New Zealand couple manages to lock themselves in keyless car

[ins1dious]

This old couple had a near brush with death.

 

http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/327080/couple-close-death-after-night-stuck-keyless-car

 

 

An Alexandra couple hope others can learn from their near-death experience after being trapped in their new ''keyless'' car in their own garage for almost 13 hours recently.

Mollieanne (65) and Brian Smith (68) are still coming to terms with the early November incident when confusion about operating their Mazda 3 hatchback led them to believe there was no way to get out.

The pair were stuck after a series of ''Murphy's Law'' events, including leaving the car's manual in the house, leaving the transponder outside the car and a combination of stress, night-time, and what they called a lack of information from a car salesperson.

After becoming trapped about 7pm on November 5, their attempts to escape included sounding the horn and trying to smash a window with a car jack.

Mrs Smith said it was Guy Fawkes night, and no-one would have noticed the horn due to fireworks.

When they were freed by neighbours about 7.45am the next day, she was unconscious and her husband was struggling to breathe.

She said they were told by emergency services if they had spent another half hour in the car and they could have died.

Afterwards, Mrs Smith spent three days in Dunstan Hospital. Mr Smith, who considered himself ''very methodical'', said he could not find the unlocking mechanism.

''Once I found out how simple it was to unlock it I kicked myself that I did not find the way out ... I had this mind-set that I did not have the transponder [so I could not get out].''

 

Here's a pic of their Mz3 handle. Has a manual unlock button. Gramps got flustered and couldn't find it.

 

Lucky for them it all worked out and we can have a laugh about it.

 

[Kb27]

Technology at its best.

 

I think they should have a big red panic button inside to shut down engine and unlock doors for the inept.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Kb27

[Kusje]

If this were USA, I think they'd try to sue the car manufacturer....

 

Not sure about NZ.

[Ender]

Not many people reads the manual. I agree that the unlock button at the door should be bright red in case this thing arises again.

[ins1dious]

Technology at its best.

 

I think they should have a big red panic button inside to shut down engine and unlock doors for the inept.

 

yea, I was thinking the couple were fools until I saw their ages. So have to excuse them. Also, the unlock button could use some colour. Too black.

[Watwheels]

I noticed some old folks who are unfamiliar with cars dunno where the door handle is when inside the car.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Watwheels

[ins1dious]

Not many people reads the manual. I agree that the unlock button at the door should be bright red in case this thing arises again.

 

Exactly. It's just too black. At least a subtle red border in the bottom like you see in some cars.

[Thaiyotakamli]

Make sure when buying a new car, try to ask the unlock button for the doors

[Celicar]

Is it a 2-step process to unlock driver's side? I thought once you pull the open handle, it will unlock, no? Maybe different car different.

[Camrysfa]

• ''Once I found out how simple it was to unlock it I kicked myself that I did not find the way out ... I had this mind-set that I did not have the transponder [so I could not get out].''

 

This country famous for sheeps.

[ins1dious]

Is it a 2-step process to unlock driver's side? I thought once you pull the open handle, it will unlock, no? Maybe different car different.

 

I've noticed with Jap cars that if locked inside, than pulling handle inside or outside won't unlock. The Germans OTH, it unlocks from inside even if locked... only prevents the doors from being opened from the outside.

[Volvobrick]

Is it a 2-step process to unlock driver's side? I thought once you pull the open handle, it will unlock, no? Maybe different car different.

I think jaguar is pulling handle twice to unlock and open. Makes sense. You must be driving a Jag!

[Qpik]

Not many people reads the manual. I agree that the unlock button at the door should be bright red in case this thing arises again.

I admit I don't cos all along 2nd hand. Previous ride new model Jap car, not many gadgets, very easy to figure out.

 

Current car brought out manual to read after calling a fren to check on how she top up petrol. Now from time to time, still flipping cos still not familiar with the different codes appearing on dashboard.

[ins1dious]

I admit I don't cos all along 2nd hand. Previous ride new model Jap car, not many gadgets, very easy to figure out.

 

Current car brought out manual to read after calling a fren to check on how she top up petrol. Now from time to time, still flipping cos still not familiar with the different codes appearing on dashboard.

 

The only car manual I ever read was for my current car. And that too after a year. The glove box door was stuck after the missus stuffed her large bag in.

 

Had to google and audiforum suggested manually unwind and unlock by opening a side panel.... sheesh... so had to read the manual to figure out what they were talking about.

 

But really... a lot of the new cars ICE units may look complicated but are easy enough to learn without a manual.

[azlan96]

I think jaguar is pulling handle twice to unlock and open. Makes sense. You must be driving a Jag!

Tested VW and Peugeot, pulling handle once unlocks the door, on a Proton, pull twice to unlock and open..

[Kb27]

Tested VW and Peugeot, pulling handle once unlocks the door, on a Proton, pull twice to unlock and open..

 

From my battery change experience, I find Jaguar a little bit quirky. One design was particularly bad.

German cars on the other hand are very logical. The engineers think about what a owner would do in what condition and provide that solution.

[Zyklon]

Honestly...the door lock/unlock button has been there for generations.

 

If you are an adult car owner and never knew this button existed, you deserve all consequences because this button has always been there since you were a young man or even as a child.

 

This is exactly like people who no longer know how to switch off the tv when the remote is spoilt.

[Aukang]

I think given the ages, the old couple may not have been as mentally agile as before, compounded with the fear, it may be possible they totally forgot or didn't have the presence of mind to do a more thorough search.

The lesson for SEs and used car dealers, and all senior in age car buyers, is to go through the car's various functions etc in detail during handing/taking over. What we take for granted may not be so obvious to the older folks.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Aukang