The Complex Guide to Hot-Wiring a Car

Image via Complex Original

Poor Megan Fox (above) can't figure out how to start her car. This is where you come in--if only you possessed the skill of hot-wiring. You've seen actors hot-wire cars in movies, and you've thought, "Is it really as easy as touching a few wires together?" It is--but you need to know which wires, where to find them, and how to manipulate them. Hot-wiring a car is like any other skill: it takes some study. We certainly don't condone theft. But hot-wiring may come in handy some day, the next time you run across Megan in distress. Time to study up.

Tools

Complex Says: The first thing you'll need is the owner of the car, a photo ID, and the title or registration. You don't want to get arrested. You'll need a flathead screwdriver, wire strippers, a Phillips screwdriver, and some insulated gloves so you don't get shocked. Electrical tape helps, but it isn't strictly necessary.

Try the Flathead

Complex Says: Before you start disassembling the car, try this one simple trick. Many car ignitions will turn if the tip of a flat-head screwdriver is inserted into them and turned just as if it were a key. We don't know why the people who engineered these cars were so lazy and incompetent, but they were.

Pry Some Plastic

Complex Says: Remove the plastic cladding underneath the steering column. This is going to be different in every car, but a medium-sized Phillips and a medium-sized flathead should do the job. Remember, there's no reason to break anything. Cars need to be repaired every now and then, and everything is designed to be removable.

Count And Strip The Wires

Complex Says: Depending on how the car's electrical system is designed, there will be different amounts of wires sticking out of the back of the ignition cylinder. This is the part that the key goes into. Count them and make note of their colors. There is no standardized system for color-coding. But red is usually for the power, and brown is usually for the starter. Pull the wires out of the ignition and strip about an inch from the ends of each one.

So You Have Four Wires, Part 1

Complex Says: In the movies there are only two wires, and when they touch, magic happens. In real life, there are four wires, and you should learn how to manipulate them. The key can be in four positions in the lock. The zero position is off. When it is turned one notch, to the first position, some of the electrical systems initiate. The second position turns on the remainder of the electrical systems. Finally, position three activates the starter. Imagine the key turning in the ignition and hitting the wires in order from closest to the driver to furthest away from the driver. The first two wires (A and B) correspond to the first and second positions of the key. The third wire (C) is the power supply, and the last wire (D) is the starter.

So You Have Four Wires, Part 2

Complex Says: Turn on the electrical systems so that the car will run. Twist the A and B wires tightly to the C wire. When you do this, the radio, lights, and fans should start working. Now that you have done this, touch the D wire to your bundle until the engine starts. This is just like turning the key all the way in the ignition. Note: you don't want to leave the D wire touching the bundle of other wires all the time--just like you wouldn't keep pressing your key all the way to position three all the time.

So You Have Six Wires

Complex Says: Here's where it gets complicated. If there are more than four wires, they will probably be in pairs that represent the key positions. If you can, consult the manual or the Internet to learn the color code for the wires. You need to figure out which wires control the electrical system, which wires run from the battery, and which wires connect to the starter. In general, red will be the power source, while brown will be the starter. But that's not always the case. Twist the wires that run to the electrical systems to the ones that run to the battery just as before. Then touch the starter wires to the bundle.

Wrap It Up

Complex Says: Good work. The car is running. The fly in the ointment, however, is that there are live or "hot" wires dangling perilously close to your junk right now. This is why the electrical tape is a good thing to have. If you wrap the wires in electrical tape, not only will the wires that need to stay together do so better, but they won't make you feel like James Bond in Casino Royale.

Disable Security Features And Drive

Complex Says: The steering wheel may still be locked up at this point. Unless you don't plan on turning the car once it's running, this will be a problem. There may be a steering wheel lock bolt. This can usually be disabled by prying it with a screwdriver between the top of the steering wheel and the steering column. Note that most modern cars have tons of new security features that involve technology like RFID chips and infrared broadcasts from the key. If you're trying to hot-wire one of these without specialized tools and knowledge that is well beyond the scope of this guide, you're not going to be successful.

Congratulations, you now know how to hot-wire a car. Remember, Complex believes that messing with someone else's ride is a jerk move, and the police harbor the same feelings. But this new skill of yours could come in handy some day.