Jimnc

Beautiful sunny day Wednesday. Decided to take the ZR1 out for a drive. I needed some fuel so I stopped at the Circle K. After topping off I could not open the door. Key was on the passenger seat and car was running. Phone also in the car. 5 minutes of trying both doors I realized the fob battery was too low to open the doors even though it did so when I started the car in the garage. I borrowed the phone in the gas station and called the wife. After 15 minutes of looking she found the spare key and drove it to me. Turns out the battery in the spare key fob was dead too. I tried the emergency key under the rear hatch but could not get it to pop. I had this problem when I had a dead battery a year ago. Now I’m getting frustrated, I’ve been idling at the pump for 45 minutes. I send the wife off to Battery Plus to get a battery for the fob. Then I think to ask the lady in the gas station if they had the correct battery for the fob. success! They did. I put the new battery in the spare fob and boom the doors open! Definitely a lesson learned. Never leave the key in the car and check the fob batteries often as they can fail in an instan.

MTPZ06

Wonder why the hatch didn't pop manually with the key? I'd have that addressed as well.

Jimnc

I intend to. When the barttey died last year I spent 30minutes on a stool jiggling it and finally it opened. With the car running and my frustration mounting I didn’t have the time for that.

AzDave47

I carry a spare FOB battery in my wallet all the time, but it didn't help when the FOB was in my golf bag in the hatch!

z06clif

I think I remember it being covered here before. Its a combination of dirt in the lock and the spring getting weak over time

Clif

SweetZO6

OP, thanks for posting the thread. It reminded me to check both of my FOB batteries since I’ve had my beast for almost 3 years. They were both in the RED. I was setting myself to be locked out.

Ed

ZR1Cat

Years ago when I took delivery of my 2012 ZR1 I read about dirt getting into that lock in the rear. As I recall the suggested solution was to cover the lock face with a piece of tape to block dirt from being blown into the lock and creating mischief. I don't know if the tape helps, but this thread reminded me to check if the tape is still there...and to check the batteries in my fobs.

Eric Reeves

The reason the manual key did not work is the hatch is designed not to open when the car is running which you were. Its to keep people from accidentally hitting the release button while driving. The car does not know what you may be doing, it only knows the engine is running and the key was in the car when it was started.

Mr. Gizmo

keep it wrapped in a condom. It will make it last longer

AzDave47

I didn't know they came in a size large enough to cover my golf bag tears of laughter

09Z06pj

Just one of those " If it can go wrong, it will go wrong" kind of days. Glad you got it worked out. Mashing the throttle after the fact made it all better, I'm sure.

geno01

Not to bust on you, but why would you leave the car running while you get gas?

Jimnc

Probably not the safest thing to do but I don't turn the car off when fueling unless I'm in a sketchy area and will be going inside the station. When fueling my boat I am religious about about turning off everything including electronics.

dmuellenberg

No, not a good idea safety wise. Plus it is against the law in some states.

tim414

I agree. That's the factory plan if this happens.

Eric Reeves

Like I said the car was running so you cannot open the hatch, period. Its a safety feature to keep someones knee from hitting the hatch release button while driving down the road.

MTPZ06

I believe this is true except when the e-brake is applied, which signifies that the car is not in motion...and I would imagine he had that set while parked at a gas station.

I've popped the hatch plenty of times while the car is idling/warming up in my garage.

Dan_the_C5_Man

No..

You are missing a critical point. The whole purpose of the key is so that you have a non-computer controlled entry point into the car (battery dead, fob battery dead, etc).

The key cylinder doesn't just turn a switch, it turns a mechanical latch to release the trunk. If functioning correctly, it should do what it is designed to do under any and all conditions, car running, not running, good battery, bad battery, who cares.

With the combination of a fob and a key, even if the fob has a dead battery the concept is you can gain access to the trunk with the key, then access the door with the manual door pull that you can reach from inside the trunk, then insert the fob with the dead battery into the slot near the glove compartment where a component will activate the circuitry in the fob enough to ID it and allow the car to start, so you can drive yourself to the fob battery store..

Make sense?

Eric Reeves

I understand what you are saying but if the car is running and the fob is inside the car then it probably wouldn't work. Anyone care to go try this?

LMB-Z

On MY Z06, if the car is running, the key will NOT open the rear hatch UNLESS the parking brake is applied. I have tried it over and over. It will not open. Set the parking brake, and it opens. Don't ask me why or how, but thats what it does.

Also, not a good thing to leave the car running while fueling. Someone could distract you while someone else gets in the car and drives off. Happens. Put the fob in your pocket and don't take it out. Ever. Glad it worked out for you.