Locked keys in van: Warning - easy to do!!!

[rob.wheatley]

A warning for you all. It's far too easy to lock the keys in the van. I just did it and I'm writing this whilst waiting for the AA to come.

Here is what I did:

The keys were on the back seat and while I was looking in the fridge, I knelt on the keys. That triggered the locks (I heard all the locks trigger). I thought nothing of it, finished what I was doing, got out of the van and closed the side door. The moment the door closed, all the locks engaged and the alarm turned on. It sounded like the deadlock engaged as I heard the double clunk. After my initial panic, I thought that the van wouldn't be that stupid and that a door somewhere would be open. No luck there though.

So, I'm waiting for the AA here in Ireland. Apparently I'm covered abroad, although I didn't think I was. Let's hope that they can get me in.

Why would the locks be programmed to do that? It seems so stupid!

 

[ChrisandPenney52]

Aargh! Hope it's sorted quickly. Welcome to the 'I'll always keep a set of keys in my pocket from now on' club. An exclusive but growing membership.

 

[rob.wheatley]

Well I'm in. 1 hour wait for the chap to turn up then another 30 mins mucking about trying to hook the keys off the back seat. The chap used a couple of inflatable bags to open the door a bit and a long piece of wire to hook the keys. Once we had them on the front seat we uses the wire to press the unlock button. Luckily the alarm didn't go off until the keys were in the front seat so we didn't make people around us suffer too much (it was 11pm).


I've now worked out how it's done. If you press the lock button on the key with the side door open, the all the locks apart from the side door engage, but the moment you close the side door, it locks too. If you do the sme thing with the driver's door open nothing locks. It's a stupid design for a camper because the side door is the main door most of the time. Ithink that the side door being open should also prevent locking. Heck, any open door should. Why would you want to lock the door without the key anyway?

 

[calikev]

Hi rob. Glad you got it sorted and thanks for sharing your story as a warning to others

 

[Stu]

That's not good and it's lucky the AA man was able to get you in without having to smash a window.

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

If you leave the drivers door open then it will not lock. Drivers door closed and any other door open and the lock button pushed the van will lock once the rest of the doors are closed.

cheers

 

[Isa Neal]

Hi it's more complicated than that. I hadn't pressed the lock button, my keys were in the ignition, I went out the side door and my van locked me out.....RAC had to break in still have the scratched paintwork. cannot understand why going out of side door with keys in the ignition would lock me out.Took it into SMG after that to get the electrics sorted.

 

[Barryjm]

This is very useful info as we also recently got locked out in France. I remember doing something with the keys before the incident, then when my wife closed the sliding door to go to the shower the locks closed!!! Thank goodness that we had the fly screens in the side windows at the time as it was so hot! I was able to pop them out and open the lock

We even had the spare keys with us, but guess where they were! :doh

In future I plan to tape the keys to my forehead, that way this can not happen again!!!

 

[Freeley]

Well I'm in. 1 hour wait for the chap to turn up then another 30 mins mucking about trying to hook the keys off the back seat. The chap used a couple of inflatable bags to open the door a bit and a long piece of wire to hook the keys. Once we had them on the front seat we uses the wire to press the unlock button. Luckily the alarm didn't go off until the keys were in the front seat so we didn't make people around us suffer too much (it was 11pm).


I've now worked out how it's done. If you press the lock button on the key with the side door open, the all the locks apart from the side door engage, but the moment you close the side door, it locks too. If you do the sme thing with the driver's door open nothing locks. It's a stupid design for a camper because the side door is the main door most of the time. Ithink that the side door being open should also prevent locking. Heck, any open door should. Why would you want to lock the door without the key anyway?

This is a transporter thing which has carried over to the cali - guess it can help when loading/unloading, not so good for a camper though.
I NEVER leave the keys in the van after an incident some years ago!
We only do it once though.......don't we? :lol:

 

[ChrisandPenney52]

So today my brother got out of his new Renault Megane - with keyless locking - and walked away from it with key card in pocket, leaving our 84 year old mum patiently waiting in the passenger seat ...

Returns to find locked-in mum waiving plaintively, burglar alarm wailing.

I have to say she took it very well, simply commenting that no one had even looked round to see what was going on.

