Three or 4 times in the last several years, I have arrived at my destination, and after I shut off the car and take the keys out, the doors lock and the car alarm starts beeping and I am locked in. I cannot unlock the doors and the car will not start back up. (It is frightening.) All of the times this has happened has been in the summer after I have driven a short distance on our beltline (I live in Raleigh, NC.) I mention that only because that means I was going 60mph or so, for a short distance.
This lasts for about 5 min or longer, and is frightening. I don’t really know how long, but I’ve had time to get the manual out and try to look up what is happening. I have tried wiggling the steering wheel. Nothing seems to help, but it stops and then I can get out. For the next several weeks I am afraid to role the windows all the way up, then I forget about it because the incidents are far between.
I have regular car guys (North Raleigh Radiator) who I like and they seem competent. They couldn’t find anything wrong.
After my normal place couldn’t find anything wrong, I tried to put it out of my mind. It had not happened for a long time. There are many months between this happening.
Honda has my car right now, and they can’t find anything wrong. They’ve looked for two days. They called today to ask for more information about when it happens. They had not realized it only happens after being driven; it never happens when I first start it. They are going to keep it another day and see if they can find anything.
Do a google search with make, model, year, engine (4, 6,8 cyl. ? Next what is happening; car locks and/or won’t restart. Keep it simple at the beginning but expand when you start to get some hits. I’ve had other issues with similar year and model of Honda’s and all I can say it is truely amazing what you’ll find that Honda “seems” to try to bury. When in doubt, as those Tappit guys would say, ask to speak with the regional service manager. Maybe that would help.
I did that and I got “Honda door lock actuator.” This sounded like my problem. This is what I told Honda I wanted fixed, and I told them what was happening. They said this is not the door lock actuator. That behaves different when broken. I thought for sure that was it. This is the only reason I called Honda. Otherwise I just go to my regular garage.
That is possible. I’ve never hit the panic button on purpose, and would not be aware of accidentally hitting it. I am pretty sure I tried hitting the “stop it” button and that did not work. Now I want to try an experiment. Or rather, have my husband try an experiment to see if that is it. That sounds likely. I just told my son, and he is doubled over laughing. He thinks that is probably it. I hope so.
Those two complaints on that website sound exactly like what happened to me. This has happened to me at least 4 times. I’ve probably had the car about 3 years. I bought it from the dealer, pre-owned. it still could be we are all hitting the panic button part of the key without knowing it. I’m going to have my husband try this from inside the car and see if he can replicate the problem.
I didn’t know the unlock button cancels the alarm. I do try to read the whole car manual looking for an answer when this happens, but I am under stress at the time and never found it. I have never used the car alarm and most of my life drove cars that did not have them. I never know how to stop a car alarm.
I wish I had posted here long ago. It has been about 3 years now that I live in fear of this happening. I have a small business and one of my employees who drives around the state with me in this car bought me one of those hammers for breaking car windows from the inside because warned her that this could happen to us.
I sure hope it is me accidentally hitting the panic button. What an easy solution that would be. My Honda dealer just kept it for 3 days, then told me they cannot figure out what it could be and could not recreate it. My husband was going to take the car and give me his since no one can find a fix. He may not have to trade me cars now.
Come to think of it, I am sure I hit the unlock button. Maybe you just have to wait it out if you accidentally hit the panic button while inside. We will experiment and see.
It doesn’t seem like the panic alarm is the problem, the owners manual states that the panic alarm only sounds for 30 seconds and is easy to cancel;
Press this button for about 2 seconds to attract attention: the horn will sound, and the exterior lights will flash for about 30 seconds. To cancel panic mode, press any other button on the remote transmitter, or turn the ignition switch to the ON (II) position.
Shoot. I can’t try it now because I don’t have the car. We took it to our local mechanics when the Honda dealer said they couldn’t fix that but found $1200 of other stuff they wanted to do. We’ll get it back Monday and experiment. This lasts for 10-15 minutes. I see other people on the web describing the exact same thing. Although it rarely happens, it scares me that it will happen. My husband is going to take the car or we’ll trade it in if we can’t figure this out. It is awful to always be afraid this might happen. (And, I am always running late, so I can’t get stuck in the car for 15 min.)
I don’t know why that’s happening, but until you find someone who can explain it, suggest you have a backup plan. Carry something like a hammer inside the car you can use to break a window if necessary. You don’t want to be locked inside the car on a really hot day, get overheated, and pass out. That could prove fatal.
I don’t know but on my Pontiac, it’s programmed for the doors to unlock when I put it in part. If I’m distracted on occasion I have shut the car off before putting it in park. Then the doors are locked and the handle doesn’t open them. I usually can’t find the unlock button so end up starting it again and putting it in park again to unlock the doors.
I do think that at least BMW has an issue with not being able to unlock the doors from inside and a guy died once because of it. I also think our Acura has that fault but I haven’t been able to duplicate it. I would suggest a study of the owners manual to try and figure out if it can be reprogrammed.
The previous owner or the original selling dealer may have installed a redundant alarm system, someone may have to remove the drivers side lower dash panel/knee airbag to inspect for modifications.
Get in the habit of opening the door before switching off the ignition, then if the alarm sounds you can get out and walk away. If the alarm sounds before you open the door switch on the ignition and lower the window, that way you can climb out and break all the windows you want without glass falling in on you.