
6 Steps To Hotwire Your Car {Learn Each Section Deeply!}
- 1. Place Screwdriver Into The Vehicle’s Keyhole ...
- 2. Remove The Screws On The Steering Column Cover ...
- 3. Spot The Different Bundles Of Wires ...
- 4. Cut The Insulation Off The Wires You Are Focused On ...
- 5. Slice A Piece Of Insulation From The Wire That Connects To The Starter Motor ...
- 6. Cover The End Of The Live Starter Wire ...
Full Answer
How easy is it to hot-wire a car?
How to Hotwire a Car Remove the plastic cover around the steering column. First, you need to remove the plastic cover around the steering column to reach the ignition switch. Locate the ignition switch plug. Check the ignition switch's backside, and you are going to find a connector going the ignition switch. Figure out the ignition switch wirings. ... More items...
How to hotwire a car in an emergency?
Method 1: By Hot-wiring The Steering Column
- Remove The Protective Plastic Cover. To get to the electrical panels, you must first go into the car and remove the plastic cover on the steering column.
- Locate The Wire Connectors. ...
- Remove The Cables From The Ignition, Starter, And Battery. ...
- Strip The Ignition Wire Along With The Battery Wire. ...
- Start The Engine. ...
How to hotwire a car with a screwdriver?
Now, let’s see how to hotwire a car with a screwdriver or drill:
- Insert the drill or screwdriver into the keyhole (about three-quarters of the drill should go inside). ...
- There are many sections of the lock pins, so repeat the above process as many times as possible to destroy other lock pins
- When you feel all the pins are broken, pull out the screwdriver from the keyhole
Can you still Hotwire cars?
You may need to hotwire your car if you've lost your keys or are in an emergency situation. Keep in mind that only older models of cars made up to the mid-90s can be hotwired. Newer cars have built-in safety features that prevent them from being hotwired. Also, hotwiring your car can cause permanent damage, so only do this as a last resort.

How old of a car can you hotwire?
1990sVehicles from the 1990s or older, which often have a carbureted engine, a manual transmission, and a single ignition coil and distributor, can be hot-wired from the engine bay.
Does it damage a car to hotwire it?
: Hot-wiring a car is dangerous and is likely to damage your vehicle. Never hot-wire anyone's car but yours and be prepared to show your proof of ownership.
How do you hotwire a car without ruining it?
0:252:20How to Hot Wire a Car - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNext use the flat-head screwdriver to pry off the plastic panels and expose the ignition cylinder.MoreNext use the flat-head screwdriver to pry off the plastic panels and expose the ignition cylinder. And the wires running to it be gentle to minimize damage to the steering column.
Can you still hotwire a modern car?
No, they can't. Thanks to the modern systems found in cars made after the 90s, most thieves won't be able to simply hotwire a modern car and drive away with it. Jalopnik reports that most modern cars have ignition immobilizers that make hot wiring them much more difficult. However, it's not impossible.
Can you really start a car with a screwdriver?
Can You Start a Car With a Screwdriver? Unless you have a very old automobile (like pre-1990), no. Even with those older cars, an ignition is very unlikely to turn over with a screwdriver alone.
Are push button cars easier to steal?
Yes, in many circumstances keyless cars are easier to steal. That said, it also depends on the particular model, as well as the situation. Some models have keyless entry that unlocks the doors when the key is close-by but still have a conventional key that is physically put in the ignition to start the car.
What color wires do you use to hotwire a car?
The battery wires are usually red but there is no universal color system for the ignition wires so you'll need to look online for your make and model or check your owner's manual.
How can I start my car without a key?
Instead of using a screwdriver, you can even use a piece of flat metal to successfully start the car. If you don't want to use a drill or don't have access to one, you can use a screwdriver and hammer. Just insert the screwdriver into the ignition switch and hammer it gently until it gets through.
Can a car with a chip key be stolen?
If the keys lack a signal-blocker shield (called an RFID blocker), thieves can use a transponder device, which you can pick up online on the cheap. That electronic device can capture the keyless entry code as it's sent from the fob to the car.
Can you hotwire a car that has a chip in the key?
Newer cars use an immobilizer, which means you need the chip in the key near the ignition to start your car. So in newer cars, hot wiring will not work. Always check to see if your car is equipped with an immobilizer before trying to hotwire it.
Are newer cars harder to steal?
In other words, it measures how likely your car is to get stolen, regardless of the vehicle's sales. As a general rule of thumb, newer vehicles are harder to steal than older cars because of advancements in theft prevention.
Can you start a car without a chip key?
