And I thought I was locking my car

[GTP]

how about people that aren't sure their car is locked so they hit the lock button on their Key Fob several times when exiting the car. Just to be sure. Draining the battery in their Key Fob :lol:

Yeah, those guys.

After some thought, you may have a valid point. What difference would it make if your car won't start 1) because the car battery is dead, or 2) because of "Key not detected" message? :lol:

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[MaskedRacerX]

Has anyone left their key fob in the car, closed the door and been locked out, while the car was running? This happened to me when I was warming the car up on a sub-32 degree day. Not before or since... any feedback?
I did retrieve my other fob and unlock the car, but what if I wasn't home.

I had a brief panic the other day, we came out from the gym, I had my key in our backpack, walked up to the car, opened the trunk. Dropped in the bag, closed it, tried the door and it stayed locked!

I ran to the trunk and it still opened ... whew. Had the fob in my hand, door unlocked, continued on with our day (the required proximity for the doors is pretty close apparently).

Side, but semi related story:

I had a '95 Vette that had a regular (at the time) pushbutton unlock, but had always noticed a slight ratting sound in the fob.

So the one day the keys wound up getting locked in the car (actually at a garage doing an install), so I check into it and apparently that rattling is like a small switch type component and I read to rock the car (I'm not shitting...), and sure enough we rocked the car back and forth and I heard "click"! Doors were unlocked.

 

[MikeHTally]

Just don't be the guy who died from not reading the manual. Some power cable came loose in his 'vet so the power door pop didn't work. He didn't know about the hidden manual lever and didn't have a phone so couldn't get out. He died of exposure. I'm guessing he didn't keep a paper copy of the manual in the car.

Well, he did buy a 'Vette ...

 

[GP2017GT]

Yikes

Hopefully they went over which pedal makes the car go forward and which one stops the car. I hate it when they don't go through the basic stuff.

My dealer didn't explain that round button on the console. When I push it the engine starts up.

 

[frank s]

My "round button" that starts the engine is on the center stack.

With regard to leaving a car unlocked, I've been told by a few convertible owners that they do so because it costs a lot less to replace steal-ables than to replace a top slashed to gain entry. That might be true, but I'm not certain getting an arm in through a hole in the top will allow any act that would open a locked modern car door. I wouldn't want to be the owner whose car taught that lesson—whichever way it goes—to a breaker-and-enterer.

I have developed a thumb-to-correct-spot-on-the-handle reflex to lock it up when I leave it. Truthfully, it's a forefinger thing rather than a thumb. And a listen-for-that-sometimes-lost-in-ambient-noise little click-it's-locked sound.

 

[ORRadtech]

I still don't understand the OP's assertion that he was leaving his car unlocked. On my '18 pushing the ridged area of the handle multiple times just locks the door - repeatedly. It doesn't unlock until you slide your hand behind the handle.
And his putting his lack of understanding off onto the salesman seems, well, lame...

 

[Norm Peterson]

I still don't understand the OP's assertion that he was leaving his car unlocked. On my '18 pushing the ridged area of the handle multiple times just locks the door - repeatedly. It doesn't unlock until you slide your hand behind the handle.
And his putting his lack of understanding off onto the salesman seems, well, lame...

When two systems that perform the exact same functions work in such different fashion from each other, and you get used to one way first, don't expect it to be inherently obvious how a different system works. Muscle memory in this case can be a bitch.

Keep in mind that OP was in his mid-60's at the time, and might have expected touch-to-lock/touch-to-unlock systems to have been more standardized than was the case.


Chances are, his Mustang salesman had no idea how the touch locking worked on his wife's Infiniti, so I'll give you (and the salesman) that much.


Norm

 

[ORRadtech]

Still wouldn't have left his mustang unlocked as he said he was.
Touch the "lock spot" the car locks. Touch it again, the car locks again. Touch it again, the car locks again.
Etc, etc, etc
It doesn't unlock until you reach behind the handle.
Perhaps he didn't understand that but he was still leaving the car locked no matter what he thought.

I also believe that the whole age thing is bullshit.
I was 64 when I bought my Mustang. I listened to the salesman tell me about interesting features and asked questions. I certainly didn't expect him to tell me every single detail about it. The first week I owned it I read the owners manual and I keep a copy on my phone.
So don't pawn off laziness or foolishness on age...

