Well, tonight I was driving with my family to a local restaurant. It was dark and with the car standing all day the seats were a bit cold so we had the electric seat heaters on. Wife then got a bit too warm, so tried to reduce the heat settings using the dash control, but managed to press the stupidly placed "Valet" button. So we arrived and I tried to open the trunk and the glovebox, but only got a "bleep". However, my owner wallet was in its shelf in the glovebox so I could not even get to the Owner Manual to read how to cancel it off !!

Anyway, got to restaurant, car locked OK on the plipper, and when we got back, I unlocked the car, and then unlocked the trunk using the key facility and all was well, valet mode gone. So when I got back home, I studied the manual and learnt that there is a special green valet key for this mythical valet person to use to drive and park the car and lock it. So my question is - why have the valet button at all if there is a special key to work it ? What possible function does the separate button provide. How many owners use this facility ? I have no green key for my car, and cannot ever imagine using this facility. Presumably it is for very rich owners who subscribe to very expensive golf clubs where they have such persons.

I have to say that I would like to meet the Jaguar engineer who put this feature on the car, and wring his neck !

 

Frazer,

I am far from an expert, but I do use the valet button, and I don't belong to a country club.

Valet mode as you know locks the glove box and trunk (and maybe the gas door?). The green key will not allow access to those locked areas, but it will allow the car to be started, valet parked and locked (doors). While the person with the key will be able to unlock the drivers door and drive the car they will not have access to the locked areas.

In valet mode, you could (in theory) leave the car unlocked and valuables in the trunk and/or glove box.

 

I use the valet key all the time because it is smaller than the FOB. I am 6'4" tall and the FOB hits my knee. Didn't come with the car. Had to have one made. Wasn't cheap.

 

Mk- that's brilliant. I'm only 5'11" & the FOB drives me nuts. I'm a former Jap car guy, where the engineering almost always made logical sense. I struggle with the fob, and the "stupidly placed" valet button, as the original poster mentioned. Love my VDP for sure, but I'm glad those crazy Brits didn't put a self-destruct button on the car. They'd probably put it on the turn signal stalk.

 

Aplogies to all who use this Valet button. Obviously it serves a purpose in places that park your car for you. So far I have not found any in the UK, all we have is an army of jobsworths looking to fine you for the slightest error in parking your car, so the council can make lots of money and pay the staff way over the odds.

 

I use it when I have something valuable in my boot as it, in theory, adds a layer of protection if the car is broken in to as the boot open button on the dash won't work.

 

I paid $150 for my green key at Rusnak Jaguar in Pasadena, CA... even got a complimentary inspection and wash.

Cheers,

Wolfy,
Los Angeles

 

Think of the valet button as a lock for the boot and the glove box.

 

The valet button makes it so that you don't have manually lock your truck and glovebox. I think it's pretty nifty. Better than on some cars, for sure.

 

I think if you have the double lock system activated and you double lock your car (press on the remote lock twice in quick succession), the boot and the glove compartment cannot be opened even if the car is broken into. Even the doors can't be opened form the inside. It's an interesting locking arrangement where even if someone was to break the windows and could get their hand into the car they can't open the doors. You wouldn't have to switch to using the valet key in this case.

I don't know if this system is only available in some countries, but I always double lock my car.

 

Unfortunately that is the case. My car is ex-Japan and deadlocking isn't available there, nor is intrusion sensing. I don't think it is available in the USA, Canada and a few other countries either.

My X308 was from the UK so it had those features and I miss the little chirp it used to give as the car locked.