You can not bypass transponder keys easily. That means there is no way you can start a car without one. In this case, only the dealership can help by giving you a replacement of your chip key after reading your car's radio-frequency identification.
What does hotwiring a car mean?
transitive verb. If someone, especially a thief, hot-wires a car, they start its engine using a piece of wire rather than the key. A youth was inside the car, attempting to hot-wire it.
How much does it cost to fix a hot wired car?
On average, it costs about $1,300 to replace a wiring harness and completely rewire your car. Individual fuses cost around $90 while starter relays cost approximately $100 on average.
Can you hotwire a car with an Immobiliser?
Newer cars use an immobilizer, which means you need the chip in the key near the ignition to start your car. So in newer cars, hot wiring will not work. Always check to see if your car is equipped with an immobilizer before trying to hotwire it.
Can you hotwire a Tesla?
No, you cannot hotwire an electric car.
How long does it take to hotwire a car?
Always check to see if your car is equipped with an immobilizer before trying to hotwire it. There are still ways to bypass the immobilizer, but you need a lot more knowledge to do that kind of thing. How to Hotwire a Car in 8 Steps. Total Time: 5 minutes.
How to get access to car?
This method should only be used in emergency situations. The other method to gain access to your car is to drill the lock pins. The purpose of this method of starting the car is to turn on the ignition with a screwdriver instead of a key. Place the drill bit on the keyhole until it is 60 percent covered. Orient yourself on the length of the key and ...
How to get a keyhole out of a key?
Place the drill bit on the keyhole until it is 60 percent covered. Orient yourself on the length of the key and drill into the keyhole until small metal pits come out. Each keyhole has two parts of the spring. Note that this method will destroy your keyhole. Remove the drill and use a screwdriver to turn on the ignition.
How to short an ignition switch?
Check the ignition switch’s backside, and you are going to find a connector going the ignition switch. You can either remove the connector to short the wires or cut the wires to short them.
How to get a car to come to life after a keyhole is broken?
Remove the drill and use a screwdriver to turn on the ignition. Now that all the pins are broken, you don’t need to press the screwdriver so hard. The engine will come to life. Be aware that once you have broken the keyhole, anyone can steal your car.
What color are the battery cables on a car?
The battery cables are normally red, while the starter is yellow, and the ignition cables are brown. You should always confirm this with the owner’s manual, though. Remember that if you don’t find the correct wiring diagram and put the wrong wires together, you can burn expensive parts like engine control units and even put your car on fire. ...
How to make a car start when the ignition is on?
To do this, hold together the starter motor cable and the battery+ source for a couple of seconds until the car starts. When the car starts, you need to remove these two cables from each other, but let the battery+ and ignition cable be twisted together.
How long does it take to hotwire a car?
It takes between 3–10 minutes to hotwire a car. It could be higher or less, depending on the approach you use, the knowledge of the method utilized, and the availability of the necessary equipment.
What wires do you use to hotwire a car?
A better question will be, what wires do you use to hotwire a car? The three wires you access when hot wiring via the steering is the red battery wires, the brown or yellow ignition wire, and the yellow starter wire. However, when doing it via the hood, you use the red coil cable together with the bumper cables you already have.
How to get rid of pins in keyhole?
Insert the drill or screwdriver into the keyhole (about three-quarters of the drill should go inside). This would destroy the lock pins
How to start a car with a screwdriver?
You can start a car with a screwdriver. Just ensure the vehicle has a keyhole and you have the screwdriver at hand. To do this, insert the screwdriver into the keyhole repeatedly until the lock pins are destroyed .
How to connect jumper cable to battery?
Get the jumper cable you have already. Connect one side of the jumper cable to the positive battery terminal and the other end to the coil positive terminal or the red wire that leads to the coil. This should power the electronics in your dash
What is it called when you start a car without a key?
The process of starting your car without using a key is called hot wiring. Bringing us to the topic, how to hotwire a car. This method works best for vehicles manufactured before the mid-90s. Recent cars have their wiring units hidden, making it difficult to hotwire them.
What to do if you lock yourself out of a car?
New cars are built with safer technology that makes hot wiring difficult and dangerous. If you lock yourself out, get a new key fob or have a professional do it for you. Else you stand the chance of destroying some electrical components of the car.
What happens if the ignition wires separate while driving?
If the ignition wires separate while driving, the engine will instantly die, and you may find yourself without power, steering, or brakes.
How to kill an engine?
When you want to kill the engine, simply unfasten the battery wires from the ignition wires and the car will die.
What color are the starter wires on a MacGyver?
