Locking yourself out ?

[Gliderbee California 6.1]

Last year the following occured:

By pressing the key while I was inside the van, all doors were locked.
I didn't really pay attention to this, and a bit later, I left the van through the sliding door and shut the door behind me (with the keys still inside).
When I returned, everthing was locked, also the sliding door ....

Luckily, the roof top was up, and I could open the zipper from the big opening from the outside and thus enter the van and get to my keys.
But what if the roof top would have been down ?

So: is there a way to prevent the doors from locking with the key when the key is inside the van (my "normal" car can do that ..) ?

Thx,
Stefan.

 

[Up10]

Last year the following occured:

By pressing the key while I was inside the van, all doors were locked.
I didn't really pay attention to this, and a bit later, I left the van through the sliding door and shut the door behind me (with the keys still inside).
When I returned, everthing was locked, also the sliding door ....

Luckily, the roof top was up, and I could open the zipper from the big opening from the outside and thus enter the van and get to my keys.
But what if the roof top would have been down ?

So: is there a way to prevent the doors from locking with the key when the key is inside the van (my "normal" car can do that ..) ?

Thx,
Stefan.

If you have Weconnect contract and the VW app on your phone, you can unlock your vehicle using your phone...... Assuming you have your phone on you, of course!

 

[dspuk]

Not really because the key is passive. It just knows you have pressed lock. It doesn’t know where the key is when you do it unlike a non-passive key. The benefit of this is great security vs a sender key. Many people put bear-locks and all sorts on their van. It can only be opened and driven with a key. Nothing to relay.

On site we put the van in camping mode, hang the keys up and only use the drivers door lock button. In the van it locks all doors. If you go out the sliding door it allows that one to stay open until you press interior lock again, after a jimmy for instance.

As said we also use the app but more if I’m stupid enough to have walked a mile from the beach to the van and forgot my key. Again.

 

[Stu@rt]

I also have a spare key blade which I removed from its fob, which is hidden on the outside of the van. So worse case scenario, I could use the spare blade to open the door. (Yes the alarm would sound until you find the set that you left inside the van). Never had to use it in anger but its there for piece of mind. Loads of places you could hide a key blade wrapped in black tape, as a get out of jail free card!

 

[normnortonocean]

After reading of this issue previously I did a few tests on my T6.1.

- All doors shut except the sliding door, press the fob lock and the locks do not set because it knows one door is open. However, close the sliding door and 'clunk' all the locks set. Wonderful if the key happens to be inside the van! But, the locking of all doors did not happen every time, I don't know what variable changes it.

Of course, this accidental locking process does not happen for the driver's door.

I now also have a hidden key blade (Timpsons will cut them) somewhere, and the second key fob stored inside the van to silence the alarm if I have actually lost my main key.

 

[Gliderbee California 6.1]

If you have Weconnect contract and the VW app on your phone, you can unlock your vehicle using your phone...... Assuming you have your phone on you, of course!

I indeed forgot to mention it: my phone also was in the van .

 

[Gliderbee California 6.1]

After reading all this, I'll have a spare key blade made to hide somewhere !

I tried to hide my spare fob outside, but I didn't feel comfortable with that; it always felt too visible. Just a spare blade should work, and it's no use to anybody to drive away without the fob.
I have hidden the second fob inside the van, wrapped in alu-paper. I'll try if I can drive away with the spare key blade alone, once I have it. If I can't, it's ok.

Thx,
Stefan.

 

[dspuk]

After reading all this, I'll have a spare key blade made to hide somewhere !

I tried to hide my spare fob outside, but I didn't feel comfortable with that; it always felt too visible. Just a spare blade should work, and it's no use to anybody to drive away without the fob.
I have hidden the second fob inside the van, wrapped in alu-paper. I'll try if I can drive away with the spare key blade alone, once I have it. If I can't, it's ok.

Thx,
Stefan.

Why in Alu Paper?

 

[Souter]

When in the van, key goes in the front cupholder, when I go out, the key goes in my pocket. If I leave the van parked up, I put my key in a faraday pouch thingy.

 

[Georgeo]

Last year the following occured:

By pressing the key while I was inside the van, all doors were locked.
I didn't really pay attention to this, and a bit later, I left the van through the sliding door and shut the door behind me (with the keys still inside).
When I returned, everthing was locked, also the sliding door ....

Luckily, the roof top was up, and I could open the zipper from the big opening from the outside and thus enter the van and get to my keys.
But what if the roof top would have been down ?

So: is there a way to prevent the doors from locking with the key when the key is inside the van (my "normal" car can do that ..) ?

Thx,
Stefan.

The AA guy opened our T6 Cali in 2 minutes with a key bought from Amazon for £70 , he did say it took lots of practice, so always assume your van is vulnerable to opening, but not starting.

 

[Gliderbee California 6.1]

Why in Alu Paper?

That should make a kind of Faraday cage, but I'm not sure if it really helps or is even necessary.
The reasoning is this:
The key itself (as far as I know) does not emit any signal unless you press a button, right ? It's not like some cars that "feel" the vicinity of the key and open the doors without the driver doing anything (my son's R5 E-Tech does that). Other cars prohibit locking the doors from the outside when the key is inside.
But since you need it present for starting (I understood a keyblade only), it might be that when someone tries to start with only the blade, the car could "sense" the hidden key and start anyway; the alu paper then would prevent the car from feeling the presence of the key.

But mind you: I really don't know if all this is correct ... but it doesn't hurt
If somebody knows more about all this, I'm interested and ready to learn something !

 

[Flower Power]

Also, in many cases, if the car senses the key fob left inside then it would not allow one to lock from outside even with a proper key fob.

 

[Gliderbee California 6.1]

Also, in many cases, if the car senses the key fob left inside then it would not allow one to lock from outside even with a proper key fob.

That then would show the alu-paper does inhibit the car from sensing the spare fob is inside !
But OTOH, how come then that I can lock all doors with the fob while I"m inside ?

 

[Flower Power]

That then would show the alu-paper does inhibit the car from sensing the spare fob is inside !
But OTOH, how come then that I can lock all doors with the fob while I"m inside ?

You do n ot have a keyless entry system then. My VW does neither but two Subarus and an Alfa Romeo do. That is why I wrote "in many cases" and not in all cars.

 

[dspuk]

That should make a kind of Faraday cage, but I'm not sure if it really helps or is even necessary.
The reasoning is this:
The key itself (as far as I know) does not emit any signal unless you press a button, right ? It's not like some cars that "feel" the vicinity of the key and open the doors without the driver doing anything (my son's R5 E-Tech does that). Other cars prohibit locking the doors from the outside when the key is inside.
But since you need it present for starting (I understood a keyblade only), it might be that when someone tries to start with only the blade, the car could "sense" the hidden key and start anyway; the alu paper then would prevent the car from feeling the presence of the key.

But mind you: I really don't know if all this is correct ... but it doesn't hurt
If somebody knows more about all this, I'm interested and ready to learn something !

Your reasoning is right. Your key emits no handshake signal at all passively and therefore has no need for a faraday cage. Silver foil or otherwise. On a 6.1. I believe a 7 has keyless entry and stop start but never seen one.

The only signal emitted is an unlock one from outside (or inside for you) when you press the button. None of this changes with a surf key.

It does not hurt, but it is pointless. See Signs (the movie). Or the old elephant powder joke.

There are plenty of videos on YT to help explain how keyless entry and stop start work through constant signal encrypted RF handshakes and how that is a security risk on older cars. Most modern ones have evolved to stop relay theft (rotating codes/sleep modes etc) and models that have not evolved or have not been updated are those you see being stolen on scare videos.