The noise may be very faint, so it’s best to work in a quiet environment without a ton of noise. If you go through all 10 numbers and you don’t hear a click, you may not be able to use this method on your lock.

Make sure you leave the numbers that clicked in place so you continue working towards the correct combination.

If the lock doesn’t open, try starting with the last number dial and working your way towards the first one instead. Using this technique can be kind of tough, especially if you’re in a noisy area. Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work for you.

Some combination locks don’t have openings in the top where you can see the rotating circles. If yours doesn’t, you won’t be able to use this method. These combination locks usually have a plastic button on one side with the 3 number dials at the very top. The number dials have an opening where you can see the gears inside of the lock.

The normal surface of the circles has a groove in it. The opening will be flat around the edges and hollow in the center.

If you have a larger or older combination lock, you may need to turn your numbers more than twice. Keep turning each dial 1 position clockwise until you can slide the button to open it up.

If you meet any resistance when you open up your lock, you may need to spray some WD-40 into the mechanism to loosen it up.

This technique works great for top-down combination locks that don’t have any openings where you can see the grooves in the number circles. These locks usually have a plastic or metal button on one side with the number dials in the very middle. They don’t have an opening in the lock where you can see the inside of the number dials.

This metal piece is what rotates the number circles on the inside of the lock.

The indent won’t catch the light as well as the smooth sides, so it will be easier to see under a direct light. If you’re having trouble seeing the bracket, use the pointed end of a safety pin to poke into the bracket and feel the groove.

Now you can slide the button to open up the lock. Write down the combination so that you don’t forget it.