Battery flat & manual key won't work!!

You haven't mentioned a location or a temperature.

When I was a younger person and had only mechanical keys to get into cars, how to get in when the lock cylinders had frozen was a perennial challenge. Could buy squirt bottles of lock de-icer in convenience stores. There was even some as-seen-on-TV battery-heated blade you could stick in the slot in place of a key. Or extension cords and hair dryers.

 

Hi...I'm Priya ..I'm in such a situation where my hybrid is dead even the four doors are locked. How do i open the drivers side , actually how can i unlock the vehicle...Please need your assistance

 

The answer is in the owner's manual. There is a mechanical key for use in just this situation.

 

The fun part is that you still have to climb over to the back seats, put one down, crawl into the trunk, pop off the plastic cover, and manually open the tailgate so you can change the battery.

 

Or you can use jump starter or connect the new battery to jump start terminal under the hood with jumper cables and then just open the tailgate normally.

 

Depends on where your car is parked. Mine was in the garage when it died so I couldn't get another car close enough for jumper cables to reach. I suppose I could have made two trips to the auto parts store, one to pick up the new battery and jump it with that, then one to return the old core... didn't think of that.

 

That's what I meant but I haven't heard anybody having core charge on battery. Normally core charges are only on stuff that's rebuild and lead acid batteries are not really rebuild.

 

What? There's a core charge on every battery to make sure they are properly recycled.

 

OK. So that's just how US system works. Here store just have to accept and recycle them (goes for lots of other things as well). But people will actually pay for used ones or pick them up from your place so why wouldn't you recycle them (plus you would get fined for not recycling)

 

I have a similar problem with gen3, but my battery is disconnected and car is locked. I tried mechanical key and it doesn't open the driver's door. I am not sure is there is a mechanical lock when turning the key, the key was hard to turn at first, now it is turning both directions about 25-45 degrees but nothing happens. Feels like the key is not right, is it possible to turn the key if it is not correct?
I am about to drill a hole in the driver's side little window beside side mirror and get a rod to push the level for locking out a passenger door. Really don't want to damage anything unless I have to. If anyone can suggest something, please.

 

Apply lock lubricant (graphite powder) to the key before inserting it into the lock. Call a locksmith for help if you can’t resolve the issue without causing damage.