Chevrolet Cruze Forums banner

is this normal. (car is started and using the spare to lock/unlock the car)

9233 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  NickD
anyways i decided to take my boy (dog) with me to go pick up supper, i took my spare key so i could lock the car (while it was running) so my dog could have some cool air. well i get to where i was going, left the car running and tried locking the car with my spare it didnt work. (and yes my spare works and i was hitting the correct button.) is this an issue or a safety feature? luckily i wasnt gone long and it wasnt that hot outside so my dog was ok.


i know i could manually unlock the car but one shouldnt have to with todays tech.. even gmas cadi, car can be remote started with the spare and started with the regular key (not sure if thats the same like my issue)
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
If the key was still in the ignition the car will not lock remotely. For that matter it's not supposed to lock via the remote if one of the keys is in the car.
If you would like to turn that function off look up that particular function up in the configuration menu and turn it off ..ANti lock out ..a key would have to be in the ignition switch for the function to be operative .

I don't want to explain how I know all of this !
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Ha, never had to worry about locking the car with a German Shepherd dog sitting in the back seat, would leave the windows half rolled down.

Had to do this in Naperville, IL because the stupid gas pumps wouldn't take a credit card. Got chewed out for this, but what choice did I have for a few seconds to go into the store to pay my gas bill. Sign said No dogs allowed on the door.

Ha, recall seeing a TV commercial back in the 60's where one in ten people had a mental problem. Counted on my fingers, 50 people I knew, are five of these nuts? Today I feel 9 out of 10 have mental problems, more recent is my first Chevy dealer telling me the reason why my rear calipers won't adjust is because I have a vacuum problem. Said he contacted GM tech and was told it was a vacuum problem, so changed everything in regards to vacuum related problems.

Maybe they are not just nuts, but just stupid. Then hiring reps that make these decisions that know nothing about car! Maybe its just me that is nuts, or quickly getting there.

Haven't tried this, but think you can lock your Cruze by pushing down on those door buttons. With this thing, far more concerned about locking myself out.
See less See more
ya nick my pup (1.5yr blue lacy) he has a lot to learn about protecting things and not chewing anything up.. and i have locked myself out many of times in my dodge but thanks to a sliding rear glass, i was able to get in with a long flat blade screw driver. (kinda funny when a cop pulls up and sees you breaking into your own truck..) i agree with ya on that. i hate people that dont know anything about there job as well (mostly auto parts stores). and which door button you talking about?

brian- i thought that anti lockout feature kept the door locks from locking by its self. i will be sure to try that feature out though. but i would think that you could still lock the car with the spare, since your the one doing it.
If you would like to turn that function off look up that particular function up in the configuration menu and turn it off ..ANti lock out ..a key would have to be in the ignition switch for the function to be operative .

I don't want to explain how I know all of this !
+1 the salesman who I bought my car from explained that feature to me. He set it to the anti lock out option when we were setting up my car because he said it almost eliminates the chance of getting locked out, but it's simple enough to change back
No such option to prevent locking the doors automatically when you hit 3 mph. Really a first class PITA. Are we that stupid we can't lock out own doors when we feel the need to?

Wonder how long those power door lock motors are going to last, must use these 20 times per day.

Least I have a manual transmission so I can leave the gear in neutral and apply the parking brake. Definitely do this when I have to parallel park, Some idiot can hit my bumper in park or in gear and do extensive damage to the drivetrain. Why don't these idiots think about stuff like this.

And why still the locking steering wheel, get too close to the curb when diagonally parked, you will never unlock that jammed steering wheel.

You can only enable or disable the rear door child safety locks when the ignition is on. If you left then enabled, even with the doors unlocked, get in the back seat and close the door. You will NOT be able to get out!

Only thing you can do is too scream for help, outside door handle still works, or try to crawl over into the front seat to get out. Wonder what idiot dreamed this up? If grandma is in the back seat with these doors enabled, and you leave the car, she will be locked in, you have to open the door for her.

