anyone got a friend who's aa or rac patrol?

[JIMMYQ]

hi guys anyone know anyone working as a aa or rac patrol man ? if so any chance you can get me a car opening manual off them :)

even though they dont actually pick locks but try rodding them first but still they have some other techniques id like to learn about :)

[v-diag]

hi guys anyone know anyone working as a aa or rac patrol man ? if so any chance you can get me a car opening manual off them :)

even though they dont actually pick locks but try rodding them first but still they have some other techniques id like to learn about :)

Hi

The aa have a Autolocksmith division? My mate works for them. They have abritus 72 full package and mvppro, along with all the original blank key fobs and the latest cutting machines. They use the chines picking tool to decode or enter the car.

I think there's only 10 workers at the moment around London but if the trials go well they will expand.


Got my own key locked in the boot, had no spare called the aa they sent the patrol first but they could not enter due to the dead locks so they got the locksmith division down with in 5 mins they opened the door, and only charged ?50 cause I was an aa member,

Hope this helps

[estate]

The only real way to gain entry through NDE is to overthrow the lock, i've got about ?8k worth of entry tools alone ( genuine lishi's, wendt overlifting kit, various rods, bags etc ), without programmers, keys, key machines etc, is it only entry you're interested in? most literature on the subject is american based and only covers stuff like BMW, MERC, AUDI, VAG etc

[mark3655]

I work for one of the breakdown companies you talk about most of the stuff we know comes from trying things but one thing is for sure no one will give you this info it's more than our job is worth but the hardest cars to get into are the vw Audi group they are a pain in the backside

[estate]

mark, tbh i find totally the opposite tbh, vw, audi, skoda, porsche, bentley and even bmw are the easiest.

[Snowy79]

The opening book will be of no use to you as it is not in order or have any indications as to what vehicle the methods relate to. In short there are thousands of close up pictures and paragraphs all numbered. If they get stuck they phone the help desk who confirm they are on a certain type of vehicle off of their job sheet. They will then tell the Patrol use para 1234 and 5875 with picture 3869 etc. You then tie all the info together to work out how it's done. Pretty smart if you ask me.

[kop]

I find vag with my lishi 2 in 1 s the easiest. I struggle with the newer bmws.

[JIMMYQ]

thanks for the reply guys i use lishi's too but sometimes if the locks knackered then even they dont work i had the same problem with a lexus is200 the lock had been screwed with a screw driver could'nt get the pick in i tried rodding it but was deadlocked so what does one do there?

same thing on a bmw x5 i managed to power probe the indicator light and get the locks to open:) i know aa use similar techniques (not locksmith division)

With a ford focus i had no pick i gave power to the reverse switch under the car got ignition on and got in

Mainly dealocked cars where i have no pick or locks knackered i need to know about

[key point]

screwdrivered locks may as well be drilled if a pick wont go in. they need replacing in any case.

[the_big_d]

The opening book will be of no use to you as it is not in order or have any indications as to what vehicle the methods relate to. In short there are thousands of close up pictures and paragraphs all numbered. If they get stuck they phone the help desk who confirm they are on a certain type of vehicle off of their job sheet. They will then tell the Patrol use para 1234 and 5875 with picture 3869 etc. You then tie all the info together to work out how it's done. Pretty smart if you ask me.
The opening books you are talking about have not been around for years (probably about 15 years) so wouldnt have any usefull info for anything modern anyway. All the opening info is on the dash mounted laptops now.

[drakov]

I think there's only 10 workers at the moment around London but if the trials go well they will expand.
They are throughout the UK

Also the RAC and AA data last I checked is all done via phone and laptop, and stealing a laptop is of no use as the data isn't stored on them it's held at there main datacentres, you will have more luck robbing from a bank than from them:p

[ninja123]

I work for one of the afore mentioned organisations, and I have never needed the lock division (called key assist) to help, and for mark the aa man from a few posts up, vag are dead easy as long as you dont mind getting your jack out!!

Back to key assist, the aa trained a few aa patrols in london, but didnt go too well and will no longer accept any applications from patrolmen to retrain as key assist tech's.
They are struggling to find people to fullfill positions around the country, I know of a certain master locksmith being offered 79k pa but they wanted 10 jobs per day out of him, so he refused!!
And one guy lives in swansea and is sent all over the country every day!!
And data IS stored in the dash mounted laptops but all encrypted so of no use to anyone!!!

ninja

[Snowy79]

Someone has been telling you porkies Ninja. My mate is one of the Keyassist guys and they do not have a dash mounted laptop with any encrypted info on it. They also only had 2 ex roadside guys trained up, one of which is going well the other requested to return to roadside as it wasn't for him. They've no shortage of applicants and wouldn't offer 79k pa to anyone as they've already got some of the best guys already. More likely this person applied and never got selected so is trying to save face.

[eeze]

there's a copy of instacode 2008 floating around that has got the auto opening section in it. it does not cover every car but it does cover alot including probing techniques. personaly if you would like my advice get Lishi picks they are the future. also when i get a VW / Audi etc. the first tool i get out is the HU66 rake i fill the lock with WD40 and then rake, had a 2005 Golf open in 3 seconds. it opened on the rake insertion one movement only. VW Audi are as safe as a prostitutes bum.

