Parsec

So my wife is about to take the kids to school. She leaves them in the car with the engine running and runs back into the house to get something really quick. When she comes back out, she says the car locked itself with the engine running and the kids in the car! Luckily she was still home so she grabbed the spare key. Is it just me, or is this a really dumb feature? Can the auto-lock be turned off?

ThunderDent

I thought the car had to be moving at a certain speed (possibly even in forward motion) before they auto-locked. I've not really paid attention to it honestly. Most cars are that way.

I do know with the engine running you can't use the fob to lock it. I tried that while warming it up in the winter and that didn't work.

Maybe the kids did it from inside the car?

aTOMic

The kids locked it, but they cannot UNlock it! Yes, it IS a dumb "feature". The kiddie-lock button allows locking but not unlocking! Big mistake, IMHO. Don't know if it can be "coded out" via VCDS.
Or, teach the little woman to do what they do in dealer service lanes, leave open a window so you can reach in and unlock. Saves the time you'll have to spend cleaning up glass after the firemen break out a window to save the kids.

ThunderDent

Well you don't want them to be able to unlock it. They could hop
out of the car while you're cruising down the interstate.

Maybe their lock botton in the back should only control that door, or only the back doors, and only lock/not unlock if the car is running. If the car isn't running, it could do both.

Maybe it could be VAG'd.

Parsec

Interesting, never thought about the kids locking it but that sounds like what happened. I should let her know that's probably what happened. Thanks guys.

NABS4

Yes, it happened to me shortly after we got our other Audi. My daughters were obliviously strapped into their car seats. Luckily I was at a car wash 5 min from home and my wife was able to deliver the extra key. I never leave the key in the car anymore even when filling up. I'm surprised Audi doesn't have "lock out" protection when the key is in the ignition.

ezveedub

The internal lock switch is one way the car can be locked with the keys in it. The other is by opening the passenger door and inadvertently hitting the lock button on the door and closing it. Those are two ways the car gets locked when the keys are in it.

Coolieman1220

i hate that we can't even lock our car without the key,

IE: try to lock the car using the door and shut the door and walk away without the key.

ezveedub

Driver's door you can't, but from the passenger, you can.

john1r

I thought that the kid's safety feature disabled the handle, and didn't really have anything to do with locking/unlocking.

Or, are you saying that the rear doors themselves (regardless of whether child safety switch is turned on) can only lock the door? I don't think I ever tried it myself, I only tested to make sure the handle was disengaged so my kids can't open the door (whether locked or unlocked).