runs out then you don't have to deal with the alarm. Maybe a month or so?

It could take a lot more than a month for a battery on a gen 1 LS400 to run down. I left my 1990 LS400 sitting for exactly four weeks in 1998 while on vacation and its starter spun when I got back as if the car had been driven the previous day.

Asking a Lexus dealer for advice shouldn't cost anything.

[pachanga]

I appreciate the answers and input.

1) I do not have an extra key. Basically this car I bought from a roadside dealership ..as in one of the many small car lots on the side of roads that sell cars bought from auctions. It came with one off-brand key - no remote/fob. I am the author of my own mistakes in that I did not have extra keys made immediately.

2) Talked to the local Lexus dealership (Columbia, SC) No help... I said 1994 and the service guy who was probably younger than the car - was polite but said - sorry - I cannot make a key or offer any service for a 1994 LS400. I understand that logic...I went to the Ford Dealership with a problem with a 1998 Expedition and the Ford service manager - said - we do not work on any vehicle older than 2005.

3) I have "worked" on several LS400s in Pull-A-Part yards over the last two years.. I can drill out the existing trunk lock and open the trunk that way - but the 1994 tail light lens can easy be broken doing so... scratched at the least around the keyhole.

I do have a complete parts 1994 LS400 I bought... the engine is bad - and I have extra body parts galore.

4) Breaking the window is an option and crawling into the car and operating the trunk release button - I believe the trunk will open. As far as the alarm.... if i get the trunk open - I will be ok with the alarm. I know i have sat in the car - key out of the ignition, doors locked and opened the trunk with the trunk release button. Reason I know - my wife goes in a store to shop...I stay in the car - lock the doors and when she comes back --- I just pop the trunk lid so she can put her packages in the trunk.

Also I don't think the alarm has ever gone off in this car. My wife's 1998 LS400.... another story - that sucker will alarm if you look at the car wrong...I don't think it likes me. I opened the trunk on the 1998 with the key instead of the FOB and the alarm would go off. I may be lucky --in that the alarm system is only blinking the Alarm LED and it really doesn't work.

5) as far as letting it sit and waiting for the battery to die..... it is a brand new battery... expensive one... I bet it would be good after 6 months.

So.. I am about to head over to my work (where I went stupid and locked the keys in the trunk) and see what I can do. If I am extremely lucky I will be able to get in with minimum damage... I have a secret plan that involves taking a 8 foot piece of 1/4 round stainless steel bar stock (I work at a company that has 300 CNC machines) and bar stock is everywhere from flat to round. Worst case - I break the window - or I have to drill the key lock on the trunk and open the trunk manually. This is something I have done on several occasions at junkyards on LS400s where the trunk is locked and the key is no where to be found.

[pachanga]

SOLVED! FIXED! I was able to get the keys out of the trunk in 20 minutes. Let's say ..some Black Magic was involved. High Tech Voodoo was involved. I was smokin'!! I was strutting around like a rooster with 20 hens looking at me...

Ok.. so I sort of didn't do that. Truth is I called one locksmith who said that he didn't have the knowledge of the Lexus vehicles to get the car open without complications and he recommended a locksmith whom is the knowledge expert on Lexus and Toyota vehicles and all the ways to unlock the doors and the trunk. I called the guy ..explained the issue and he says...he can get it open.. no problem. He says he can be at the car in 30 minutes.

This guy looks over the car ... pulls this gizmo thing out - slips it into the door - pops the door lock - opens the door - alarm goes off and he crawls under the dash with a jumper wire with alligator clips - waits until the alarm quits - pulls a fuse - he starts using the jumper wire and the next thing I know the trunk pops open... I was like ... Damn! 20 minutes and 4 minutes of that was waiting for the alarm to quit.

The best part ... he charged me $70. Best 70 bucks I ever spent ... well ... except for that time in Tijuana with the twins.

I was very impressed. He did say that a Lexus 430 SUV takes him a little more time... about 10 minutes more.

[Exhaustgases]

I was going to suggest the jumper deal too. But I wouldn't know right off the place to jump it, and would need to get at the switch.

And to open the door like that is very tricky.He knows his stuff. And a good price too. Alarm why didn't he disconnect the battery? And use his own 12 v source.

[pachanga]

As far as the battery being disconnected - I did ask about that. However - Chris (the locksmith) said there was not a need to do to do that. Once in the car and under the steering wheel and working with the jumper wires .. He used the car's battery power to operate the trunk release. I need to look at the fuse he pulled to see exactly which one it was ... however - this was not his first rodeo and he knew exactly what he needed to do. I did not want to ask too many questions - the guy really was not one who was interested in a conversation on his trade secrets.

[1990LS400]

That's wonderful! I had been thinking how this problem has come over and over but I don't remember anyone coming back to tell us their resolution.

Now get an extra key!

We haven't been getting extra "keys" lately since our current vehicles are "keyless go" but we used to have three master keys for each vehicle and keep one master key for each vehicle in a fire-proof safe that could likely be recovered even if the house was destroyed. This paranoia all stems from my then 3-year old nephew breaking my only car key in 1975 while I was in a rural area 200 miles from home.

[sha4000]

I know I'm late but if you would have broke the window the alarm would not go off unless you opened the door. Then you could have just popped the trunk release. I've locked my keys in the trunk before but with the doors unlocked and the trunk release in the lock position. I just removed the cover for the trunk release and energized the circuit with wire and a 9 volt battery.

[Exhaustgases]

I got a car awhile back with one key. That same day 3 extra keys where made for it. And if you had something like a newer Mercedes it would take a week or so to get a new key. So not good just having one key.

[pj8708]

I know I'm late but if you would have broke the window the alarm would not go off unless you opened the door. Then you could have just popped the trunk release. I've locked my keys in the trunk before but with the doors unlocked and the trunk release in the lock position. I just removed the cover for the trunk release and energized the circuit with wire and a 9 volt battery.

Pretty darn clever!

[billydpowell]

that's a good tip craig...