 

[Norm Peterson]

Still wouldn't have left his mustang unlocked as he said he was.
Touch the "lock spot" the car locks. Touch it again, the car locks again. Touch it again, the car locks again.
Etc, etc, etc
It doesn't unlock until you reach behind the handle.
Perhaps he didn't understand that but he was still leaving the car locked no matter what he thought.

What I was saying is that the locking procedure he was accustomed to using on the Infiniti wasn't going to work on the Mustang, but he was doing it that way out of 'force of habit'.


Say what you will about the age thing as far as you yourself is concerned, but it's not going to be the same for all of us who get there. Nor are we all going to read the owner manual right away, not past the stuff we know is going to be different, anyway. FWIW, I was 71 when we bought the WRX in my sig, and while I did spend a fair amount of time reading the manual for the things I knew I was going to be actively involved with, I didn't waste much time reading about the stuff I wasn't going to use.

Truth be told, proximity lock/unlock on that car pisses me off by repeatedly doing its thing while I wash, wax, or otherwise work close-up to that car with no intention of opening a door. I'd shut the feature down completely except that would make just starting the engine somewhat cumbersome (and my wife, having gotten accustomed to being able to leave her fob in her bag, would surely complain).


Norm

 

[ORRadtech]

What I was saying is that the locking procedure he was accustomed to using on the Infiniti wasn't going to work on the Mustang, but he was doing it that way out of 'force of habit'.

OK, habit is a thing. But blaming his lack of knowledge on the salesman is foolish, lazy, arrogant or whatever adjective you care to insert.

Say what you will about the age thing as far as you yourself is concerned, but it's not going to be the same for all of us who get there. Nor are we all going to read the owner manual right away, not past the stuff we know is going to be different, anyway. FWIW, I was 71 when we bought the WRX in my sig, and while I did spend a fair amount of time reading the manual for the things I knew I was going to be actively involved with, I didn't waste much time reading about the stuff I wasn't going to use.

But you read the manual and I'd bet you still refer to it as needed. And you kinda need to know how the locks work.
I still disagree with letting age be an excuse. Especially when it comes to operating a vehicle.

Truth be told, proximity lock/unlock on that car pisses me off by repeatedly doing its thing while I wash, wax, or otherwise work close-up to that car with no intention of opening a door. I'd shut the feature down completely except that would make just starting the engine somewhat cumbersome (and my wife, having gotten accustomed to being able to leave her fob in her bag, would surely complain).
Norm

Easy solution, unlock the car and put the fob out of range. It won't lock or unlock from the handle if the fob is 10 feet or so away. That's what I do anyway.

 

[Norm Peterson]

OK, habit is a thing. But blaming his lack of knowledge on the salesman is foolish, lazy, arrogant or whatever adjective you care to insert.

Truth be told, I don't expect a salesman to tell me more than a scrap of what I might need to know. If anything, he's more likely to waste time trying to tell me things I don't need to know (least of all, right away).

But you read the manual and I'd bet you still refer to it as needed. And you kinda need to know how the locks work.
I still disagree with letting age be an excuse. Especially when it comes to operating a vehicle.

I do go to the manual when I need to find out about something. For this on the WRX, even though I understand how it works I just use the fob buttons like I would for the other two cars that don't have touch locking and sidestep the whole matter entirely.

On the age thing, I'm not trying to suggest it's a guarantee of anything that might need an excuse, only that it is a factor that should be considered. Habits do strengthen over time . . .

Easy solution, unlock the car and put the fob out of range. It won't lock or unlock from the handle if the fob is 10 feet or so away. That's what I do anyway.

That's the work-around that I've had to do, but it's not a natural thing to do when you always keep your car keys in a pants pocket whenever they aren't in the ignition or otherwise in active use. Even overnight, they're in the appropriate pants pocket.


Norm

 

[4leghorse]

call me ol' fashioned but I click the lock on the key fob

 

[m3incorp]

I imagine the OP has moved along a long time ago from this four year old thread.

As for me, I never take the Fob out of my pocket. Being in close proximity allows for opening and closing trunk, unlocking and locking doors and most importantly, starting the dang car.

 

[Genxer]

call me ol' fashioned but I click the lock on the key fob

I've done that when I've had an "oh crap" moment and can't remember if I locked it. Saved some steps.

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