The Owner's Handbook states "the vehicle will not lock automatically" - oh yes it did!

I pulled out onto the main road this morning and went back to close the gates with the remote in my pocket - something I've done in this car hundreds of times before.

Walked back to the car to find the doors locked. The lock/unlock feature on the remote just produced a beep from the alarm sounder.

The UK isn't a place to leave a car unattended with the engine running even if the doors are locked but the tailgate lock is concealed behind the European sized registration plate and I needed a screwdriver to take the plate off.

Registration plate removed, the tailgate opened with the emergency key blade but this didn't open the doors. Only a small child could get through the gap between the parcel shelf and the roof on a coupe and there wasn't one around.

The Owner's Handbook was in the glove compartment but fortunately I had an electronic copy on my laptop. This revealed there's a lock on the LH door hidden by a plastic cover which can be removed with the emergency key blade. Having had a number of Jaguars in the past with seized luggage compartment locks (who uses a key to open them?), I wasn't too optimistic it would work. However, the plastic cover had done its job of keeping the lock clean and dry and it worked smoothly - I was back into the car.

I've gone through the start/stop/lock/unlock sequence several times again this morning but cannot reproduce the fault. At least I now know how to get into the vehicle if it ever happens again.

Graham

 

WOW. I'm now grabbing my owner's manual to search for the 'hidden access' panel so I know where it is NOW vs. if/when this happens to me. Appreciate the heads up!

 

Found it. Hope this helps...

 

I guess I am amazed that anyone with an e-key fob doesn't know where the key is and how to use it. This is not unique to Jaguar so that is what surprises me. Sorry I don't mean to offend but it is pretty intuitive .

 

In my defense, I am a natural blonde...

 

wait till you get locked out with the key still in the car and the engine running,

 

There's always a brick through a window!

 

That's a surprise! Against the law here to leave a car with the engine running, but so is driving with your elbow out of the car window

 

Your kidding right? Illegal to have your arm out the window?? Oh what a rebel I would be in your country. Why don't they just wrap you in bubble wrap so you don't get a boo boo.

 

What is surprising is that the car will actually still lock while the key fob is inside the car, especially with engine running. Happened to me a couple of months back, luckily I was still in my garage and simply went to get the other fob. Accidental locking with fob inside the car does not occur with my Mercedes or Chrysler 300.

 

Suppose you're sitting in the car, engine running with door closed. You'd expect to be able to open the door then re-close and lock it, still sitting in the car.

Without good software to detect you got out, it doesn't know if you did that so the car can lock.

It's poor, to be generous, but stuff happens.

 

Many, including the pretty intuitive, appear to have missed the point here.

The vehicle locked itself with the engine running whilst I was out of it with the remote in my pocket.

This is inherently extremely dangerous and should, by Jaguar's own statement in the Owner's Handbook and other publications, be impossible.

Never happened to me before and I was interested to know if it has happened to anyone else.

Graham

 

Haven't had this issue in the 2 years I've owned the 2012. Can you lock it with the engine running from outside the car by pressing the lock button on the key fob. If so you could accidentally hit the button with the fob in your pocket.

 

My different problem, dropped my Lady off at the store, drove, luckily not toooo far away, to buy gas and that stupid not so smart key was in her purse; so got some needed exercise to retrieve it before I could drive again... not a purchasing feature for me, but likely no cost for the manufacturer?

 

I get it,as I my 07 xk did it to my wife,and I had to drive in to town to unlock it,car engine was running key inside car locked,

 

I've tested this tonight but nothing happens when I try to lock the car using the remote from outside with the doors shut and the engine running.

This is exactly as I believe it should work. The situation I had on Sunday where it did lock itself has to be a software glitch.

Graham

 

If you start your day off with a smile, it usually turns out to be a good day. Thanks for that.

The part that was left out of the story was that the top was down.