Discovered I don't need key to lock/unlock vehicle

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cove3

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Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
276
Location
White Plains, NY
After 3 months of using the key to lock/unlock the car. I found you can lock it by touching the outside of the door handle and unlock it by touching the inside of the door handle, which happens in the process of opening the door

This confirms my earlier post that the car has so much function and the users manual is so complicated and cluttered with warning text that the owner is overwhelmed. My dealer gave me no instructions except how to start the car.

I continue to believe VW should include along with the owners manual a simple step by step guide absent all the warnings which would take the owner through all the functions, starting with how to open the hatch, doors, adjust the seats, set regen, display trip data from the steering wheel, etc etc

Also, the menu setup on the display has a section to choose on or off for automatically locking all doors. This appears to be incorrect, as this setting will automatically lock all doors EXCEPT the drivers door which has to be locked either with the key or by touching the outside of the door handle

I also thought there's a way to cause all doors to automatically lock once you're inside the vehicle but I think you have to press the lock button on the door

Ron
 
cove3 said:
After 3 months of using the key to lock/unlock the car. I found you can lock it by touching the outside of the door handle and unlock it by touching the inside of the door handle, which happens in the process of opening the door

I had the opposite experience. My dealer told me how to use the touch locks (albeit in a confusing, rushed way that took some experimentation before it became clear,) but not what the key was for. Looking up the key in the manual as I recall didn't get much except that it worked on the glove box. Wasn't until much later that I happened across mention somewhere that there are key slots under caps on the door handles.

This confirms my earlier post that the car has so much function and the users manual is so complicated and cluttered with warning text that the owner is overwhelmed

I continue to believe VW should include along with the owners manual a simple step by step guide absent all the warnings which would take the owner through all the functions, starting with how to open the hatch, doors, adjust the seats, set regen, display trip data from the steering wheel, etc etc

While I agree with this from a convenience standpoint, I'd expect that the full manual would then be rarely consulted and all those warnings would be entirely useless. I'm guessing you didn't get the "quick start guide" with your car. It is a step in that direction, with few warnings, and it does explain the keyless operations.

Maybe when you said you used the key to access the car, maybe you meant the fob/remote, which you need to have on you in any case. You can't unlock the car by touch without it, as the car needs to sense it very close by. Unless you're unlocking by Car-Net, of course.

Also, the menu setup on the display has a section to choose on or off for automatically locking all doors. This appears to be incorrect, as this setting will automatically lock all doors EXCEPT the drivers door which has to be locked either with the key or by touching the outside of the door handle

Doesn't make sense that your driver's door doesn't automatically lock. The only way I could see that happening is if you have "single door" (or maybe "vehicle side", though the manual says it refers to the driver's side,) selected in the settings, and you lock the passenger's door. I have "all doors" selected, and that's what gets locked whichever method or door I use (well, I haven't tried the physical key yet.)

One thing I finally discovered during research for this post is why the car sometimes locks automatically for other reasons. If you lock/unlock repeatedly in a short period of time, the autolock disables for 30 seconds, then locks. Also, if you unlock without opening any doors within a short time, it will also autolock soon thereafter. I'd often wondered why this mostly seemed to happen when I'm unlocking to free the charging cable... now I know.

I also thought there's a way to cause all doors to automatically lock once you're inside the vehicle but I think you have to press the lock button on the door

For me, the doors automatically lock when I first reach 10 mph, and don't automatically unlock again until I shut off the car (or maybe put it in park... not quite sure.)
 
Thanks for the insight. Here's some points

1. I didn't get a quick start guide. Just the users manual
2. Setup is checked to automatically lock all doors
3. Getting out of the car and placing the keyless fob 20 feet away, the driver's door doesn't lock, but the others do. I have to come back with the keyless fob and lock it by touching the outside of the drivers door
4. The manual does say the doors automatically lock when you drive above 10mph and the lock light in the door comes on. It seems like you'd be vulnerable in a parking lot because the door is unlocked until you're on the road. I guess you can always press the lock button on the door immediately when getting in if you want safety but it seems strange to wait until you're driving to lock the doors

Ron
 
cove3 said:
I continue to believe VW should include along with the owners manual a simple step by step guide absent all the warnings which would take the owner through all the functions, starting with how to open the hatch, doors, adjust the seats, set regen, display trip data from the steering wheel, etc etc

http://knowyourvw.com/?page=video&id=44

As well as the videos, it also has the quick start guide PDF at the bottom of the page.
 
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