# My car's keyless remote doesn't work with key in ignition...does yours? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cars-keyless-remote-doesnt-work-with-key-in-ignition-does-yours/286153 "2005-01-22T22:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cars-keyless-remote-doesnt-work-with-key-in-ignition-does-yours/286153/21 "2005-01-24T02:44:16Z")
95 Monte Carlo. Yes, I can do that. However, whether I use my remote or under dash button, I always have to put the car in park to pop the trunk. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cars-keyless-remote-doesnt-work-with-key-in-ignition-does-yours/286153/22 "2005-01-24T03:48:13Z")
> [@](#): > > _Boyo Jim said:_ > I don’t wish to argue wither, but I don’t really understand what safety feature you’re speaking of. The door cannot be locked without being closed? Am I reading that right? No, I don’t agree with that. Hmm, well there you go I guess. Either I’m sheltered or it’s regional (if you don’t see locations I’m in Ontario). That’s been standard on a lot of cars I’ve driven recently (even cars without electronic locks). If you lock the driver’s door and open it, it unlocks. It’s annoying to get used to but basically forces you to lock the door with the key in your hand (or remote ATCMB). ---
**Author:** ![jhinman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jhinman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jhinman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cars-keyless-remote-doesnt-work-with-key-in-ignition-does-yours/286153/23 "2005-01-25T17:29:06Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Sadly the unlock button has pretty much stopped working, but the trunk button is still working. I’m wondering if it’s worth it to get it checked out. I don’t have a trunk button in the car either, but because I owned a 2000 sunfire that was totaled before buying the 2001 I have lots of remotes should 1 stop working. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cars-keyless-remote-doesnt-work-with-key-in-ignition-does-yours/286153/24 "2005-01-25T21:02:43Z")
I own a 2003 Land Rover Freelander. I believe it exhibits the same behavior, although I am not positive. However, you don’t need to worry about locking yourself out of the car, because it is almost impossible. The driver’s door \*\*\*will not lock \*\* \* if it is open. The remote will lock all of the other doors, but not the driver’s. You can’t even push the little button down by hand. So it is impossible to accidentally lock the driver’s door and \*then \* close it. Can’t happen. You could, in theory, unlock the passenger door only by using the key in the lock, then set your keys down on the seat, manually lock the passenger door, and close it, thus locking your keys in the car. But that would take a lot of effort. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cars-keyless-remote-doesnt-work-with-key-in-ignition-does-yours/286153/25 "2005-01-26T05:53:05Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > I learned the hard way that my Nissan’s remote doesn’t work when the key is in the ignition. The first and only time I’ve ever locked myself out. Don’t you lock the door with the remote? If you locked yourself out, it is because you didn’t use the remote (unsuccessfully) to lock the door. Also in many neighborhoods it is not a good idea to leave your car running, while you are somewhere else (insurance doesn’t cover thefts in such cases.) > [@](#): > > Does anyone have any clue why this should be? Could it be so that you don’t open the truck while going 75 mph down I-85? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cars-keyless-remote-doesnt-work-with-key-in-ignition-does-yours/286153/26 "2005-01-26T11:36:48Z")
> [@kniz](#): > > Don’t you lock the door with the remote? If you locked yourself out, it is because you didn’t use the remote (unsuccessfully) to lock the door. Also in many neighborhoods it is not a good idea to leave your car running, while you are somewhere else (insurance doesn’t cover thefts in such cases.): Could you clarify, “You didn’t use the remote unsucessfully to lock the door.”? With the key in the ignition, you _can’t_ use the remote to lock or unlock the door, which is my point in startting this thread. And I grew up in a city on the top 10 list of American cities for per capita auto theft, and being able to lock my car with the remote while I left it to warm up sure would have been a nice thing. > [@kniz](#): > > Could it be so that you don’t open the truck while going 75 mph down I-85? :eek: And we’re talking about unlocking rather than opening the door. My dashboard has warning lights if my doors aren’t properly latched, so I don’t see a safety issue here. Of course, I’m not a personal injury lawyer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cars-keyless-remote-doesnt-work-with-key-in-ignition-does-yours/286153.md?page=1)