How in the World Can a Car Lock Itself With the Key Still in the Car???

[rk911]

Hmm... my 98 Jetta hasn't been locked since about 2001. As the rust encroaches, I will try to avoid the key problem in the next ride. I wonder what the last model VW was with a true ignition key? That's my year.

+1. i really don' want a vehicle that doesn't use a real key to open at least one door and to start the car.

 

[imnontrad]

I have a Subaru. If I leave the car, hit "lock" and the key is inside, it will beep and unlock the doors.
However, if I leave the car without locking the doors and forget the key inside, after a while, the car locks itself to prevent it from being stolen. The last time I was home so it was an easy evolution to go get the other key and unlock the car.

 

[sandbox2832]

There is a way to modify the settings in the tv screen part in the car. I have a used 2018 Traxy car. I just went into settings on the screen thing and took off the flash and honk when locking the car. I hear it lock when I do lock it so don't need to waste the horn or the headlight bulbs to confirm I did unlock or lock the car. Impt-- You have two options--use the key fob or just use the key alone. I modified the settings also to have all the doors unlock when I use the keyfob to unlock the car and also changed the setting that allows when the car is put in park all the doors unlock.



So if I want no lights or alarm, car is in park, all doors are unlocked-- i use the side button inside the car to unlock and then lock the doors and all doors lock yet the drivers side front door unlocks--then after getting all out of the car, I close the door and use just the key on the key fob, not the keyfob lock buttons, to lock the car. I am manually locking them with the key itself,not the keyfob buttons. Then to unlock the car, I just use the key only and unlock the drivers side door. No alarm and no flashing lights.



I just got it in Sept and when comoing home from work having the horn and headlights made racket in the middle of othe night, was not welcome.



Yet as a precaution to avoid being locked out, i have a neck loop that I attach the keyfob too so when I take the keys out of the ignition I put the keyfob on my neck loop so I have the keys in the event the doors decide to lock on their own and lock me out of the car.



it may sound confusing. Yet if I forgot and lock it with the keyfob auto buttons and then try just the key to open it, the car has flashed or acted up by honking, despite settings changed. The point I guess is: if one wants a regular car that you control how it locks and when the doors locks, avoid using the auto key fob lock-unlock buttons.



I saw this and thought I would post what I found that works for me.



amy

 

[user5027]

I modified the settings also to have all the doors unlock when I use the keyfob to unlock the car and also changed the setting that allows when the car is put in park all the doors unlock.

You may want to reconsider doing this to prevent being car jacked.

 

[Koolau]

+1. i really don' want a vehicle that doesn't use a real key to open at least one door and to start the car.

I don't want a car that is "inscrutable" or smarter than I am. I like my key fob entry with key back up. Both my cars work exactly the same and I hope to keep it that way when I'm forced to replace one of them. If that requires me to remain in the 2000s or 2010s, I'm okay with that, I guess.

 

[Out of Steam]

We were a few miles out of Bluff, UT, last month parked at a trailhead. Afraid I might drop the key fob on the trail, I put it in the backpack. After getting back, I threw the backpack in the trunk of the Hertz rental Ford SUV and just shut the tailgate. As soon as I did that, I knew we were locked out. I started to panic. It was late afternoon. I blamed the dumb design by Ford. Then, maybe it was my own fault really because the same could happen if I had shut the door on a physical key of an older car. That's just ol' "locking key in car".

I was relieved to find a cell signal and got ahold of AAA. .

A woman had a similar incident with her Honda before a hike I was on recently.

 

[Out of Steam]

I don't want a car that is "inscrutable" or smarter than I am. I like my key fob entry with key back up. Both my cars work exactly the same and I hope to keep it that way when I'm forced to replace one of them.

We now have one car with push-button start and one with an ignition key (mine). I’m not doing well with it, and may replace my car sooner than I otherwise would because of it.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

We've been driving a car with optional automatic locking/unlocking for the last 16 yrs/190k miles.

Since I don't trust automated systems, I bought a spare fob and emergency mechanical key. Hid the emergency key outside the car well enough that not even the dealer Tech has found it. Wrapped the extra fob in aluminum foil, to foil (j/k) the signal and hid it deeply inside the car.

All the automatic locking/unlocking works as planned. But if it fails, or if I lock myself out or lose the fob, I can get into the car with the hidden key, unwrap the extra fob, and drive home.

It's possible that some brilliant car thief could find the external key, unblock the car, search around and find the extra fob, unwrap it, and steal the car. I could also be hit by a meteor. I don't worry about either problem.

I like the convenience of never needing to take the fob out of my pocket except when I change pants at home.

 

[Koolau]

We now have one car with push-button start and one with an ignition key (mine). I’m not doing well with it, and may replace my car sooner than I otherwise would because of it.

