Car doors lock with keys inside!

[Tell]

I don't totally trust mine so I try not to close the doors with the keys in it. You are reliant on the system working 100% and we know they don't always for 100% of people and cars. When I have got forgetful it's stopped me locking the car with the keys in it on the front door. The rear is an electric tailgate. I haven't tried to lock the keys in the boot. As said in the early days of Kessy people were getting into trouble with the keys in the boot thing.

 

[TheRomeo]

We don't trust it that much either and always make sure we keep our keys on our person but when you spend £30k+ on a car I would expect the key and car to behave as expected.

As frustrating as it is I'm grateful the car locks itself and not the other way round. This would be a HUGE issue for Seat/Cupra and VAG cars if they suddenly decided to unlock themselves randomly.

Kessy is a nice to have and it certainly beats having to manually open a car with a key, but we should be able to trust the system in the same way we trust the car to lock and unlock with a button press on the key and it's a shame we can't.
This is the first time my dealership has been presented with this issue so it seems quite isolated and hopefully, a faulty part/sensor/signal/etc can be found that rectifies the issue to allow the system to be trusted again.

 

[Seastormer]

Sorry for not getting back to this thread sooner but last week my Ateca came face-to-face with a Cupra technician.

The technician had about an hour with the car and ran a load of diagnostics that all came back healthy with no issues. I completely expected this and thought that would be that. However, they have admitted that there is an issue with the car/keys, they have no idea what the issue is, but there IS an issue. They ran a few manual tests with the keys and changed the batteries (which were brand new) but couldn't get to the bottom of it.

The car has been rebooked in for the end of June so they can run extensive tests which will take 3 - 4 hours. They also want to run side-by-side tests with other Cupra's of different ages and models to get a better understanding of the fault.

Fingers crossed I can get some more information in the next few weeks that I can pass along. I'm not entirely hopeful but it's promising that they've acknowledged there's an issue and want to investigate further rather and just fobbing me off.

Since I heard of your issue with the keys, I have now kept mine in my shirt pocket while in the car just in case. Hope to here what the problem is and you get it sorted, but will you ever leave your keys in car again?

 

[Tell]

In the middle of a Kessy issue now !. Car in a ferry queue yesterday refused to start. Pinned it down to one of the remotes. Carrying two since on holiday. Flat battery in one now (was fine during loading the car). Seemed that the one when not flat was causing the car to enforce you to put a key up front in the place the manual doesn't tell you where it is, in a panic with a ferry queue behind you and a dead car. The good key fixed that (under the infotainment phone place did the trick). All to do with proximity sensors picking up the failing key then triggering weird things. It did say battery low at that point which I'm assuming was the duff one.

Once in the hotel. Kept one key in the room and went out to check each key at a time. Buy a new CR2032 battery(ies) today and carry out an in field battery change. Just need the flat headed screwdriver to pop the case. Fun. Check the screwdrivers I have stored with the spare wheel under the cover.

Twin keys in the car can give you problems as this with one defective or not. Had that with Arona once, would only unlock on the key used to lock. Once unlocked both keys were then fine.

Watch words, never totally trust kessy 100%.

 

[CosmicBlue]

Does the car send low battery warnings or is it just safer to replace them every 3 months or so?

 

[Tell]

Should say low key fod battery or words to that effect now. Way back when they didn't but software update sorted that out. I'd expect all Cupra Atecas warn of low key fod battery.

When the fod is dead they don't give a coloured light flashing on them... So that's another give away although too late.

The issue in cold weather is that the fod works getting in but by the time you get there, remote is cold and you can't lock the car. It did that on a 3 mile journey. That's a cold weather issue. Popped the remote open and put a new battery in it. ... locked and commenced shopping. You really need to carry a spare on your person.

 

[CosmicBlue]

Thanks Tell, noted. Have a box of CR2032 in he cupboard, need a suitable means to open the case in in my wallet too.

 

[Tell]

Thanks Tell, noted. Have a box of CR2032 in he cupboard, need a suitable means to open the case in in my wallet too.

Was suitable annoyed, I did it with my thumb yanking it off. You need a stubby screwdriver with a thick head to twist to pop the case and a bradel. You pop the battery out with that. Went for brute force.

