door and window locks that will keep you safe

If you do not have a car with keyless entry, then you are probably still using your key to get into your locked vehicle. If you are lucky, you might have an electric key fob, but those are pretty expensive and they usually do not come standard when you buy a vehicle. That said, you should be aware of three things that will damage auto locks, and how to fix these problems if and when they ever arise.

Jamming a Key in the Lock and Breaking It Off

If a former friend or lover wants to cause you problems, he/she may "key" your car by scratching it up with keys or other hard instruments. He/she may also jam a key into the door lock and break off the key so that it is impossible to remove the broken bit of key from the lock. It typically is not a key that would ordinarily fit in the lock of your car door either, and by jamming it in there, it gets really stuck. By breaking it off, the jammed key cannot be removed unless an auto locksmith comes and removes the entire locking mechanism and installs a new lock on the door. 

Ice

Super thick accumulated ice is difficult to get off your door lock. It is even more difficult to shove a key through the ice and into the lock, and the absolute worst is trying to get the key to turn in the lock when there is so much ice it will not budge. Continued, forced efforts often result in a bent key and a damaged lock. You can prevent this problem by first clearing as much of the ice from the lock as possible, and then using a special deicer to melt the ice that is inside the lock. If you have already damaged either the key or the lock, the locksmith will have to replace this as well as the lock on the door on the opposite side. 

Repeated Lockout Services

If you are constantly calling a locksmith to help you get your car open because your keys are locked inside it, that is just one problem. The other is the fact that repeatedly breaking into your car to get it open can damage the lock. It is best to avoid lockout services in excess of one or two calls a year, but in the event that you cannot avoid it and you are locked out and need help, it might be a good idea to just replace and repair the lock and get an extra set of keys to keep in the house or in a place outside that is easy to remember.