Don't know about you, and for this matter, don't even care. But I like to be in complete control over my vehicle. And this goes along with ABS, traction, and stability control. But at least with the two latter, can switch these off. But can't switch off ABS.

But not only with the Cruze, dey all do dis, with some idiot geek sitting behind the computer making decisions for us that were once ours to make.
See less See more
No such option to prevent locking the doors automatically when you hit 3 mph. Really a first class PITA. Are we that stupid we can't lock out own doors when we feel the need to?

Wonder how long those power door lock motors are going to last, must use these 20 times per day.

Least I have a manual transmission so I can leave the gear in neutral and apply the parking brake. Definitely do this when I have to parallel park, Some idiot can hit my bumper in park or in gear and do extensive damage to the drivetrain. Why don't these idiots think about stuff like this.

And why still the locking steering wheel, get too close to the curb when diagonally parked, you will never unlock that jammed steering wheel.

You can only enable or disable the rear door child safety locks when the ignition is on. If you left then enabled, even with the doors unlocked, get in the back seat and close the door. You will NOT be able to get out!

Only thing you can do is too scream for help, outside door handle still works, or try to crawl over into the front seat to get out. Wonder what idiot dreamed this up? If grandma is in the back seat with these doors enabled, and you leave the car, she will be locked in, you have to open the door for her.

Don't know about you, and for this matter, don't even care. But I like to be in complete control over my vehicle. And this goes along with ABS, traction, and stability control. But at least with the two latter, can switch these off. But can't switch off ABS.

But not only with the Cruze, dey all do dis, with some idiot geek sitting behind the computer making decisions for us that were once ours to make.
most of the features are pretty much crap, and you cant even lock the windows only the rear ones. to me traction off doesnt seem fun in a fwd . (my gmas 00 lincon ls v8 now thats a different story ended up sliding sideways from a stand still while turning (that was fun) i do like control over my car as well, the automatic with tap shift is nice. (i use that 99% of the time) but i agree computers arnt that great, i like to think for myself plus trac control is bad anyway i hate having pwr cut back) my cruze can chirp them but cant even make the light come on.
but also like the features of the car (yes i am weird), abs is a nice feature (i drove with out it on my 96 dodge, and it was bad when you can smell burnt rubber. from getting on the brakes hard because some person pulled out in front of you.

and i turned that anti lock out feature off, and guess what it still failed. havent tried manual locking with that feature off yet but before with door open i mashed down the door lock and it unlocked its self.


i love my curze expect some small features. that makes me want to sell it and buy something else. but i cant afford to trade this thing in.

man its only going to get worse. lets hope they have a off button for it all. (it would be nice to have a button that will turn all the driving aids off.) or you could choose to turn each one off as well.

i am glad i dont have that auto brake feature, or any other assist for that matter. lets see $4 for them little side mirrors are better then a sensor.
See less See more
well i figured out how to lock my cruze with it running. takes longer then i would like though.
have to lock it twice, once locks all doors but unlocks the drivers door then use the key to lock it (if i remember correctly been a long day for me.)
If your car has remote start you could shut off your car and use the remote start when you walk away, however it would only run for 10 minutes. I realize you have an LS so this doesn't apply but thought I would mention it for others.
Ha, a key always worked, until these idiots got rid of the rain gutters and put the doors lines half way up in the middle of the roof. Forget about getting into your car if you have an ice rain. Or up here a major rain storm followed by a Arctic blast.

04 Cavalier did give some choices, could unlock it, but couldn't open the door, if forced to pull on that pull out handle, would end up in your hand. Other choice was to try the passenger door, also with a key. If that didn't work, one time could open the trunk with the key, drop the rear seats from the trunk, crawl in. Drive the car home to my heated garage, then could open the door. Interior heat also helped.

Cruze is a bit better, with more solid door handles, and the doors under the ledge of the roof, but rain gutters would help. Pray the battery isn't dead. Would even be nicer with more key locks.
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top