Door locks

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jdunmyer

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 23, 2013
Messages
108
Location
Lower SE Michigan
My VW's have a feature that I'd like to see in the Leaf: pull the [inside] door latch handle, and the door unlocks automatically. You must pull the latch handle twice in the rear for the door to open, and the rear doors have a mechanical switch to disable the inside handle if you have young children.

I often stop at the Stop 'n Rob to grab a newspaper, leaving my wife in the car with the heater blasting. Have to unlock the driver's door or hit the Unlock button to unlock all the doors. Conversely, at home, she gets out of the car before I pull into the garage and must perform the Unlock procedure on her side.

And, I'd like to add my vote to the folks who'd like the charging door to be automatically unlocked if the doors are unlocked. Push to unlatch and open; again, my VW has that on the fuel door.

Also, I'd like to see the little flipper cover over the port replaced by something built into the door. I'm constantly forgetting to close the thing, and that can't be good in the rain or snow. Maybe a mechanical interlock to prevent the door being closed if the port cover is open?
 
There may be others, but the only cars I've used with the ability to open a locked door from the inside are Fords (for the front doors only) and VW Group vehicles. GM vehicles can be set to unlock automatically when the transmission is in Park.

Most Japanese car doors work just like those on the Leaf -- locked means locked.
 
RD,
I've not checked out a lot of cars, but we did own a couple of GM mini-vans and several VWs. Just traded a 2000 Jetta for a 2014 Passat.

The VWs are very well thought out as far as ergonomics and sensible controls, at least to me. It's a regular thing for me to get out of the vehicle while it's running or to let a passenger out while it's running. I like the transparency of the door locks.

As others have pointed out, the Leaf's electric Unlock button isn't even lighted.

The VW has auto-up on the power windows for both front windows, and I find that convenient also. Wouldn't want that feature on the rear for safety reasons.
 
The best system I have yet seen is that on BMWs. If the door is locked, it takes two pulls to get out. The first unlocks the door and the second opens it. Thus, you can get out without unlocking it but you wont open it accidentally.
 
jdunmyer said:
The VWs are very well thought out as far as ergonomics and sensible controls, at least to me. It's a regular thing for me to get out of the vehicle while it's running or to let a passenger out while it's running. I like the transparency of the door locks.

My other car is an Audi and while the self-unlock feature is nice, there is one situation where I still have to use the unlock button: if I go to pick up someone, if they are already at the curb I usually don't put the transmission in Park, so I either have to hit the unlock button, or I have to reach over and pull the door handle.

BTW I think the reason VW and BMW (and probably others) have implemented the style of locking system that they have is due to German law; in Germany, you are required to drive with your doors UNlocked, to make escape and rescue easier in case of a crash. Being able to easily open the door from the inside even when locked is probably a way to allow you to have the security of locked doors, but still comply with German law.
 
jdunmyer said:
As others have pointed out, the Leaf's electric Unlock button isn't even lighted.
...Which I find very hard to deal with. Is it the case for everyone that only the driver's window control is lit? I cannot, for the life of me, find the lock-unlock button (or, having found it, tell the difference between which end is "lock" and which is "unlock") any tips?
 
1932highboy said:
With Leaf Spy Pro, you can program the door locks to unlock when shifting to park. I have done this.
From which screen? Is there a better manual than this one? I can't find this option in my combination of 2013 S, wifi dongle, and an iphone Leaf Spy Pro.

I"m also reading these threads looking for a "rain dance" solution
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=5466&start=10
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=13168
 
I also set our car to unlock when shifted in to park. At first it was annoying, but now I like it. It forces me to put it in park when dropping off or picking up kids, it is nice to know it is in park and won't move no matter what I do. It has gotten me in the same habit when driving the van now.
 
Arlington said:
1932highboy said:
With Leaf Spy Pro, you can program the door locks to unlock when shifting to park. I have done this.
From which screen? Is there a better manual than this one? I can't find this option in my combination of 2013 S, wifi dongle, and an iphone Leaf Spy Pro.