Sometimes the ignition wires are brown and the starter wires yellow, but the battery wires are most usually red. Again, the only way to be sure is to read the owner's manual. You're not MacGyver; messing with the wrong wires will get you electrocuted.
How to make a car start when the starter is turned?
Strip about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of insulation from the battery wires and twist them together. Wrap them with electrician's tape if available, and do not allow them to short against metal vehicle components. Connecting these will provide electricity for the ignition components, so the engine is able to run when the starter is turned.
How to remove plastic cover on steering column?
These are usually held in place with concealed clips or #2 Phillips-type screws. Remove them and pull the access panels free.
How to drill a lock pin?
Drill in about the length of a key. Every lock pin has two sections followed by a spring, so drill it more than once, removing the drill each time to allow the bits of the lock inside to fall into place.
Where is the coil wire on a V8?
Open the hood and locate the red coil wire. Both the plug and coil wires are located at the rear of almost all V8 engines. Four-cylinder engines have them placed on the right side, near the center of the engine. Six-cylinder engines are on the opposite: left side, near the center of the engine.
Why is hotwiring a new car difficult?
Hotwiring new cars is practically impossible due to their advanced anti-theft systems that all but require their remote “keyless” key to start.
What Is Hotwiring?
In practical terms, hotwiring is considered any method of starting a vehicle’s engine without the use of its key. As such, the goal of hotwiring a car is getting the engine running in a way that doesn’t involve the key. This means that the more you know about how cars work (and, more specifically, how they start), the more options you’ll have to bypass the car’s intended starting method.
Why is it called hot wiring?
The reason why it’s called “hot-wiring” is that one of the most common methods for starting a car without the keys is by accessing the wires that connect to the ignition switch, cutting and stripping them, and then using the “hot wire” (the starter wire or wires) to get the starter motor running, which turns on the engine of the car.
How to get older cars to run without key?
By far the easiest and fastest way to get older cars running without the key is with the use of a flathead screwdriver. Some cars can be quite easily turned on by inserting a flathead screwdriver into the key slot for the ignition and turning it like a key. Vroom vroom.
What color wires are used for starters?
Typically, this is how the wires are colored: the red wire leads to the battery, the yellow wire is for the ignition, and one or two brown wires are the actual starter wires.
How to get sparks to fly on a car?
Carefully cut and strip the starter wire (s) and then tap their exposed ends to your twisted together ends of your battery and ignition wires. You are likely to see sparks fly and the engine should come to life at this point.
How to break a steering wheel lock?
You may be able to break the steering wheel lock by getting out of the car and putting everything you’ve got behind turning the wheel in either direction. With enough force, you might be able to break the steering wheel lock and find yourself at the wheel of a fully functional vehicle.
How to hotwire a car?
In this step of how to hotwire a car, you should wear protection as the insulated gloves and use the cutters to cut the power wires from the cylinder. Now you just take those ends and twist them together with your hands and fingers. If done correctly, the ignition, radio, and lights should all turn on.
What Is Hot Wiring ?
In general, hot-wiring is the process of turning on the car’s engine without using a key. It is a process to bypass the ignition’s interlock system that is mostly used during the thefts of the vehicle. However, it is not any compulsion, and a car can still use the hotwire in different circumstances.
How to open a steering wheel lock bolt?
In some cars, the steering wheel lock bolt can be pried open by jamming a screwdriver between the top of the steering column and the steering wheel. New cars have complex wheel locks and electronic key systems that are nearly impossible to hotwire a modern car circumvent without tools and in depth knowledge. Know more about maintaining your car in different settings here Maintenance Tips.
How to start a car with a keyhole?
Use the driller to drill on the keyhole about ⅔ of the way up. By this way, you destroy the lock pins then you can start the car by screwdriver. As the lock pin has two sections followed by a spring, so drill it more than one, removing the drill every time to let the bits come out. So now you need to use the screwdriver and turn around like the way you use the key. But keep in mind that just turn it about a quarter to turn the engine over.
What does the red wire on a battery mean?
Once you find the battery wires, it is time to cut some part of the insulation or the covering from the end.
When to use hotwire method?
The method should be used only in case of emergency and not as a regular regime. Have an extra key, so you do not find yourself stuck with those wires and the hotwiring thing.
Is hot wiring a car dangerous?
Important Note: Since hotwiring a car is dangerous, we suggest you do it with your car, not someone else’s car. Hotwiring can risk your personal safety and the wellbeing of the vehicle. There is always a chance of an electrical shock if proper precautions are not taken.
