I finally took my 2004 HCH in for the firmware update/recall. While I was there I asked if any of the annoying things it does are programmable or dealer-adjustable. He said no on all accounts I was hoping for.

I am sure some of you are tired of hearing me say this, but I am at the end of my rope. The HCH 'feature' that drives me absolutely insane is the efforts the car goes through to try to stop me from locking my keys in the car, which also stops me from being able to lock the car if I have my hands full - which is every time I get to work and get home. I have to take my stuff out of the car, set it on the ground, lock the car with the keys or remote, and pick all my stuff up again - because there is NO WAY to lock the car without handling the keys, remote or handle as the last thing you do. This drives me so insane I sometimes want to torch the car. No other car I have ever owned has made it anywhere near this difficult. Locking the keys in the car is a rare occurrence, and making me go through all that hassle every time I park the car is a solution outrageously out of proportion with the problem, especially since I don't even have that problem in the first place.

Has anyone ever heard of a mod that will disable this 'feature'? I would even pay good money to have it disabled if anyone could do it. I am at the end of my rope.

 

Get yourself an aftermarket alarm with an autolocking feature. Mine has it. 30 seconds after I turn off the car the doors lock if I haven't locked them already.

 

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but everyone Honda I've driven has the abilty to override this feature while still in the car. Simply pull the door handle (while the door is open) and try locking the doors. I'll go home tonight and check it out but that has worked for me.

 

That only works when all the other doors are closed. When I need something out of the back seat, in my other cars I can open the rear door, powerlock and close the drivers door, get my stuff out of the back seat and kick the rear door shut. On my HCH, it won't powerlock if other doors are open.

 

That works on my '05 Ody, but only by pushing the lock "stem" down. The power lock switch on the armrest and the remote will still not operate until all doors are locked. But I like how the Sub works better. After opening a door, you can hit the lock button on the remote and the "bell rings" to warn you. However, the doors don't actually lock for about five seconds after the last door shuts. This usually leaves enough time to get to the hatch and open it. And if you hit the lock button on the remote twice, all doors lock immediately, so you have a choice.

Unfortunately, this is just information about my cars and not much help to you. However, maybe the '06 operates like my Ody...then you have a reason to buy a new one.

 

Here are some suggestions:

1. Don't take so much stuff to/from work.
2. Get a backpack, then put as much stuff as possible into it.
3. Get one of those airplane carry-on bags (they can be wheeled around with one hand), put all your stuff in it, and put the bag in the trunk.
4. Sell the car. (The insurance co. would likely take a dim view of arson.)
5. Take some Prozac -- you're way too high-strung.

In fact, locking one's keys in the car is not a rare occurrence. If it were, no car maker would bother to include any precautions against it. My '84 Civic hatchback had a similar feature: under normal circumstances, you couldn't lock the driver's door without the key. There was a 2-handed way to override it, but I never used it because I liked the feature. Knowing I couldn't lock the key in gave me some peace of mind. When I traded in the Civic for a Toyota that had no precaution, I had to remind myself again not to push the lock button, but use the key instead.

 

Hi. Here's a suggestion:
While you're getting stuff out of the back seat, it's really easy to reach over and press down the driver's door lock button. This will lock all the doors, even with the back door open. Then you can close the back door, stuff in hands, and you're on your way!
PS: Please don't torch the car!

 

Heh. Dan, I can't believe no one thought of that idea earlier. Makes perfect sense.

 

Thank you dan, I will try that.

As for some of the other responses, what's so hard about keeping track of your keys for the five seconds it takes to remove them from the ignition and get out of the car? Seems to me anyone who can lose track of their keys that easily probably deserves the hassle they get for locking them inside. It's thanks to people like this that we have to deal with such a level of idiot-proofing.

 

You're right 99.9% of the time. Most people have a routine the allows them to avoid a lockout, until something unusual happens - a distraction - that changes what they normally do. In my whole driving history I've probably locked myself out once every ten years on average. And when I did it was a big inconvenience.