locks

[JIM1inWisconsin]

Is there an easy way to set the locks so that they are always in the unlocked position unless I want to lock the car? I appreciate BMW's concern over security but I live in a crime free area and have never locked my car on a regular basis. Most of the time the keys remain in the ignition. All of the cars I've owned have been set in the way I desire.

[tock172]

It's not a good idea to leave the key in the ignition in a modern BMW, and the the doors should be locked as well. Otherwise the car never really goes to, "sleep." The fuel pump will prime itself from time to time and other systems will drain the battery. It's best to lock the car in the garage and store the key inside.

[xQx]

Under what circumstances do you find the car auto-locking?

I've never found my car to auto-lock - but I've got comfort access.

[mr.fabulous]

Automatic locking settings can be changed using the controls at the end of your turn signal stalk (p22 of the no-iDrive user manual).

[Stock4Evr]

Is that true that the car never sleeps if unlocked? I leave my car unlocked, in a garage and a trickle charger on it as I do not drive it that much. Does anyone know where it reads that the car should be locked all the time? This is interesting.

[Juggernaut135i]

Originally Posted by JIM1inWisconsin

Is there an easy way to set the locks so that they are always in the unlocked position unless I want to lock the car? I appreciate BMW's concern over security but I live in a crime free area and have never locked my car on a regular basis. Most of the time the keys remain in the ignition. All of the cars I've owned have been set in the way I desire.

Check out my thread on the BC controls

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by NavSpook42

Is that true that the car never sleeps if unlocked? I leave my car unlocked, in a garage and a trickle charger on it as I do not drive it that much. Does anyone know where it reads that the car should be locked all the time? This is interesting.

Yes it is true. Locking the car "shuts it down", like a computer. Having it unlocked will, as tock172 said, keep things on and ready for a startup and drive.

[Esteban]

I was also under the impression that the car had to be locked to shut down and go to sleep. I always lock my car when not in use even when it's safe (relatively speaking) in my garage for that very reason.

[mr.fabulous]

My understanding (this forum) is the car is asleep when the starter button is no longer illuminated. It does not have to be locked to achieve this (AFAICT).

[JIM1inWisconsin]

Thanks to Mr. Fab for pointing out the directions in the owners manual. Car is now set the way I want it. Central locking system has been set to "off".

Concerning the issue of battery drain while having the doors unlocked, from what I have read the majority consensus is that yes there is a drain when the doors are left unlocked. This appears to be true for many types of cars and Volkswagen even warns about this in their operators manual. However, there's some question as to how much of a drain there is and over what period of time you can leave a car unlocked before a problem occurs. Many owners ignore this all of the time and have reported no problems.

I'll lock my doors whenever the car is not being used for an extended period of time as a precaution.

[tock172]

At the end of the day, I feel there is no reason to not lock the doors when the vehicle isn't being used.

If anyone is more curious about the specifics of how the electrical system functions, this PDF explains all of it:
http://freemaxx.de/e90forum/03_Power%20Management.pdf

[JIM1inWisconsin]

Like I said I live in a crime free area. In the middle of town there is a nine car parking lot so long as all of the cars are parked in close, side to side and front to back. All cars there are required to be unlocked and keys in the ignition so if one of the cars needs to get out he can move your car first.

[dsocold]

one word uncomfterable