Always wondered why ...

[Dave1027]

When I hit the unlock on the remote key fob one time, why do all the locks click loudly but only the driver's door unlocks? What is the passenger side doing? A self test?

[KevinC]

Normal behavior, a security feature. One press for driver's side, 2 for both/all.

[johnrando]

That can be coded if you want all unlocked at once for example. This would fit in the 'random zhp question' thread.

Sent from mobile

[Dave1027]

But why does the passenger side click when I only press once? Drives my wife nuts because she hears it click thinking it's unlocked, but it's only a cruel joke. ;)

[terraphantm]

But why does the passenger side click when I only press once? Drives my wife nuts because she hears it click thinking it's unlocked, but it's only a cruel joke. ;)

When you lock the car from the keyfob, it does it in a way so that the door pulls from the inside do not work. When you unlock it, even if you only unlock one door, it enables the door pulls on both sides (so that someone in the car could double-pull to get out)

[ELCID86]

Get PA Soft and set it to one click unlock.

[fredo]

When you lock the car from the keyfob, it does it in a way so that the door pulls from the inside do not work ...

Fatal case involving an e36:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/no-escape-california-family-sues-bmw-after-teen-dies-locked-n100881

[BMWCurves]

"We didn't envision the situation where someone would lock somebody in the car from the exterior," he said, adding that the design of the locking system was changed in 1999.

Damn shame. It sounds like it was changed for the E46. I've never had to test it. The doors might not unlock from the inside but isn't the center console unlock button supposed to work?

[terraphantm]

Damn shame. It sounds like it was changed for the E46. I've never had to test it. The doors might not unlock from the inside but isn't the center console unlock button supposed to work?

Iirc, if you press the central locking button while inside, the door pulls become reenabled. This is only for US-spec cars (and the behavior can be changed via NCS expert). In E36s (and I think even very early build e46s), the central lock button does nothing.

I guess BMW should explain the double lock better. I only know of it because I accidentally hit the lock button on the key fob when I was sitting in the car the one time. Personally if I ever leave anyone in the car, I just give them the keys so they could turn on the AC, open windows, etc.

[JB3]

Yeah, that is tragic.

I'm curious about this now. How does the E46 behave? Has anyone tested it? I'll do it this week, with the windows down & in my garage, but damn.

I also thought double lock was literal. i.e.: one click of lock and you can open it, two clicks and it double locks, disabling the interior pull.

It would be great if we could code it to always open from the interior pull.

[terraphantm]

Yeah, that is tragic.

I'm curious about this now. How does the E46 behave? Has anyone tested it? I'll do it this week, with the windows down & in my garage, but damn.

I also thought double lock was literal. i.e.: one click of lock and you can open it, two clicks and it double locks, disabling the interior pull.

It would be great if we could code it to always open from the interior pull.

With US E46s, locking the car from the key fob disables the door pulls. Pressing the central locking button from inside reenables them. On Euro E46s, the central locking button won't do anything if locked from the keyfob.

I don't know if there's a way to completely disable the double lock mechanism.

[az3579]

I've tested this yesterday. I stayed in the car and gave my key to my friend, who was outside. He locked the car and sure enough the door pulls did nothing. I pressed the locking button from inside and the lock disengaged, which allowed me to double pull the door handle to open the car.

[wsmeyer]

I knew mine did that but thought it was a vert thing. Even told Rando it was a vert thing lol.