BRZ locked me out while running

[Brooklyn]

Yesterday I pulled over and got out of my car (idling) to grab my mail from the mailbox. When I came back to the car, turns out it had locked the doors on me with the key fob in my pocket. I had done this a hundred times before and if I'm not mistaken the car will not lock if the key fob is with you, yet it did. I suspect it has something to do with a low battery on the key fob.

[After searching the forums I read somewhere where someone had taken the valet key out of the fob and then trying to push the unlock button that way. I did this but in my haste I'm not sure if it actually worked, as at the same time I tried opening the trunk and it opened. I then proceeded to crawl through to get to the driver's seat. By the time I wiggled into the seat, the doors were unlocked...unless I just wasn't thinking clearly from having to contort my body in ways it shouldn't]

Anyone else have this happen? Or can anyone offer an explanation? Phantom signal? Car auto lock thinking the fob was still in the car?

[Summerwolf]

It wouldn't unlock even though you had the fob?

I walk away from the car all the time with the fob on me / in the car and never heard of an issue where it would lock you out. In fact I intentionally try to lock the car sometimes when I walk away from it while it is running, like warmimg it up, and I come back and I never have noticed it locked, lol.

Alternatively, if you leave the fob in the car it should recognize that and not let the car door lock I thought? Preventing people from locking their keys in the car.

[TommyW]

Yes that's why I never close the doors with the key in the car. I had a Honda that used to do the same thing. Embarrassing to say the least when you're away from home and it happens

[mazeroni]

Odd. Since our doors don't auto lock, even when driving away, maybe you hit the door handle on the way out. With the low battery, maybe it got confused.

That seems the most obvious answer to me.

No, you can't lock the car from the fob if it is running. You also can't lock the door from the handle if the fob is in the car. But it's interesting that the trunk opened. I'm not sure how the keyless system works. If after you swap the battery and it does it again, maybe it is a bad sensor? I'd start putting the window down before getting out as a precaution.

[guybo]

how old is the battery in your key fob? It might be time to change it out

[Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by Summerwolf

It wouldn't unlock even though you had the fob?

I walk away from the car all the time with the fob on me / in the car and never heard of an issue where it would lock you out. In fact I intentionally try to lock the car sometimes when I walk away from it while it is running, like warmimg it up, and I come back and I never have noticed it locked, lol.

Alternatively, if you leave the fob in the car it should recognize that and not let the car door lock I thought? Preventing people from locking their keys in the car.

Correct - It wouldn't unlock even though I had the fob. I'll try again later as I have a spare fob with a better (probably) battery.

[Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by mazeroni

Odd. Since our doors don't auto lock, even when driving away, maybe you hit the door handle on the way out. With the low battery, maybe it got confused.

That seems the most obvious answer to me.

No, you can't lock the car from the fob if it is running. You also can't lock the door from the handle if the fob is in the car. But it's interesting that the trunk opened. I'm not sure how the keyless system works. If after you swap the battery and it does it again, maybe it is a bad sensor? I'd start putting the window down before getting out as a precaution.

Yeah, I may have hit it on the way out, but you would think that having the key fob with you and trying to unlock it from outside would work? But yes, I think it has to do with the low fob battery. I'll do some troubleshooting and try to make sense of it. This sounds crazy but sometimes I'm in my garage, without my key fob, and it will lock by itself randomly. The keyfob is usually inside my home. Maybe my BRZ has a wiring issue. I think I read somewhere (and don't quote me on this) that it might have something to do with a faulty fuel system wiring/system???

[mav1178]

Instead of climbing into the trunk, why didn't you try unlocking the driver's side door with the key in your key fob?

You just pop the key off the fob and unlock. Takes like 10 seconds...

[Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by mav1178

Instead of climbing into the trunk, why didn't you try unlocking the driver's side door with the key in your key fob?

You just pop the key off the fob and unlock. Takes like 10 seconds...

Guess my brain shut down in panic lol. Of all the years I've owned this car I guess that fact escaped me since I've never had to use that function.

[DrButtDrugs]

Doing that may set off the alarm (if equipped). It should turn off after 5 or so minutes.

Ask me how I know

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn

Correct - It wouldn't unlock even though I had the fob. I'll try again later as I have a spare fob with a better (probably) battery.

The other fob battery will be very close to the same. Even when thrown in a drawer or stored away someplace the fob is always sending out that signal looking for the car so it can join up and do it's job. Tucked away. All alone. In the dark. Searching. Always searching.
Sort of sad to picture it really.



Everybody take your spare fob out of storage and give it a hug and let it know you care.

[Imrac]

Anytime I leave my car running I make sure to roll my window all the way down.

[PandaSPUR]

Originally Posted by Summerwolf

In fact I intentionally try to lock the car sometimes when I walk away from it while it is running, like warmimg it up, and I come back and I never have noticed it locked, lol.

^ this... my car refuses to lock via the fob when its running. Some kinda feature to make sure you dont leave your car running accidentally? I always have to shut off the engine and just turn on hazards if im pulling over and running into a store or something quickly.

The only situation (i think) where the car will refuse to unlock from outside with the fob is if its running and someone locked the car from the inside. Did something fall off your dash and hit the lock button? lol

[Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

^ this... my car refuses to lock via the fob when its running. Some kinda feature to make sure you dont leave your car running accidentally? I always have to shut off the engine and just turn on hazards if im pulling over and running into a store or something quickly.

The only situation (i think) where the car will refuse to unlock from outside with the fob is if its running and someone locked the car from the inside. Did something fall off your dash and hit the lock button? lol

haha I'm sure nothing fell off the dash. I think what happened is the battery was so low that the car didn't detect the fob anymore, and whatever situation it interpreted it as, somehow my car, or another signal from thin air, told it to lock the doors.

I even tested it yesterday: I locked the doors from inside, and the car automatically unlocks the doors immediately as you try to get out of it while it's running (with fob in pocket).