Car Washing with Advanced Key

[Zenerdiode]

To those who have the Advanced Key; what do you do with it (or where do you put it) when you are washing the car?

With the key in my pocket, when washing anywhere near the door handles the car locks, opens and re-locks all the time - thus the mirrors fold in too. My only solutions are to either unlock the car and place the key inside the car (although I live in a quiet area - this still un-nerves me somewhat) or unlock the car then place the key back in the house so it's far enough away to prevent the locking and unlocking.

Any ideas :confused:

[Ardy]

I just leave mine in the house and it is not a big house, but have no problems with keeping it out of range. Should only work when the key is within a pretty short distance of the car otherwise anyone could open your car whilst your in the house etc. They must have had to think through quite a few scenarios i would imagine before selling the system.

Also you can disable the mirror folding if you happen to want to carry the key whilst washing for security or whatever. But personally id say just leave it in the house whilst doing the outside of the car and unless its like on a windowsill 6 inches from your drive i cant see it unlocking, if it does would indicate a sensor problem i would have thought?

[spellsinger]

To those who have the Advanced Key; what do you do with it (or where do you put it) when you are washing the car?

With the key in my pocket, when washing anywhere near the door handles the car locks, opens and re-locks all the time - thus the mirrors fold in too. My only solutions are to either unlock the car and place the key inside the car (although I live in a quiet area - this still un-nerves me somewhat) or unlock the car then place the key back in the house so it's far enough away to prevent the locking and unlocking.

Any ideas :confused:

Also, same thing with BMWs - must be something to do with the way the technology works?

[legendamongus]

Also, same thing with BMWs - must be something to do with the way the technology works?
It works because the car is constantly transmitting a weak signal which only has a range of a couple of metres. The key fob detects and responds to this signal by sending a signal that unlocks the doors as you approach the car. As a standard feature, if you unlock the doors but don't open them, the car relocks itself after a couple of minutes.

I would assume that it's a combination of these features that causes this constant relocking effect. Maybe it only relocks when you move out of range and then back into range again?

In any case, it's probably easier to just turn off the auto-fold when you wash the car. I always put my wipers to the service position for cleaning anyway so it's not really an extra hassle.

[ScottyUK]

Presumably they fold once and then stay there as you're not turning the ignition on?

If that's the case they to wash them can't you just give them a bash i.e. use the manual fold thing that protects them from knocks?

[TTQC180Canada]

I separate the key and keep the metal part in my packet and I leave the fob in the car. I know the locking system won't allow the key to be locked in the car but I consider this option my insurance blanket.

Because the fob is in the car the sensors in the door handles are disabled.

I hope this helps,

Perry

[Zenerdiode]

It works because the car is constantly transmitting a weak signal which only has a range of a couple of metres. The key fob detects and responds to this signal by sending a signal that unlocks the doors as you approach the car. As a standard feature, if you unlock the doors but don't open them, the car relocks itself after a couple of minutes.

I would assume that it's a combination of these features that causes this constant relocking effect. Maybe it only relocks when you move out of range and then back into range again?

Nearly. :)

It works by detecting the change of capacitance that your hand introduces. There is a sensor in the back of the handle that detects your hand just as you wrap your fingers round the door handle; transmits a code to the key and provided it is detected in the range of that particular door, the key will reply and it will unlock the car. To re-lock, you touch that small rectangular bit on the front of the handle (about the size of a fingernail) and it will lock if the key is in range.

The soap suds running over the two parts of the handle causes the locking and unlocking. I've decided I'm going to leave the key in the garage - it still makes me nervous to leave any part of it in the car.

Thank you all for the replies.