The playable map in Project Zomboid is huge, and while players can walk from one end all the way to another, it's not really something anyone should consider doing outside of a challenge run. Thankfully, most cars in the game still work, and if you can't find the keys to one, you can always hotwire it.
Hotwiring a car isn't as hard as it sounds. Players are often just a few button presses away from securing a sweet ride, but there are a few requirements that you need to meet before you can start collecting cars. You don't exactly need to use the best build in Project Zomboid to do this, but you'll want to keep these requirements in mind the next time you feel the urge to start jacking vehicles.
How Does Hotwiring Work in Project Zomboid
Successfully hotwiring a car will let you drive it around for as long as it stays fueled and in good condition, even without having the right keys for it. However, before you can do that, you need to get at least Level 1 Electrical and Level 2 Mechanics skills. Alternatively, you can pick the Burglar occupation during character creation — this will let you hotwire vehicles even without the aforementioned skill requirements.
How to Hotwire a Car in Project Zomboid
- Enter the vehicle.
- Open the vehicle radial menu (default key is V).
- Select the Hotwire option, then wait for a few seconds.
Once your character meets any of the requirements mentioned above, perform these three steps on any working vehicle you can enter. The actual act of hotwiring is done automatically by your character — once they finish the process, press W to start the vehicle's engine. Take note that not all vehicles have fuel in their tanks, so you'll want to get some gas in Project Zomboid just in case.
How to Level Electrical and Mechanical Skills
If you don't want to start as a Burglar, you can manually increase your Electrical and Mechanical skill levels by doing specific activities in-game. To gain XP for these skills, do the following:
- Electrical: Dismantle electronics like digital watches, radios, and televesions.
- Mechanics: Remove and reinstall mechanical parts
Reading books and magazines can also increase your skill levels. You can find some while exploring homes and commercial establishments. Mailboxes, storage sheds, and bookshelves tend to have plenty of readable items on them, so make sure to check those while looting buildings. If you're hosting a Project Zomboid server as an admin and want to give players skill XP directly, you use the "/addxp" command and follow the syntax that appears on the chat box.
You'll need a screwdriver or a more appropriate tool if you want to dismantle or install things. You can remove parts of a vehicle by right-clicking one and selecting the Vehicle Mechanics option.
