[Glenn330i]

I took delivery of my 330i yesterday and I'm having a blast! I must say, the Monaco Blue looks nice, but I can't believe how dirty it looks after a day's drive.

Anyway, I've looked through the manual and searched the message boards, but I haven't found the answer to this question: when I put the car into park and turn off the engine, how do I automatically unlock the doors? I'm having to hit the central locking button everytime I park the car in order to get my kids out of the back seat.

Glenn

[r3amir]

Just pull the door knob twice to exit

[deutschmann59]

Ha ha ha ha! I think everyone has this problem. I don't think you can unlock the doors when you put it into park...at least there isn't a option for that on the iDrive menu.

I'm lauging because all my friends noticed this too when they first rode in the car. At least for the driver's door, all you have to do is pull the handle twice and that unlocks the door. I don't know about the back seats and the passenger, though.

[CALIF65GM]

Originally Posted by r3amir

Just pull the door knob twice to exit

Wow good tip, thanks.

[Glenn330i]

Originally Posted by r3amir

Just pull the door knob twice to exit

That assumes that you can reach the inside door nob? My toddler in the back seat can't reach it. I need to get out of the car and open the door right behind me.

I can't unlock all doors when I park the car? My old car has this feature. My wife's MB has this. My brand new BMW doesn't?

Glenn

[Xens]

It doesn't seem like it's programmed to do that, so I just disabled the auto-lock feature all together.

[magmd]

well...I don't think there is an automatic way to do this.

But..you can keep on pressing the central button on the dash...its just straight up...after you put in park..reach a little further up..and press. Viola...unlocks all doors.

I know...would be nice to be able to program this, but I have not found a way to do it yet. Good luck.

[timlang]

I am picking up my car this weekend, so I don't actually have it yet... but if it is true that there is no auto-unlock when you put it in park, or turn off ignition - that is absolute crap. Ever car I have ever owned or driven has this feature... even my old 1994 cavalier did that.... It is hard to beleive the technology laden e90 can't do it too.

[visor]

I think it is a safety feature that BMW does not unlock the car automatically when you turn off the ignition. Just in case there's a mugger/hijacker ready to jump you after you're parked or while you sit waiting for someone.

If you think it is too troublesome to unlock the car everytime you park, then you should tell your SA to disable auto-lock. Simple as that.

[LEDZEP]

No can do. I've never seen any car that does this, and honestly I don't think you'd want it to. Just push the master lock/unlock button. Soon it will become a habit.

[Broken1]

Originally Posted by visor

I think it is a safety feature that BMW does not unlock the car automatically when you turn off the ignition. Just in case there's a mugger/hijacker ready to jump you after you're parked or while you sit waiting for someone.

If you think it is too troublesome to unlock the car everytime you park, then you should tell your SA to disable auto-lock. Simple as that.

This is rediculous. The car musn't auto-unlock incase there is a mugger or high-jacker near by - so the solution is to keep it permanently unlocked?


I answered this thread (same topic) in bimmerfest.
I don't know what BMW NA's case is.

In my car - When I pull off, all the doors lock. When I turn the car off, the drivers door lock pops open, ready for me to get out. (If I do feel unsafe, I just don't turn the car off).

I know for a fact, you can set it to auto-unlock the drivers door only or all the doors. As far as I know, it's a dealer setting! Someone, go ask your dealer to set it! :-)

It can be done....

and to quote my bimmerfest answer which was not as calm (Sorry tierfreund again... )

Originally Posted by Broken1 on Bimmerfest

Firstly, No matter where the car is built, it's built to it's final destination countries specifications. The Rosslyn factory here in South Africa builds US Spec E90's with the US Software on it and orange corners, red rear lights even though we have clear corners and orarnge rear indicators and South African Software/

Secondly, My E90 which is built in South Africa, and bought in South Africa auto locks when I drive, and AUTO unlocks when I turn the ignition off. It's a simple dealer setting, it's in KEY SETTINGS, locks...

Thirdly, the N factory has won the BMW internal Quality award for 5 years running.

And Finanly (Not related to tierfreund) - Don't blame your America's "We know it all" and shall not let american's cars auto unlock - for your E90 not unlocking. It's not BMW - it's just america, because they unlock everywhere else in the world.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=116281

So...It can be done, because me and every other South African has it.

[nrg09]

You might as well get a workout in your E90 and burn a couple of calories by stretching your arm way out by the master unlock button, instead of having your vehicle automatically unlocking.

[LEDZEP]

Originally Posted by Broken1

This is rediculous. The car musn't auto-unlock incase there is a mugger or high-jacker near by - so the solution is to keep it permanently unlocked?


I answered this thread (same topic) in bimmerfest.
I don't know what BMW NA's case is.

In my car - When I pull off, all the doors lock. When I turn the car off, the drivers door lock pops open, ready for me to get out. (If I do feel unsafe, I just don't turn the car off).

I know for a fact, you can set it to auto-unlock the drivers door only or all the doors. As far as I know, it's a dealer setting! Someone, go ask your dealer to set it! :-)

It can be done....

and to quote my bimmerfest answer which was not as calm (Sorry tierfreund again... )



So...It can be done, because me and every other South African has it.

