Need your break-in skills 2003 Chevy 4x4 Sierra.

[Kgitti]

This truck has been abandoned on my property for a year and a half since the owner died. The owner worked for me and lived on my property for like decades-a good friend.
It’s time to do something with it. We have no keys and no title. Right now we just want to get into it but it’s locked up tight and the battery is dead, dead, dead.
So I jacked open the top right drivers side door and made a tool where I could reach in and move the door lock to the unlocked position. It made no difference. Perhaps it is electric?
Where do I go from here? I can’t get the hood up to charge the battery.

 

[B-train]

Call a locksmith and start there. A new battery won't do diddly unless uou have a key. If you have a title/proof of ownership, or a good friend at a dealership, you can get new keys cut for it. If it's not rusted out, full of rodents, etc, then maybe it's worth working on. If it's any of the above, then maybe it's worth pulling it on a trailer for scrap and saving yourself the future headache.

 

[Fless]

Jamming the door cracked open like that puts a lot of stress on the latch. Have you tried a stout wire with a loop to see if you can pull the inside door pull while it's cracked open at the top of the door?

 

[Kgitti]

Call a locksmith and start there. A new battery won't do diddly unless uou have a key. If you have a title/proof of ownership, or a good friend at a dealership, you can get new keys cut for it. If it's not rusted out, full of rodents, etc, then maybe it's worth working on. If it's any of the above, then maybe it's worth pulling it on a trailer for scrap and saving yourself the future headache.

As I said we have no title-no nothing. We have no friends at dealerships etc. No one will cut us a key. We have to go thru the state abandoned vehicle tribulation.
So I’m guessing a slim Jim is the next trick.

 

[Kgitti]

Jamming the door cracked open like that puts a lot of stress on the latch. Have you tried a stout wire with a loop to see if you can pull the inside door pull while it's cracked open at the top of the door?

No.

 

[Fless]

Not sure if this will help or if it's the same mechanism as yours (it's the same as mine on my '04 Tahoe), but it may show you where the rods are for your slim jim.

Last ditch you could break the glass. There are plenty in the junk yards.

 

[Kgitti]

Thanks.

 

[Donal]

This truck has been abandoned on my property for a year and a half since the owner died. The owner worked for me and lived on my property for like decades-a good friend.
It’s time to do something with it. We have no keys and no title. Right now we just want to get into it but it’s locked up tight and the battery is dead, dead, dead.
So I jacked open the top right drivers side door and made a tool where I could reach in and move the door lock to the unlocked position. It made no difference. Perhaps it is electric?
Where do I go from here? I can’t get the hood up to charge the battery.
View attachment 410358

Look for a trailer 7 way trailer connecion near the license plate. If the vehicle has this connection, one of the terminals is battery positive and one is battery negative. You can try to power up the vehicle via these connections, maybe charge the battery, too.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

 

[Fless]

Look for a trailer 7 way trailer connecion near the license plate. If the vehicle has this connection, one of the terminals is battery positive and one is battery negative. You can try to power up the vehicle via these connections, maybe charge the battery, too.

This is a good idea as long as the trailer power fuse has been installed and the pigtail connected under the fusebox.

I also wonder if you could reach the red power junction connection from underneath the truck on the driver's side of the block? You could connect positive there and negative to the block for charging.

 

[Alex_M]

As I said we have no title-no nothing. We have no friends at dealerships etc. No one will cut us a key. We have to go thru the state abandoned vehicle tribulation.
So I’m guessing a slim Jim is the next trick.

Once you get into the vehicle, you can remove the ignition cylinder. Take all the pins out of it and reinstall it, then you can start it with a blank key or any other key. There is no chip in the gmt800s.

 

[Kgitti]

Look for a trailer 7 way trailer connecion near the license plate. If the vehicle has this connection, one of the terminals is battery positive and one is battery negative. You can try to power up the vehicle via these connections, maybe charge the battery, too.

Interesting approach I’ll check it out.

 

[Kgitti]

FYI This truck has less than 100k on it so it’s worth pursuing.
With the inside door lock pushed to unlock or not. There is no resistance on the outside door latch? I have a 2002 Yukon the feels completely different. I wonder if the door lock/latch is already broken or detached and a slim Jim would be useless?

 

[Donal]

FYI This truck has less than 100k on it so it’s worth pursuing.
With the inside door lock pushed to unlock or not. There is no resistance on the outside door latch? I have a 2002 Yukon the feels completely different. I wonder if the door lock/latch is already broken or detached and a slim Jim would be useless?

I just check an 05 and when locked there is no connection or resitsance felt in ther handle.

 

[outkastist]

Perhaps try the other door? As far as I know there isn't any sort of detection system that would prevent you from jimmying it.

I knew a guy that had a GM truck about this age and it got broken into a couple of times. They smashed a screw driver in between the handle and the metal of the door and were able to open it there. This damaged the metal around the handle area, so I'm not suggesting you try this method, but I would guess that whatever you need to trigger would probably need a tug right in that region. I'm sure a little youtubing would give you all the info you need.

 

[Rocket Man]

Once you get into the vehicle, you can remove the ignition cylinder. Take all the pins out of it and reinstall it, then you can start it with a blank key or any other key. There is no chip in the gmt800s.

You can’t remove the cylinder without a key, for obvious reasons. Otherwise all you would have to do to steal it would be to remove the lock cylinder and turn the switch with a screwdriver. I’ve removed mine- you need to disconnect the battery so the starter can’t engage, put the key in and turn it to the start position at which point you can release the cylinder. If you can’t get it turned to the start position, you can’t remove the cylinder.

 

[Alex_M]

You can’t remove the cylinder without a key, for obvious reasons. Otherwise all you would have to do to steal it would be to remove the lock cylinder and turn the switch with a screwdriver. I’ve removed mine- you need to disconnect the battery so the starter can’t engage, put the key in and turn it to the start position at which point you can release the cylinder. If you can’t get it turned to the start position, you can’t remove the cylinder.

Ah, absolutely right. I forgot the couple I've done this to I had to destroy the cast aluminum housing.

It can be done, but you'll have to get another if ition assembly/housing from a junk yard.

 

[Rocket Man]

Ah, absolutely right. I forgot the couple I've done this to I had to destroy the cast aluminum housing.

It can be done, but you'll have to get another if ition assembly/housing from a junk yard.

What about VATS ? I thought that without a transponder key on anything newer than my 02 you’re screwed. Or does that somehow bypass the security because if it does that sucks. That’s like a damn Kia then.

 

[Doubeleive]

What about VATS ? I thought that without a transponder key on anything newer than my 02 you’re screwed. Or does that somehow bypass the security because if it does that sucks. That’s like a damn Kia then.

on the gmt800's security is learned with the ignition cylinder and hall sensor in the housing, the key is just a key but as you are aware you can't just remove it without a key.
OP stick a coat hanger in the passenger or any other door, the drivers door obviously is not working. the lock is mechanical, doesn't have to have power
charging the battery won't get you anywhere without a key
call a locksmith otherwise your just going to damage the vehicle trying to start it once you have the door unlocked.
on the gmt900's there is a transponder in the key and the receiver is a security ring that goes around the ignition cylinder (separate part)

 

[Alex_M]

What about VATS ? I thought that without a transponder key on anything newer than my 02 you’re screwed. Or does that somehow bypass the security because if it does that sucks. That’s like a damn Kia then.

The vats system only picks up a sensor in the ignition cylinder to confirm the cylinder has rotated to prevent the vehicle being hotwired. There is no transponder in the GMT800s. That's why car thiefs can just hammer a screwdriver into the ignition cylinder and force it to rotate starting the vehicle on these trucks.