Hot-wiring is the process of bypassing an automobile

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

's ignition

Ignition system

An ignition system is a system for igniting a fuel-air mixture. Ignition systems are well known in the field of internal combustion engines such as those used in petrol engines used to power the majority of motor vehicles, but they are also used in many other applications such as in oil-fired and...

 interlock

Interlock (engineering)

Interlocking is a method of preventing undesired states in a state machine, which in a general sense can include any electrical, electronic, or mechanical device or system....

 and thus starting it without the key

Key (lock)

A key is an instrument that is used to operate a lock. A typical key consists of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. The blade is usually intended to...

. A vehicle owner or thief may implement this process.

Methods

Hot-wiring generally involves connecting the two wires which complete the circuit when the key is in the "on" position (turning on the fuel pump and other necessary components), then touching the wire that connects to the starter. The specific method of hot-wiring a vehicle is dependent on the particular vehicle's electrical ignition system. Remote start units access the same wires as conventional ignition methods. Listings of wire colors and locations and ignition system schematics may sometimes be found in Internet databases.

Older vehicles, especially ones made before 1986, which have a carbureted

Carburetor

A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....

 engine and a single ignition coil

Ignition coil

An ignition coil is an induction coil in an automobile's ignition system which transforms the battery's 12 volts to the thousands of volts needed to create an electric spark in the spark plugs to ignite the fuel...

 and distributor, can be hot-wired from the engine bay. Using standard lock picking

Lock picking

Lock picking is the art of unlocking a lock by analyzing and manipulating the components of the lock device, without the original key. Although lock picking can be associated with criminal intent, it is an essential skill for a locksmith...

 to start a car is now ineffective, since most cars now use electronic chip or transponder verification.

Thieves lacking the basic mechanical skills and knowledge of automotive electrical systems sometimes simply use physical force to bypass the ignition lock, smashing the key mechanism to reveal the rotation switch, which is operated by the key's tumbler

Tumbler

Tumbler may refer to:* A part of a lock whose position must be changed by a key in order to release the bolt...

. In most cases this involves damage to the wiring in the steering column and thus windscreen wipers are often jammed on.