 

[RUM4MO]

Was suitable annoyed, I did it with my thumb yanking it off. You need a stubby screwdriver with a thick head to twist to pop the case and a bradel. You pop the battery out with that. Went for brute force.

A different VW Group car/cars, but I’ve always only ever planned to buy and fit genuine Panasonic batteries, which is what is used by VW Group at factories.
I’m just adding in that as the phrase “a box of CR*** batteries” sounds a lot like referring to really cheap brands of batteries.

 

[Tell]

A different VW Group car/cars, but I’ve always only ever planned to buy and fit genuine Panasonic batteries, which is what is used by VW Group at factories.
I’m just adding in that as the phrase “a box of CR*** batteries” sounds a lot like referring to really cheap brands of batteries.

I use Duracell purchased off Prime. Vag ones tend to be Panasonic when supplied. Cheap Chinese you'd want to steer clear off.

 

[TNISWE23375]

Sorry for not getting back to this thread sooner but last week my Ateca came face-to-face with a Cupra technician.

The technician had about an hour with the car and ran a load of diagnostics that all came back healthy with no issues. I completely expected this and thought that would be that. However, they have admitted that there is an issue with the car/keys, they have no idea what the issue is, but there IS an issue. They ran a few manual tests with the keys and changed the batteries (which were brand new) but couldn't get to the bottom of it.

The car has been rebooked in for the end of June so they can run extensive tests which will take 3 - 4 hours. They also want to run side-by-side tests with other Cupra's of different ages and models to get a better understanding of the fault.

Fingers crossed I can get some more information in the next few weeks that I can pass along. I'm not entirely hopeful but it's promising that they've acknowledged there's an issue and want to investigate further rather and just fobbing me off.

@TheRomeo HI! I have eaxact the same irritating issue - did the tech find a cure for it on your vehicle?

 

[TheRomeo]

@TheRomeo HI! I have eaxact the same irritating issue - did the tech find a cure for it on your vehicle?

@TNISWE23375 Unfortunately the car in question was stolen July 2023 as part of a burglary it was well and truly written off by the thieves less than a month later.
We replaced it with a 70 plate FL Cupra Ateca. It's been great until the last few weeks as it's started to lock its self as well.
Still non the wiser as to why it's happening and this one will lock its self over and over.
Funnily enough it did it after work today. I unlocked the car with the key and opened the passenger door and it locked itself. Unlocked it with the key again and put my bag on the passenger seat, closed the door and it locked itself again. Walked around the back unlocked it with the key and before I could open the driver's door it locked itself yet again
I'm currently in the process off documenting it all and saving the recordings from the CCTV cameras at home. Once I've got enough evidence I'll pass it onto the new garage for investigation.
Hopefully they can find what's wrong as it seems easier to reproduce with this car

 

[Cupra306Form]

One of the reasons I subscribe to Cupra connect, the remote unlocking via mobile phone could be a life saver. When I picked up my car the dealer could only find one key - they ordered a second - three weeks they said! I nearly locked it in the boot on day 2 (I was using a Faraday pouch and put em down!!) Because of the close escape I subscribed - cheaper than any other resolution for a locked in key.

 

[Tell]

They had a lot of people when Kèssy came out locking their keys in the boot . They put them in with their sports bag. Any failure in the aerial in the back and you are locked out . Best to keep them on your person.

I can't say I totally trust Kèssy.

 

[Seastormer]

They had a lot of people when Kèssy came out locking their keys in the boot . They put them in with their sports bag. Any failure in the aerial in the back and you are locked out . Best to keep them on your person.

I can't say I totally trust Kèssy.

Me too. I always keep key in my pocket and not in the receptacle in the cockpit for it. I also take my spare key with me too when I'm traveling any distance away from home, and have two spare CR2032's in my wallet at any given time.

 

[Englishbear]

I have just started having this problem with a 9 month old formentor, I had it previously on a Skoda and had to have all the door locks and system replaced and it worked fine after that. It’s annoying and I shall start looking at having to deal with this in another way rather than calling my ex wife to rescue me…sigh

 

[Tell]

Sometimes if you carry both keys (the spare) it will lock on that and won't unlock on the other. That's happened on the Arona, so you find the other key to unlock it.