Heh, heh, I struggle when I switch from the car with floor mounted shift lever to the one with on-the-column lever. Probably looks pretty stupid when I grab the wrong area (and there's nothing there) upon starting the car.

 

[rk911]

Back in the old days, I always carried a spare key in my wallet.

I'd shake my head when someone went through a big commotion because they locked their keys in the car. I mean, it can cause a really big and sometimes expensive problem to lock yourself out. Miss an important appointment, etc. It's so simple to keep a spare key, why not do that?

And I'd shake my head when a couple would say "do you have the car/house keys?" to their spouse. Why not each have a set, things happen, stuff gets lost. Have a backup.

But today, it's not always so easy to carry a spare car key. I could get in with a spare mechanical key, but I couldn't start the car - I need the fob for that, and that doesn't fit in my wallet. I know, you can use an app for that, but in many cases, you need to pay a monthly fee for the connection. No thanks.

-ERD50

we don't have "smart car" (and likely won't) but we each have a set of keys that has keys for both cars (my set also has the keys to 'Willy', my '46 Willys), our house (1-key opens every lock) and our bank safety deposit box. When we're out together Donna's set lives in her purse, mine on a metal belt clip on my hip.

 

[Out of Steam]

Heh, heh, I struggle when I switch from the car with floor mounted shift lever to the one with on-the-column lever. Probably looks pretty stupid when I grab the wrong area (and there's nothing there) upon starting the car.

On the other hand, I'm glad that both of our cars now have the gas tank door on the same side!

 

[Koolau]

On the other hand, I'm glad that both of our cars now have the gas tank door on the same side!

Heh, heh, since I fuel at Costco and they have fueling stations on both sides of a center Island, I wish my cars had fillers on BOTH sides!

 

[TrvlBug]

OP here. Mystery solved. The car had to go in for a recall so I also took in all it's quirks for answers. The answer to the car locking itself with key fob in the car:

"Vehicle key is designed to not broadcast signal if no movement is detected after a certain period (safety design so thieves can't intercept signal with one's keys inside the house to open/drive away vehicle). For this reason when key in purse is not detected."

Thinking back to the incident, I was puttering around and didn't realize I had left the purse, with the key fob in it, in the car. Car locked itself. Previously, I because the doors are programmed to only open the driver's door when exiting the car, always realized immediately that I forgot to unlock the other doors to retrieve my purse.

So my backup plan is to always either leave the driver's door unlocked until I retrieve my purse from the back seat or put my purse in the front in it's designed cargo space. Having the phone or the credit card thingy act as backup keys won't work...they're in the purse along with the key fob .

 

[Koolau]

OP here. Mystery solved. The car had to go in for a recall so I also took in all it's quirks for answers. The answer to the car locking itself with key fob in the car:

"Vehicle key is designed to not broadcast signal if no movement is detected after a certain period (safety design so thieves can't intercept signal with one's keys inside the house to open/drive away vehicle). For this reason when key in purse is not detected."

Thinking back to the incident, I was puttering around and didn't realize I had left the purse, with the key fob in it, in the car. Car locked itself. Previously, I because the doors are programmed to only open the driver's door when exiting the car, always realized immediately that I forgot to unlock the other doors to retrieve my purse.

So my backup plan is to always either leave the driver's door unlocked until I retrieve my purse from the back seat or put my purse in the front in it's designed cargo space. Having the phone or the credit card thingy act as backup keys won't work...they're in the purse along with the key fob .

Something you learn as a pilot is to use a check list (best HS buddy - now dead of lung cancer) always crossed himself before leaving the house. "Sun glasses, cigarettes, lighter." So upon leaving the car, I always say "Sun glasses, cell phone, keys." YMMV

 

[TrvlBug]

Something you learn as a pilot is to use a check list (best HS buddy - now dead of lung cancer) always crossed himself before leaving the house. "Sun glasses, cigarettes, lighter." So upon leaving the car, I always say "Sun glasses, cell phone, keys." YMMV

Need to suggest that to DH as he always has to go back to the car for either his other glasses or cell phone .

 

[Sunset]

Something you learn as a pilot is to use a check list (best HS buddy - now dead of lung cancer) always crossed himself before leaving the house. "Sun glasses, cigarettes, lighter." So upon leaving the car, I always say "Sun glasses, cell phone, keys." YMMV

I learned the same thing from a friend for travel: passport, money, keys, DW.

 

[TrvlBug]

I learned the same thing from a friend for travel: passport, money, keys, DW.

 

[sengsational]

Reading through all of these scenarios...so many corner cases for the designers to contend with! Weak batteries, odd reception are one thing, but random ways people can move physically and in time, multiple fobs, creative thieves. What a headache.