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Door locking 101

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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 02:46 PM
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Default Door locking 101

Kinda dumb question. With the proximity locking key fob, how far away from the car do you have to be for the doors to lock?

e.g. If you are at a car show, are the doors unlocked while you are looking at the rest of the cars but you're still too close?

How long did it take for you to trust that the doors were really locked when you walked away?
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 02:55 PM
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My understanding:

If the doors were already locked, they don't actually unlock just because you are near the car. I believe some of the C4's did that but not the C6.

If someone squeezes the door switch on the outside of your C6, the car sends out a signal to see if a proper fob is within a certain distance. If the fob is there, then the door unlocks and can be opened. If not, the door stays locked.

The distance seems to be also effected by position (forward or rearward alongside the car) on my 2009, earlier years may have been somewhat different. For me, the distance seems to be about 6 feet.
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 02:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Gearhead Jim
My understanding:

If the doors were already locked, they don't actually unlock just because you are near the car. I believe some of the C4's did that but not the C6.

If someone squeezes the door switch on the outside of your C6, the car sends out a signal to see if a proper fob is within a certain distance. If the fob is there, then the door unlocks and can be opened. If not, the door stays locked.

The distance seems to be also effected by position (forward or rearward alongside the car) on my 2009, earlier years may have been somewhat different. For me, the distance seems to be about 6 feet.
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 03:00 PM
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The C6 fob is not active like the early C5 fob was. If you have the door locked, it will not unlock just because you are near the car. Having the fob simply allows you to unlock the car by pressing the door button with the fob in your possession, no fob, no entry.

The only time the fob comes in to play is if you press a button on the fob or on the car otherwise the fob is as good as invisible to the car.

If the auto-lock option is set to on in the DIC personalization menu the door lock takes place on a timer and will lock within 8 seconds after the fob leaves the interior of the car.
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 03:10 PM
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Thanks - a passive system that auto locks after 8 seconds and won't unlock again until the door handle is pressed with the fob within 6 feet seems to solve any concerns I have at car shows. I guess the only thing is to remember to bring the fob in case one needs to open the door while parked inside the garage.
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 03:15 PM
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You can set the FOB passive lock/unlock settings using the DIC system.
I wet mine so that it DOES NOT automatically unlock the doors just cause I an near the car. Owners manual will walk you through it. (If I can do it, anyone can)
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 04:08 PM
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In addition to what has been said, you can set the auto lock/unlock individually for each of your FOB's.
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 04:15 PM
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When at a show, be careful NOT to have the fob in a jacket or bag that may get thrown into the hatch. With the fob in the back of the Vette the doors will not unlock. Others have locked themselves out and I almost did this once after changing to sweats and throwing my gym bag with my keys in my jean's pockets into the hatch and closing it.

Cheers - Jim
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Gearhead Jim
My understanding:

If the doors were already locked, they don't actually unlock just because you are near the car. I believe some of the C4's did that but not the C6.
My C6 does.

With the FOB in my pocket, If I get within 5 feet of my car and it automatically unlocks and vice-versa if I get farther then 5 feet it automatically locks. There is a setting for this.

I apologize if I read this wrong.
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 04:38 PM
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[QUOTE=talon90;1573398186
...

If the auto-lock option is set to on in the DIC personalization menu the door lock takes place on a timer and will lock within 8 seconds after the fob leaves the interior of the car.[/QUOTE]

I have not checked on my 2009 to see if the timing starts when the fob leaves the car, or when the door is closed after the fob leaves.
However, it seems to be about 20 seconds instead of 8.
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 06:01 PM
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Originally Posted by IDSRVIT
My C6 does.

With the FOB in my pocket, If I get within 5 feet of my car and it automatically unlocks and vice-versa if I get farther then 5 feet it automatically locks. There is a setting for this.

I apologize if I read this wrong.
No, no, no, that's incorrect. If the doors are locked, they will not automatically unlock no matter how close you get to the car with the fob.

They will also not automatically lock when you get so far away from the car. If programmed to automatically lock, the doors will lock approximately 8 seconds after the fob leaves the car, whether the fob is 2 feet from the car or 200 ft from the car.
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Old Mar 12, 2010 | 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by JimTN
No, no, no, that's incorrect. If the doors are locked, they will not automatically unlock no matter how close you get to the car with the fob.

They will also not automatically lock when you get so far away from the car. If programmed to automatically lock, the doors will lock approximately 8 seconds after the fob leaves the car, whether the fob is 2 feet from the car or 200 ft from the car.


The only ways they unlock are pressing the pad with a fob within 3 feet, pressing the unlock button on the fob, or (in an emergency) using the key in the lock cylinder at the rear.

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Old Mar 15, 2010 | 09:05 PM
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FWIW, I've timed our 2009 several times now (counting, not using a watch). When I get out of the car and close the door, it takes about 20 seconds before the lights flash to indicate that the car has locked.

So, either the 8 second number is not valid for the 2009's, or the lights don't flash immediately when the doors lock.

Or maybe I'm doing something wrong...
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