Locked out!

[Snoopy]

Just checked.  As others have suggested, it's definitely possible to lock yourself out good and proper.  I opened the boot using the centre button while the car was parked and locked up.  Put some stuff in and (making damn sure the key was in my hand) closed it again.  Thunk, it locked.

This is scary stuff, me definitely no likee.  For goodness sake, I never heard of anyone having stuff nicked from their boot while they were with their car.  If you do see dodgy characters hanging around, then actively choose to lock the boot, it's not hard.

I guess you have never seen 'the real hustle' tv show.
As others have said why not try using the other button

[Rolfe]

No, I haven't seen it.  If I was worried that someone was about to make a dive for my possessions, I'm perfectly capable of locking the boot if I want to.

"Try the other button."  Yeah, right.  Ever heard of Murphy's Law?  "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."  If it's possible to lock yourself out, eventually someone will.

I'd rather get it set up so that it isn't possible.

Rolfe.

[AlanH]

The big thick book in the glovebox is your friend...

[Rolfe]

I'll get round to it....   

I just hope it turns out to be possible.

Rolfe.

[howlingmoon]

hmmm been reading this thread for a few days now... My advice, got a new toy like the MK6, get used to its peculiarities... if you want the same as your other old cars, buy the same brand...

And people please read the manual first before posting enquiries... thats why we chopped off a few thousand trees, to give ready references by car manufacturers tonew owners... so that it will not waste time and money for people to call VW and complaint that the car is not up to the customer's expectations especially before reading the owner's manual...

haw haw haw... Thus the need for me to get my hands on english manuals... tried reading dutch... got a headache... and slept... 

[Rolfe]

Oh, yeah, I'll read the manual....  Maybe tomorrow....

I don't think it's a question of brand, I think it's a question of time.  I bought my previous car in 1998.  They just put more bells and whistles on them now.  If they still made the 306 GTi-6, I suspect it would have complicated locking logic as well.

I'm hardly going to go to VW and complain it's possible to lock myself out of my car!  But it's something I've done before (OK, a hire car, and it was a completely different story, my passenger did it, but still, it happened), and I appreciate a car that won't let you do it.

The thing is though, the manual is in the car.  Which is in the garage.  Which is outside, and probably below zero right now.  And it's written in gobbledegook.  You guys are right here, and no trees have to die, even.  I think it's educational, in a train-smash sort of way....

Rolfe.

[AlanH]

Put on a warm coat, get in the driver's seat, remove the manual from the glovebox, turn on the ignition and work through the controls and switchgear until you're absolutely confident that you know how everything works. If you don't, then you're you're potentially putting yourself and other road users at risk when you're out driving.

[Rolfe]

Oh, keep your hair on!

I read the manual for the important stuff as soon as I got the car, and I know exactly what I'm doing when driving it thank-you-very-much.  I don't think annoyance with and inability to rectify the automatic boot locking is exactly safety-critical.

I've done everything I can identify in the MFD, but still the boot locks on closing.  I am not enchanted by this feature.

Rolfe.

[p3asa]

I've done everything I can identify in the MFD, but still the boot locks on closing.  I am not enchanted by this feature.

Rolfe.

Surely not when the doors are unlocked?

[Rolfe]

I've done everything I can identify in the MFD, but still the boot locks on closing.  I am not enchanted by this feature.

Rolfe.

Surely not when the doors are unlocked?

I haven't figured out all the ramifications, but yes.

The start of this was when I left the keys in the boot and closed it, while the driver's door was open.  Immediately tried to open the boot to retrieve keys, but it was locked.  It's clear I made a mountain out of a molehill over retrieving the keys on that occasion, but it's still a damn pest having to find the key or otherwise unlock the boot every time you want to open it.

I suspect it's not quite as bad as that and there are some configurations where the boot will stay unlocked, but most of the time I want in it, it's locked, and it re-locks itself on closing.

I'm particularly concerned by its relocking itself when the doors are locked though, because of the potential for leaving the keys inside.  I find it difficult to believe there isn't a way of over-riding that, but I haven't found it yet.

I've been driving nearly 38 years, and I've never had anything stolen from the boot of my car in that time.  I'm quite content to go on as I've been doing, and taking personal responsibility for the decision as to when the boot is locked and when it is unlocked.  If the car would only let me....

Rolfe.