I"m also reading these threads looking for a "rain dance" solution
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=5466&start=10
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=13168

If you go to settings and then enable the systems screen it should show up there. AFAIK, only available on Pro, but you say you have it.
 
once you power up or off (Can't recall which) you can set the flag for the auto locks by holding the lock up for 5 seconds!

I despised and loathed the auto locks, and they helped me here to disable them! with out leaf spy (At the time didn't have it)
 
Thanks pncguy!

In settings, in Leaf Spy Pro 1.1.1, I found "Service Screen" an flipped it to "Enable" which added several door lock options, and now I have tied it to "Park" so my carpool runs will go much more smoothly

Separately I am considering a drop of nail polish on the unlock button so my fingers can find it in the dark
 
Yeah, the Leaf Spy Pro lock options are a godsend. I do "lock/unlock all doors" for outside button function, "auto lock all doors at 15 MPH", and "auto unlock all doors with P button", and I've set the same settings on several other peoples' LEAFs as well.

I have to say, though, that the Fiat has the best designed lock... the inside handle is the lock switch, so if you push it in further, it locks the door (also done electronically), and if you pull it to get out, it unlocks and lets you out. Simple, sensible, "rape-proof".

Yeah, I always feel extremely uncomfortable when the car locks a passenger "in" and we're both left hunting down the unlock button... like "I'm leaving now" and the car's like "YOINK! FOILED BY AUTOLOCK". I call that function "rape doors". :lol:
 
FalconFour said:
Yeah, I always feel extremely uncomfortable when the car locks a passenger "in" and we're both left hunting down the unlock button... like "I'm leaving now" and the car's like "YOINK! FOILED BY AUTOLOCK". I call that function "rape doors". :lol:

A lot of people, women particularly, feel safer when driving with the doors locked. I personally had a crazy woman try to get into my car at a red light, but fortunately my doors were locked so I was able to just drive off and call the police.
 
Becky50 said:
I prefer a car that unlocks when you open the door from the inside. I hate the feeling of being trapped in the car if you do not know where the unlock button is located.
+1
IMO a door should never lock from the inside, except in the case of rear doors and only when the child lock switch is flipped. To make matters even worse with the Leaf is the drivers master door unlock button is not illuminated, making finding it in the dark hard :x
 
My Leaf was in a crash, and the passenger door is now permanently locked.
How do I unlock this?
 
staroid said:
My Leaf was in a crash, and the passenger door is now permanently locked.
How do I unlock this?

What do you mean by 'permanently locked'?
Does it not lock or unlock?
Does the handle not open the door?
Does the manual lock and unlock work?

What side of the car sustained the damage?
Do the other doors lock and unlock normally?
If you had the car repaired, this should have been part of it.
It could be a loose wire, a failed component, or a damaged mechanism.

You should start a new post in the Problems/Troubleshooting area, instead of adding on to a thread in the Enhancement/Change Request area.
 
FalconFour said:
Yeah, the Leaf Spy Pro lock options are a godsend. I do "lock/unlock all doors" for outside button function, "auto lock all doors at 15 MPH", and "auto unlock all doors with P button", and I've set the same settings on several other peoples' LEAFs as well.

Maybe this was discussed somewhere else, but it might be nice to have in this thread also, is there a way to set "auto lock all doors at 15 MPH" to "auto lock all doors at 30 MPH"? Or another speed of your choice?

Once every weekday I have a very short stretch of road where I try to stay under 15 mph, to prevent the doors from locking, where the speed limit is 30 mph (it is very early and usually nobody is on the road, and I will speed up if I have to). I just see every lock/unlock cycle as one closer to the time when I will have to fix it.
 
I rented a Maxima recently and the unlock switches looked identical, but were lit. I'm curious if anyone has tried swapping these out.
 
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