Avoiding Trunk Lock Issues

Every year thousands of people require emergency trunk opening. The causes of this problem are many and different with the most common ones including misplaced keys and damage to the lockset. The reality is that most people care little about the car trunk lock until something bad happens. By taking simple yet effective measures for protection, you will reduce the risk of an accident to the possible minimum.

Optimal Car Functionality

Perhaps the most important measure is to prevent kids from playing with the trunk and with the lock and keys respectively. Explain to them the danger of their action. When you load luggage or clean the car, you must never leave it without supervision. This is essential for both safety and security. Needless to say, you must never leave the transponder key on the dashboard or anywhere near the vehicle in such cases. You must keep it secure with you.

When you load or unload the trunk, you have to ensure that the key is with you, preferably in your pocket. It is not wise to leave it inside the lockset. Take a closer look around the trunk before you close the lid to confirm that you have not dropped the key inside by accident. These simple steps do not take time to implement. As long as you turn them into a habit, you will avoid a lot of hassle.

Just like exterior door locks, the one belonging to the car trunk requires care. You should clean it with compressed air and apply graphite powder lubricant twice a year. With this kind of maintenance, the risk of malfunctioning and damage will be much lower.

When the lock is properly lubricated, it will be less likely to get frozen in case of very cold and damp weather. That is why it makes sense to schedule one of the annual maintenance sessions for the time before the cold weather settles in permanently. In general, you can deal with a frozen lock with the use of a specially formulated de-icing product or by rubbing alcohol on both the lockset and the keyblade. If this method does not work, lock repair may be required.

The way in which the lock is operated is also essential for its condition. You should always insert the keyblade with extra care. When you turn it into the lock using the bow, you must not apply too much force. If you feel resistance, you should stop and inspect both the key and the lockset. It is best to get lock and/or key repair right away instead of making more attempts. This is important for avoiding further damage which will most certainly make the affected devices harder to fix.

With careful handling and good maintenance, you will be less likely to have car trunk lock problems.