I always run with one key on me except on holiday. It's the failure of the Kessy aerial to pick up the key in some instances. Then you got the sleep mode of the system so the left hand side of an RHD Kessy goes to sleep to save power. That often happens on my Ateca after a few days so I go round and pull the right hand door handle. Think the early Formentors allowed left and right doors to go to sleep. A lot of complaints early on.

Ofcourse sudden loss of battery power in the key can lock you out. Had that in the Arona on a cold day, opened, two miles down the road wouldn't lock at the supermarket. The key got cold. Secret is to carry a spare battery on your person for that eventuality. The Ateca has done that to me were I have known the battery to be low... but then won't open when it gives up. We'd got back from holiday when it happened on the drive.

Early Atecas didn't tell you the keyfod battery was low either way if you miss that screen you can be in trouble.

9 months feels like the battery, they only last about that long in many cases.

 

[Cupra306Form]

If you have Cupra connect and carry a spare battery in the car at least you can unlock it with your phone to change the battery, or worst case lock it while you trek home to fetch the spare key.

 

[drh1015]

Sorry for not getting back to this thread sooner but last week my Ateca came face-to-face with a Cupra technician.

The technician had about an hour with the car and ran a load of diagnostics that all came back healthy with no issues. I completely expected this and thought that would be that. However, they have admitted that there is an issue with the car/keys, they have no idea what the issue is, but there IS an issue. They ran a few manual tests with the keys and changed the batteries (which were brand new) but couldn't get to the bottom of it.

The car has been rebooked in for the end of June so they can run extensive tests which will take 3 - 4 hours. They also want to run side-by-side tests with other Cupra's of different ages and models to get a better understanding of the fault.

Fingers crossed I can get some more information in the next few weeks that I can pass along. I'm not entirely hopeful but it's promising that they've acknowledged there's an issue and want to investigate further rather and just fobbing me off.

Hope you have had some joy on this. The issue seems to be happening more frequently with my car. My thought now is that it has nothing to do with keys in or out of the car. The clue for me is that there is that clunking 'locking the car noise' that happens sometimes as soon as I stop the car and turn the engine off. It also sometimes happens when I get IN the car, sit down and attempt to start the engine and get the error message 'Ignition key not detected'. I then have to press the unlock fob on the key (and get the clunking unlocking sound) to reconnect with the system so I can start the car. Anyway, I'm guessing it may take the manufacturers several years to put this one right, so I'm relying on my 'remember to take the keys when getting out of the car' memory to be absolutely 100% !!

 

[Tell]

Hope you have had some joy on this. The issue seems to be happening more frequently with my car. My thought now is that it has nothing to do with keys in or out of the car. The clue for me is that there is that clunking 'locking the car noise' that happens sometimes as soon as I stop the car and turn the engine off. It also sometimes happens when I get IN the car, sit down and attempt to start the engine and get the error message 'Ignition key not detected'. I then have to press the unlock fob on the key (and get the clunking unlocking sound) to reconnect with the system so I can start the car. Anyway, I'm guessing it may take the manufacturers several years to put this one right, so I'm relying on my 'remember to take the keys when getting out of the car' memory to be absolutely 100% !!

Ignition key not detected is also the one when it's time to change the battery. It says bring it up to the spot, where ever that is. I get mine out of my shoulder bag on the back seat and put under the infotainment unit. Believe it's the immobiliser thingy. Generally it gives you this panic one so you think where is that. Sure the clunking isn't the immobiliser that when it arrests the steering wheel so you can't turn it. Can't say I'm an expert on immobilisers and the right spot to put that key to let the immobiliser release locking the system down... there will be people around who are.

So this lock down only happens to me when it's time to change the fod battery. Now always carry a spare battery on me. Kessy is hungry on batteries and cold weather on the battery renders you locked out or unable to lock it. They often go at the wrong time. In a ferry queue, just before you go on holiday, in supermarket car park etc minutes after you have driven there. Rip the fod open and put a spare in. Been three events like this with the Ateca and Arona. On the Arona the dual key operation one where if locked with one key it needs that key to unlock it, not the spare.