I doubt this is available in the U.S. Again, I don't know why you would want it. What's the point fo auto-locking and auto-unlocking? If you don't want your doors locked, don't enable the locking feature. Would you want children to be able to hop out the moment you shut off the car, or as mentioned, a carjacker hop in? Somehow I've managed to summon the strength to press the little unlock button on the dash.

[spitfire6000]

My 325 not only doesnt lock when i start driving, but it doesnt unlock when i park and turn the engine off. This can get pretty annoying since i hate driving around with the door locks up. I dont have idrive so i guess im just going to have to go to the dealership and ask them to enable these features for me.

[Glenn330i]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I'll contact my dealer to see if this is an option that he can program in. Until then, I just need to remember to do it. Every car I have bought (two domestic, one foreign) in the last 10 years has this feature on it.

nrg09: Yes, I'm lazy. I got Comfort Access so I don't have to get out my keys. I got Navigation so I don't have to look at a map. I got leather seats so I don't have to work too hard at cleaning them (especially with kids). Your profile says you drive a Honda. If you have a BMW or are thinking of getting one, I'm assuming you will get a stripped BMW with no "convenience" options on it, right?

Glenn

[Glenn330i]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

I doubt this is available in the U.S. Again, I don't know why you would want it. What's the point fo auto-locking and auto-unlocking? If you don't want your doors locked, don't enable the locking feature. Would you want children to be able to hop out the moment you shut off the car, or as mentioned, a carjacker hop in? Somehow I've managed to summon the strength to press the little unlock button on the dash.

The point of auto-locking and unlocking is this:
1. Wife gets into car from the safety of her home in the suburbs. She drives off and doesn't have to remember to lock the doors. 2. She drives through downtown at 6am to get to work, stopping at stoplights, etc. Not so safe if the doors are unlocked. 3. She gets into her protected, well lit parking garage. Doors unlock when she parks.

My children are strapped into car seats. They can't jump out of the car. I have to get them out of the car by opening the door. I have to open the back doors from the *outside* of the car.

The carjacking argument is silly. So after I park the car, I should scan for carjackers, THEN press the unlock button? If I'm parking in an unsafe area, wouldn't I check around me BEFORE I park the car?

Those of you who say "what's the point of auto lock/unlock" are missing the point. I didn't start the thread of arguing whether it's good or not to have this feature or whether someone is too lazy to press another button everytime he parks the car. Other cars have this. My only question was how to turn it on in my 330.

Glenn

[LEDZEP]

Name one car that has that feature. Perhaps your wife would also be more pampered if the car put itself in park too.

I understand your arguments, but you are obviously someone with common sense. A rare traight among Americans. We are a society of morons who depend upon legislation to make sure that nothing bad can ever happen to us. When it does, thankfully we have corporations that we can sue because it couldn't possibly have been our fault or just bad luck. Just because your kids are strapped in and there are not car jackers lurking near your wife's parking space does not mean that's the same for everyone.

Same reason you can't close the windows with the remote. We would decapitate our children and pets, and then sue the shit out of BMW for letting us do it. Ever read the warning stickers on a step ladder?

[timlang]

Name one car that has that feature

- My 1994 Chevy Cavalier
- My 2002 Chevy Malibu
- Every GM car I have ever driven (rental/loaner)

[Broken1]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

I doubt this is available in the U.S. Again, I don't know why you would want it. What's the point fo auto-locking and auto-unlocking? If you don't want your doors locked, don't enable the locking feature. Would you want children to be able to hop out the moment you shut off the car, or as mentioned, a carjacker hop in? Somehow I've managed to summon the strength to press the little unlock button on the dash.

You are right. The auto-unlock feature is a "lazy feature". Sometimes, when I use my fob, I open the door before I remove the fob, and double pulling the door latch is instinct.

In my E46, the doors didn't auto unlock, and what I did was I took the key out of the "slot" (ignition) and used the key unlock button to unlock my door - or unlock all the doors if there were passengers - as I was getting out of the car (illiminating the need for the double pull or using the c-locking button)

It just became a habit, something I did again by instinct.


The only thing that gets to me (and I love my car) is that everyone on the forums is like eeehhe eeeehhh why doesn't my 37k car auto unlock, when the 36k lexus does - when the car actually DOES unlock, and it's a simple key setting which I am sure is on the US software ...most dealers just don't know/care about it.

[Glenn330i]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Name one car that has that feature. Perhaps your wife would also be more pampered if the car put itself in park too.

Mercedes Benz ML350 (plus every MB loaner I've received).
Every GM car I've owned or used in the last decade.

I could understand your legislation comments if this was something not offered on other cars. This is a CONVENIENCE feature, Ledzep. If you don't agree with making our cars more convenient to use, that's your opinion.

[LEDZEP]

Hey, I could be wrong... I just think it's a silly option, and not sure it would be desirable. I'm sure others would think some of the creature comforts I can't live without are silly... so I'm not trying to bash or be all high and mighty. But if you take away my auto dimming rear and side view mirrors I'll have a fit!

[Glenn330i]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

But if you take away my auto dimming rear and side view mirrors I'll have a fit!

LOL, I remember when air conditioning was an option. The first new car I ever bought had it, and I remember my dad criticizing me for spending extra for it. I can hear his voice now: "Are you too lazy to roll down the windows?" Oh, the windows had to be the hand crank kind, too. No power windows for my dad. "Just one more thing to break."

Glenn