Locked Your Keys in the Trunk?
In the world of Push Button or Keyless Start cars, three calls are commonly received by service departments and roadside assistance operators: lock outs, dead key fob batteries and keys “locked” in the trunk or behind the rear hatch.
Of the three, the lock out is most likely to require an actual visit from roadside assistance. The second, a dead fob battery, has a backup plan that you can find here at DashboardSymbols.com or in your owner’s manual – if you can get into the car.
The third, keys locked in the trunk or storage area, is usually a conceptual problem that is a result of the nature of “locked” when it comes to modern push button ignition systems.
And of course the length of the explanation highlights one of the many problems associated with advanced technology. Perceived as user-friendly, the details can be more than confusing.
So first, assuming, and yes we hate to use that word, that the battery in the fob is strong, closing the trunk with the fob inside does not lock your keys inside. Just as a driver can approach the car with the key fob in a pocket or purse and open a door with just a touch, there is also a touch spot or pad for the trunk.
The difference is, of course, that a door has a handle to pull while a trunk does not. Thus a sense of panic can easily arise in a driver who has not routinely opened the trunk using the touch pad. Feel for it – it will generally be a raised or depressed, rubberized bit above the license plate. It is not visible unless you bend over and look for it.
This takes us to the nature of “locked” on push button systems. A driver steps from his or her car and presses the lock button on the fob. The locks engage. However, he or she can approach the vehicle at any time and open it with just a touch, all because the vehicle is in constant communication with that key fob. The same is true for the trunk, even with the fob inside the trunk.
So is the vehicle locked?
Well yes – and no! If the driver is within range, anyone can walk up to vehicle and open it. However, most vehicles make it possible to lock all the doors from the inside, which overrides the touch system.
This can result in a lockout, if the interior lock switch is engaged when exiting the car – and leaving the keys inside. This is roadside assistance time, unless you are fortunate enough to have OnStar, or an equivalent service.
So just to confuse things further, many manufacturers have included a trunk lockout switch, usually located in the glove box. This allows a driver to lock the trunk with the switch, then manually lock the glove box and hand the key fob to a valet while keeping valuables protected. If that switch is engaged and the keys are in a closed trunk, its roadside assistance time again!
Truly though, in the vast majority of situations, if you have dropped the keys into the trunk and closed it, relax. If you have a push-button start system, simply touch the pad above the license plate or on the lift handle of your rear hatch and the trunk lid or hatch will pop open.
The video below will help as well.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
The Futility of a Convertible Top Trouble Light
Convertible Top Trouble Light
This past summer (2013), I was fortunate to pick up a pre-owned convertible with a power soft top. The experience has resulted in, first a new power top warning light being introduced to the website and second, a refresher course on the lack of utility that most of today’s automotive warning lights offer drivers.
The power top on my car is quirky and well past its warranty, but being a hands-on guy, I am generally able to deal with any issues that crop up. It sometimes stops near the end of the opening process. The top has gotten confused during the closing process, dropping the rear portion of the top before the storage cover is closed. It may start to open and decide not to! These issues usually require only a moment’s rest and a restart, although in the second case, a manual lift of the rear portion of the top is required.
But the resulting warning light is what I would like to discuss.
The Warning Light?
What does it tell me that I don’t already know? Nothing! The top is not fully closed? No kidding! It is not fully open? Really? How could I have guessed!
Further, the instrument panel features a small rectangular message center that will actually spell out – wait for it – “Soft top not fully closed.” Oh thank you…
This, of course, was a golden opportunity for the manufacturer to perhaps offer a diagnosis, such as to suggest that an actuator is weak and should be replaced, or a power supply is malfunctioning, etc. But instead, the message center reflects the useless warning light and tells me the obvious.
I do not envy the task of creating warning lights, chimes, buzzers and messages that provide necessary information as well keep a company’s liability at bay. Given this website, I have spent some time thinking about these issues. But if the industry is to remain saddled to the warning light paradigm, it seems to me that at minimum, a good deal more thought could go into the information being revealed in message centers.
In the case of a power top, what failed? Why? Was there user error? Is there an actual mechanical, electrical or hydraulic problem needing attention? With other warning lights, answers to those types of questions and more could be offered. For instance, can the car be driven??? Clearly each system and system light would need specialized attention and specialized messaging, which adds to costs. But as it stands, drivers are left with little choice but spend time at a service center, regardless of actual need or of seriousness of a problem.
All these lights and chimes and buzzers are more closely related to the boy who cried wolf than anything useful in the daily life of the driving public. The end result is that a truly serious warning could be and often is ignored.
For the record, the problems with the top are resolved. If you’re working on yours, this video might be helpful.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY