Door locked with key in ignition

Griffen_01

Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2004
My wife was just dropping off her Mother and had left the key in the ignition with the car running (04 jetta/tdi).
When she got back the door's had locked on her. I had to go with the spare key and unlock it . The thing being is I had to use the key to unlock it as the fob would not work until the ignition key was pulled out. Every thing seem's to be ok now. I could not get it to happen again. Anybody have any ideas on this? I know there should be no way that the door should lock with the key in the ignition and the car running.
 

PeeWee

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2005
Location
Toronto Ontario Canada
TDI
2005 Jetta Wagon, 97 Passat Sedan
The door will lock with the key in the ignition and the car running. It does automatically when you hit about 13 kph. It will also lock if you hit the button accidentally on exiting the vehicle. By button I am refering to the one on the top rear corner at the bottom of the window. You can also lock the door by hitting the button on the arm rest. It was likely an innocent error and not the evil car syndrome.
 

lildevildee

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Location
Knotts Island, NC
TDI
2012 Jetta w/6spd manual
I'd like to live in a place where I could just leave my key in the car and not have my car stolen; let alone leave my key in the car with the car running!
 

Btravelen

Veteran Member
Joined
May 27, 2004
Location
midwest USA
TDI
2005 TDI Passat Variant
I can't push hard enough on the 'button' to lock mine with the key in the ignition or not. I have to use the remote to lock it all the time as the lock button won't even do it. Is this a VagCom correctable issue?
 

rickdick80

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Location
Detroit near-northern suburbs
TDI
Golf GLS 5spd, 2004, Reflex Silver
Griffen_01 said:
My wife was just dropping off her Mother and had left the key in the ignition with the car running (04 jetta/tdi).
When she got back the door's had locked on her. I had to go with the spare key and unlock it . The thing being is I had to use the key to unlock it as the fob would not work until the ignition key was pulled out. Every thing seem's to be ok now. I could not get it to happen again. Anybody have any ideas on this? I know there should be no way that the door should lock with the key in the ignition and the car running.
Sorry, I have no answer to your question, but I can share my experience. With the cold weather here I've been leaving my car idling while I run into the store or whatever. This is what I've noticed so far:

1) With the car running, the key fob does not work at all. It won't lock or unlock the doors, and won't unlock the trunk.

2) Regardless of whether the key is in the ignition, if you open the driver door and hit the power lock button on the armrest near the window switches, all doors EXCEPT the driver door will lock.

3) The only way I've found to lock the doors with a door open is if you keep the driver door shut, hit the power lock button on the PASSENGER door, and then shut the door.

4) To lock the car while it is running, I obviously have one key in the ignition, but then use another key to lock it using the exterior door lock.

The only way I can think your situation happened is that your wife left the car running, got out of the drivers side, shut the driver door, went to the passenger side where your mother in law sat, opened the door, bumped the power lock button with the passenger door open, then shut the door after mom-in-law was out. I'll have to try this after I get off work today.

Maybe run that scenario by her and see if it is possible that's what happened?
 

Griffen_01

Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2004
I think that is exactly what happened . We spent a little time experimenting and came up with the exact same result as you. Thanks to all that responded.
 

cpermd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2002
Location
Hills of AR
If you don't have another key

The cheapest solution is to have a "On the spot glass Co" take out the Windshield and then replace it once you get the key out.:(

CP
 

XJCoupe

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2005
Location
D.C. Metro
TDI
none
Another possibility

Apparently, the solder joints on the lock module can fail, causing intermittent locking problems. Check out this thread: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=116323

As a side note, I noticed that the car automatically relocks itself after 30 sec., if no doors have been opened. Presumably this is a security feature, in case you accidentally hit 'unlock' on the key fob while still in range. I guess if the door switch was faulty, the car might do this even if the door was opened. Kinda freaked me out, because I had just used VAG-COM to disable auto-lock, selective unlocking and the horn-on-lock "feature", and thought I'd really screwed something up!

Cheers!
 

BudsBug

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Location
Trenton NJ
TDI
2000 New Beetle (Buglet)
I can't lock my door without a key or fob except from the passenger door that has no lock cylinder. BTW I would have paid to get a passenger side key available it is strange no to be able to open from that side with a dead remote but key in hand. If you really look at it I think we are supposed to get be able to get in from the passenger side for safety reasons so I am surprised that VW got away with that one.
 

Birdman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 7, 1999
Location
Near Hagerstown MD.
TDI
Jetta 2001 Died by Truck one snowy day. Jetta 2003
Sorry, I have no answer to your question, but I can share my experience. With the cold weather here I've been leaving my car idling while I run into the store or whatever. This is what I've noticed so far
you can get a heavy ticket in MD for leaving your keys ANYWHERE ANYTIME.
 

LNXGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Location
Barrie, Ont, Canada
TDI
'05 Jetta TDI Wagon
cpermd said:
The cheapest solution is to have a "On the spot glass Co" take out the Windshield and then replace it once you get the key out.:(

CP
Jimmy the door with a wedge of wood (which BTW won't set the alarm off if for some reason you have locked the keys in the car) get a coat hanger etc and pop the drivers side door open via the handle..

No need to do anything drastic...
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
lildevildee said:
I'd like to live in a place where I could just leave my key in the car and not have my car stolen; let alone leave my key in the car with the car running!
I have friends in Iqaluit, Nunavut...

(However, it's a bit chilly there...)

Yuri.
 

DaveGaunt

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Location
SW Ontario, Canada
TDI
2001 Golf Blue
Right, the fob does not work if key in ignition.

Also right that doors will lock ~30 sec. after door unlocked if no doors opened.

However, if your Dr door logic switch that tells the ECU that the door has been opened has failed (common it seems) the computer doesn't know someone is in the car and will lock the doors. Now, in MY car at least, if you insert the key into the ignition, i guess the computer figures someone got in somehow (in absence of a signal from the Dr. Door) and disables the re-lock proceedure so, this doen't explain why the door locked with the key in the ignition unless the knocking the switch scenario was at work, seems most likely to me, but you will probably never know.
 
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