 

[mountainman]

Yes VW, I hope you are listening, that is a mad piece of logic built into your security that allows this to happen!! Fix it, please.
This is what happened to me:
Wild camping in a forest near Arrochar, Scotland. Keys in the ignition, ignition off. I go to sleep, but before I do I lock all the doors using the switch on the drivers door. In the morning I jump out of bed and get some breakfast then think about getting ready for some hill-walking, so need my boots from the back. I leave via the side-door, closing it behind me to keep out the midgies. The tail-gate won't open and shock horror, neither will the side-door. This can not have just happened to me! I quickly check the other doors in complete disbelief. Surely the bloody thing can't have been that stupid! I stare at the keys in the ignition, I stare at my i-phone on the dash. I then think, my god, what am I wearing. There was one other camper about 50m away and that was it. If it hadn't been for them, the answer could so easily have been, nothing!!!! The other van was all curtains drawn, it was 0630. I was wearing jeans, sandals, T-shirt and thankfully I had my wallet. I hitch-hiked into the village some 5 miles away (imagine doing that in your pants, or less) and used the public phone to get my wife to find the number and call out the recovery service. Now here is the lucky bit. An Arrochar RAC man, calls in on duty and gets given my job and is told I am hitching back to the van. So it is him who picks me up!!! Two plastic wedges, two inflatable bags and a long flat piece of mild steel later we are in. Whole gastly episode lasted just 60 mins, and I was in the middle of nowhere. Not bad outcome in the end.
I am now completely paranoid and wont leave the van without the keys. I have tried without success to repeat this at home. So i am baffled!! Watch out!!!!

 

[Beano]

I nearly had a similar experience, when side door locked with keys inside, but luckily driver door opened.....don't know why ....but anyway big sigh of relief ....and as others have said always keep a key on you

 

[rthomas17]

This is an interesting thread - I'm off to Europe with the kids next week and can imagine being locked out in the middle of nowhere, so the "keep a key on you" advice is sounding good to me. But here's a question - has anyone found a good secure way of keeping valuables on you whilst splashing about in lakes etc? Don't want to leave the keys wrapped up in a towel at the side of a pool....

 

[Bigbud]

Aqua pack. Some use a none chipped key and hide there main key in the van, I never liked this as if your van goes missing the insurance will want both keys!

I've been kitesurfing years and never had any water in my aqua pack.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ROB]

i must admit i too have locked them in , but my fault totally

 

[Andresz]

I checked and my 2007 model seem not be doing this nasty trick.

 

[rasmith66]

Get a spare key cut at a specialist key/locksmith. This will allow you to open the driver's door. Then quickly retrieve the main set of keys and switch the ignition on to prevent the alarm going off. I keep the spare key around my neck whenever I use my bus for surfing/camping etc.........it never fails.

RASmith66 VW Bus owner for 40 years

 

[frigorifix]

how about using the extra key provided by VW (the non electronic one) ? Isn't it waterproof ?

 

[mountainman]

Yes, Mine seems not to be doing it either!!!! Still can't work out the exact set of circumstances which causes it to happen. Bettre safe than sorry.

 

[JohnBN]

We have been aware of this potential problem with VW campers over the years so keep a non-chipped spare in a magnetic box underneath. It would give access-only in an emergency but, of course, there is a slight risk that a thief might find it. Pennywise in Lewes Road, Brighton will cut one for about £8 . We got one a couple of months ago .

 

[Fresco 2008]

Why don't VW fix it?! Happened to me in Cornwall, up a gravel track near a Tin mine miles from anyone & a phone signal . Got out to take a photo & left keys in ignition. Van auto locked behind me! For some odd reason I had the spares in my pocket, phew. ALWAYS take the keys with me now, but good idea on getting a non-chipped key cut.

 

[choplee]

anyone needing emergency,surf,camping,hiking,biking or whatever type of key then we do have a good guy that does them for our members

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4182&hilit=+keys#p36996

 

[JDWB]

Locked out of van last Monday at Bridlington at 8pm. Helpful owners of site found us a local car locksmith in Hull who turned out and got us in with using a professional lock pick in 5 minutes and charged £70 which I thought was very reasonable. I had been having my tea and sat in drivers seat. I must have leant on the door locking button so when we went to do the washing up and locked the sliding door, that's it all locked. Your brain just goes to mush. I was wandering round just trying every door. If its in order I thought I would give him a plug on the site. So if you are locked out in East Yorkshire try Rob at Car Key Locksmith on 07538 220730. Just a quick question from the contributors that are having keys cut is that just a straight key without the black electric fob?

 

[WelshGas]

Just a quick question from the contributors that are having keys cut is that just a straight key without the black electric fob?

Yes, that would be known as a " Surf Key ". No electronics - just opens the door.

 

[Amarillo]

Just a quick question from the contributors that are having keys cut is that just a straight key without the black electric fob?

Two options:

1. a rigid key from VW which is chipped so you can open the doors and drive the vehicle but not activate or deactivate the alarm (except deactivating by turning on the ignition)
2. a key only from a competent locksmith which can be used to lock and unlock the doors manually but will not turn on the ignition

Both come without the remote locking/unlocking fob.