Polo GTI locked itself with keys in ignition!!

[clone_tk422]

Hi All,

Had a scary encounter today, at home and found the car was totally locked including boot.

Keys were in the ignition as well.

Luckily was at home and had spare keys to get in but would like to know if anyone knows - is it a feature for the car to normally lock itself after a certain period of time if the keys are removed?

If so I think I have found a flaw in the car.. Yes the keys were in the ignition but heres what I think happened - Everytime you turn the car off, the radio / CD stays on. This annoys me a little bit as i like to leave the keys in when the car is garaged at night.

So when i turn the car off, instead of turning off the radio, I sipmly remove the keys from the ingition and put them in again. This turns the radio off but does not turn it back on again when keys put back

I would have done this last night but came out to find this morning the car had locked itself.. You would think since the keys are in the ignition that it wouldnt do this but because i removed them and put back in it didnt register they keys were there because i hadnt turned the ignition back on.

Am I correct here in what happened or is the polo not meant to auto lock the car period so this shouldnt have happened with the keys in or out of the ignition? I seem to recall that this feature could be programmed by the dealer to occur but I didnt request it

Thanks!

[SidGTi]

Yes it's a security feature built into the immobiliser/central locking system. Not sure how long before the car locks itself but I remember being told by the salesman when I picked up my car that it will lock itself if you do not engage the immobiliser and doors have not been opened since. So yes DON'T leave the keys in the ignition with the doors closed.

[h100vw]

Generally, the car will lock itself again if you unlock with the remote and don't open a door within a minute or so. That way you can't leave it unlocked by pressing the remote by accident.

TBH I wouldn't leave it with the key in, I bet an insurance company would be just a bit anti if you had to claim for a missing car!!

You can change some features of the remote. I had a couple of modern dubs in the UK and they only opened the drivers door on the first press of the button. A double press was required to open the passenger door/s.

Not sure if the dealer could help you further.

Gavin

I am too slow........

[Subie25L]

What's the reason you like to leave the keys in it?

I could maybe understand leaving it unlocked in case you need to get something out if it.

Maybe someone pressed the remote on the spare keys ?

[clone_tk422]

What's the reason you like to leave the keys in it?

I could maybe understand leaving it unlocked in case you need to get something out if it.

Maybe someone pressed the remote on the spare keys ?

I have just always left my keys in the ignition when the car is garaged. I mean i figure if they can break in to the house / garage then they can find they keys in the house and take it anyway so having the keys left in the ignition is more a convenience thing. I dont have to worry about losing they keys, they are always there when i leave in the morning, I just jump in the car and go. Also yeah if I need to get stuff out of it all the time its always unlocked.

And no impossible the spare key was pressed as it was locked away

Anyways I dont know. I think I will still leave the keys in it whilst leaving it at home as I always have the spare keys here but I wouldnt do it anywhere else thats for sure.

[Kai]

Ive accidently left my key in the ignition over night before,

Car was still unlocked in the morning.

[silverMK1]

like he said it will not lock if you dont take the keys out. but he took them out and put them back in without turning the ignition on... hhmmm make any sense...

[brackie]

Blue light alert....

Filed away in my aging grey matter somewhere is a memory that it's now illegal to leave the keys in you car at any time. We're all guilty of doing it I know but am I right? Is it against the law?

[Subie25L]

Filed away in my aging grey matter somewhere is a memory that it's now illegal to leave the keys in you car at any time. We're all guilty of doing it I know but am I right? Is it against the law?

I thought it was that you could not leave the vehicle running while there is no one in the car.

[clone_tk422]

like he said it will not lock if you dont take the keys out. but he took them out and put them back in without turning the ignition on... hhmmm make any sense...

had to keys out and back in again to turn off the radio as it annoys me when you turn car off, radio stays on

I will have to resort to turning the radio off manually now when turning the car off but it was more convenient to just remove and replace the keys as that way when i start the car again, radio would also start again

[Shade]

I am paranoid, i always lock the car up, regardless if it's in the garage, street, security car park or even if it's in a bank vault! I just have the feeling that if i make a habit of not locking it for any reason i may not lock it when i should and it also prevents what happened to you.

[FL00DY]

clone_tk422, where are you based? Give your friendly stealership a call or a better option get in touch with someone like Guy and Seb. I'm sure this option could be turned off by using Vag-Com. I don't see how this is listed as a safety feature, can picture lots of babies/kids getting locked in and not knowing how to unlock the car; I can also see lots of blonds also locking themselves in and not knowing how to unlock from the inside

[SidGTi]

When the salesman mentioned that security feature when I picked up the car immediately I asked him "what if i leave the cars in the ignition?"

He just replied and laughed at me "Then you're a doofus don't leave the keys in there."

There are advantages to it and disadvantages to having it. You know its there so don't forget!

[Glide_GTI]

Everytime you turn the car off, the radio / CD stays on. This annoys me a little bit as i like to leave the keys in when the car is garaged at night.

not a flaw, I actually like it this way - was the same on my golf MK3.
just take the key out and put it back again, no biggie

[Wand Weaver]

Filed away in my aging grey matter somewhere is a memory that it's now illegal to leave the keys in you car at any time. We're all guilty of doing it I know but am I right? Is it against the law?

I think the regulation's not that you can't leave the keys in the car - but you can't be more than 10m away from your car with it unlocked. I think 10m is the accepted "threshhold" for the car to be deemed unattended and unsecured.

It may be a NSW RTA regulation (and a traffic offense) rather than a driving offense.