[keygargoil]

Someone has been telling you porkies Ninja. My mate is one of the Keyassist guys and they do not have a dash mounted laptop with any encrypted info on it. They also only had 2 ex roadside guys trained up, one of which is going well the other requested to return to roadside as it wasn't for him. They've no shortage of applicants and wouldn't offer 79k pa to anyone as they've already got some of the best guys already. More likely this person applied and never got selected so is trying to save face.

iv 3 friends that work in the key assist and they dont use any books because all the key assist guys are already auto locksmiths they travel about 100 miles radius birmingham from manc for 1 job isnt that good and you dont get your bonus if you dont do atleast 4 jobs aday they are suppost to be taking on another 11 lads on top of 16

[ninja123]

Snowy79: You got the wrong end of the stick mate, EVERY AA PATROL has a dash mounted laptop, not key assist, And it was 3 patrols from london that were origonaly selected, and as key gargoil said, they are looking for more, and have been looking for a long time, and they are struggling to get autolocksmiths on board, but they wont now consider giving any training, hence mega long distance to jobs,and the 79k is real, I have internal system access mate!!

ninja

[autolockmasters]

off topic, but because of these big corporations the local guys like us are suffering. Like Tesco Express killing all the local businesses.
Heard that RAC and Timpsons are getting into this market as well very soon.

[Snowy79]

Timpsons have been in the Auto game for years and many ALA members used to sub for them. As for the AA etc making the little guys suffer I think you'll find the likes of Hickleys and a few other tool manfacturers and distributors churn out more Auto guys every week than the likes of the AA have employed in the last 1 1/2 yrs. In my neck of the woods there's now more back street garages and cobblers with key programming gear, mainly supplied by the likes of Hickleys, Advanced Diagnostice etc. Sadly it's the companies that set up to help out the Auto guy that are now selling them out.

Add to this some ALA guys have even trained guys up. Ultimately it's a business and people are after money. I'm sure the main dealers could also moan about people getting into key programming etc and taking their work from them.


off topic, but because of these big corporations the local guys like us are suffering. Like Tesco Express killing all the local businesses.
Heard that RAC and Timpsons are getting into this market as well very soon.

[ninja123]

The AA were originally to link up with timpsons, it was all planned and the business had the money signed off to make the venture work-then it all went silent, not sure what went wrong, but then the key assist idea came along, they obviously wanted to keep it all 'in house', and to be honest, i knew it would never work as timpsons are shop based and not mobile. The rac use local lockies, one by me even wears a rac id badge round his neck!!(nothing to be proud of!!).
The rac have now been bought up by a private equity firm, so these local lockies will be loosing their business, just as they AA did, pissed of everyone who helped them.
Also they will be after taking they AA's place as the number 1, but all they seem to keep doing is picking up the leftovers from the AA.
Only time will tell.............

[rapidlocksmiths]

A friend of mine is one of the key assist vans , and he is extremely busy and doing well , but the type of work he is doing has little impact on the local auto lockies , he is busy with vag assist , and rarely sees a car under 3 years old .

yes he will have some impact , but certainly not a major one.

More of a threat to the auto lockie is the sheer number of new start ups , the sheer number of car dealers and small garages getting involved , as these will be bidding for the same work and will undercut as not their main business , but its happening like it or not , so adapt is all you can do.

part of the problem is costs plumeting , it once cost an arm and a leg to buy the cut to code machines , this cost has more than halved with current machines, diagnostic kit was an arm and a leg , china killed that bit , fact it now costs a fraction of the price to set up and the current tools and equipment make the job far easier .

Hickleys certainly havnt helped the auto lockie , doing training roadshows around the country to car dealers etc , setting up there novice auto locksmith training center , now doing well.
But auto lockies have never been hickleys main business , it has always been the motor trade , so its no surprise .

The auto locksmith as an industry sector is very small , once we all have our kit , firms like hickleys and AD have nothing else to sell us , so in the absence of sales in our market they have sought sales in alternative markets and now train to create their own market for sales , they will do well from it, after all if they train 10 a month just , and they all buy key cutting kit and programmers from them , they will earn well .
but i guess what else where they to do ? once sales to locksmiths dry up , they aint gonna shut down .

maybe the ayto locksmith has had it too good for too long , now the cobblers grabbing a big share of the spare key market , the motor trade grabbing their share , and anyone with the price of a training course grabbing their share too , things will become tougher , but rather than moan , we have to adapt and compete , as nothing else that can be done.

as more auto lockies struggle , more will turn to training and selling the dream on to others , exactly what happened to the general locksmith market .

But at the end of the day , a good auto locksmith with a sound well run competative business and specialist niche skills will still prosper , as the bread and butter drys up we specialise and find niche areas , we expand what we do and adapt and remodel our businesses .

i still pull in work from the AA and RAC , i still pull in jobs putting right the mess some of the new starts create , many of the guys trading as auto locksmiths now havnt a clue , and this will always create work .

[drakov]

So true, the same thing happened with diagnostics for garages, as more and more demanded better functions and capabilities from the aftermarket scanners (a demand they will never fully satisfy), resulting in renewal of subs being cancelled as more and more started investing in dealer tools, this resulted in aftermarket companies targeting it's customers customers (mot stations, tyre fitting centres ect), so much for loyalty, the clever garages have seen where there future is and are now investing in picking up the jobs everyone else can't do and also gaining more customers as a result, locksmith's (the real ones) are now forced to invest in expensive tools yet again to a. complete the jobs every other wanna be can't b. complete the jobs every wannabe ~~~~ed up, customer pays the price and will soon learn that cheap isn't always good.

[ninja123]

Well put drakov, but there's nothing more satisfying than putting right your local opositions mistakes and being paid well for it, especially when you drink in the same pub!

Always goes down well!

ninja