In Project Zomboid, a car is a helpful tool to keep a safe distance from hungry zombies and to move quickly and efficiently to different locations.
Operating a vehicle requires a key, which, unfortunately, may not always be available in or near the car. In such cases, we need to improvise.
Recommended Read: How to Clean Blood in Project Zomboid
This post will show you how to hotwire a car in Project Zomboid.
To hotwire a car in Project Zomboid, you must have the Burglar occupation or have at least Electrical skill level 1 and Mechanics skill level 2. After locating the car, you need to access the driver’s seat and open the vehicle’s radial menu by pressing “V” and selecting “Hotwire Engine.”
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How to Hotwire A Car in Project Zomboid
In Project Zomboid, you can only start the car once you have the key. Of course, you can find the key on the floor near the car or inside it, but this is not always the case.
If finding the key proves difficult, let’s try hotwiring it. Here’s the step-by-step guide to hotwiring a car.
1. Leveling Specific Skills
Choosing the “Burglar” occupation will allow you to hotwire the car without any requirements. The Burglar profession offers many advantages, yet we already mentioned them in this post.
If you prefer other occupations, you need to level up at least level 1 of Electrical and level 2 of Mechanics to hotwire.
To level up your Electrical skill, you can dismantle various electrical items, including digital watches, paper towel dispensers, and radios.
To increase your Mechanics skill level, just try to install any car parts repeatedly. However, you only earn experience for each car part once a day.
2. Locate the Car
Cars can be found primarily on parking lots, highways, or garages in residential houses. You can get the car even in the early game.
It’s advisable to choose a car in good condition. Although the exact condition can be checked once you’re already inside, just take a glimpse to detect if there is any physical damage.
3. Open the Car and Sit in the Driver’s Seat
Some cars have their doors locked, while some are already opened. If it’s locked, you’d better use the weapon to break the window unless you want your arm injured.
To break the window, right-click on it and select “Smash Front Left/Right Window”.
You should break the driver’s window to access the vehicle controls easily. Not to mention that breaking the window will make some noise, hence attracting the undead.
Otherwise, get in the car in any direction and press “V”, choose “Switch Seat”, then select the driver’s seat.
4. Hotwire the Car
The driving HUD will be visible when you’re in the driver’s seat.
Next, press “V” to open the vehicle’s radial menu, then select “Hotwire Engine”. Keep trying until it works.
The process is successful when you see some wires attached to the key ignition slot on the dashboard.
That’s how to hotwire a car in Project Zomboid.
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