Dead Battery, Door Locks Inoperative

[savngas]

I posted this on an older thread but thought it needed to be current as a warning to others.

My LV Battery went dead...suspect accessory cb radio.

Problem is I cannot get into the car to open the hood even with the door key.

I wondered is it possible that the anti-theft system kept the door from opening with the key?

Dealer said the key should open car and had never heard of this happening.

I worked a way to open the hood from the grill slot and recharged the LV battery.

After the charge i was able to enter the car and everything worked OK.

Key worked OK with charged battery.

Beware if your LV battery goes dead you may not be able to get into the car if it is locked.

Access to the hood latch is relatively easy with a long, thin screwdriver or prybar.

Pop the hood, charge the battery and be on your way.

Harry :happy feet:

[rfruth]

The anti-theft system is dependent on the 12 volt battery so if the 12 v was drained ...

but with that said weird voltages can cause *strange* problems.

[akirby]

The anti-theft system is dependent on the 12 volt battery so if the 12 v was drained ...

but with that said weird voltages can cause *strange* problems.

 

But that shouldn't disable the mechanical door lock, should it?

[Fuze-ion]

The mechanical door lock is that: mechanical. The door should unlock with the key, even with-out a battery in the car. The hood should unlatch, with the mechanical lever from inside the car. This is how they were designed to function, I suppose there are always exceptions!

Edited October 19, 2011 by Fuze-ion

[VonoreTn]

We could settle this matter if someone disconnected their negative battery post and tried to open the door with the mechanical key. Somebody else do it, I'm afraid of losing all my locked in radio stations, average mpg, previous destinations, time to next oil change, dash settings, etc. ;-)

[savngas]

We could settle this matter if someone disconnected their negative battery post and tried to open the door with the mechanical key. Somebody else do it, I'm afraid of losing all my locked in radio stations, average mpg, previous destinations, time to next oil change, dash settings, etc. ;-)

 

 

I tried it after i charged my battery...

power on key worked fine, power off key would not work.

It even had a different feel to the key when turning it with the battery disconnected.

Go figure, I would have thought it was mechanical, also.

Harry

[mort]

I tried it after i charged my battery...

power on key worked fine, power off key would not work.

It even had a different feel to the key when turning it with the battery disconnected.

Go figure, I would have thought it was mechanical, also.

Harry

 

I am flabbergasted!

-mort

[VonoreTn]

This is a surprising development. A bad 12 volt battery (I assume under 8 volts) could leave you stranded outside your car. But since the FFH will not allow you to leave your headlights on indefinitely with the engine off (I think), wouldn't this be a very low frequency occurrence? (does the engine area battery even run the headlights?) And isn't there an irony to having a disabling dead 12 volt engine battery, when at the same time you probably have 270 volts DC behind the rear seats? Need to jumper from the trunk to the hood? Oh yeah you can't open the hood or the trunk manually with the doors locked. Someone smarter than me on the FFH electrical system will surely clarify this situation. Thanks for the data Harry.

 

If someone can assure me that my gauges, radio, engine computer, navigation system will not be reset if I disconnect the engine battery negative wire, I'll do the test myself to add another data point to Harry's.

[lolder]

I just put a new battery in. With the battery disconnected, I opened the drivers door and locked it with the lever on the handle. I shut the door and it was locked. I opened it with the key. What did I do differently? It was not locked electrically before I disconnected the battery.

[akirby]

I just put a new battery in. With the battery disconnected, I opened the drivers door and locked it with the lever on the handle. I shut the door and it was locked. I opened it with the key. What did I do differently? It was not locked electrically before I disconnected the battery.

 

I would suspect it's the fact that it was locked electronically before losing power. If it's true.

[savngas]

I would suspect it's the fact that it was locked electronically before losing power. If it's true.

 

I did lock with fob not with key while energized...strange, disconnected it would not open with key.

I didn't try it by locking with the key.

Oh well, for what it's worth it was easy to open the hood from the outside.

Harry

[Kalle Wirsch]

I'm currently having the exact same issue. This morning my FFH was dead. I was able to open it, but now I cannot lock it anymore. Not with key nor fob. Nothing works anymore. I mean - nothing! I can't even pop the trunk. Not with fob nor with the button next to the steering wheel. It's bizarre!

Edited May 23, 2012 by Kalle Wirsch

[BreakfastPirate]

I know for a fact my 2012 opens without power (at least when it's been locked with the fob). First week I got the car I left the parking lights on and drained the battery. Key opened the door just fine.

[yl1]

I have had a strange occurance with the mech. door locks too, here is my strange story. When I got this car 2010 hybrid it only had one factory key. A locksmith made me a second key it is called a cloned key. It was made on a laptop by first inserting the factory key in a slot on the laptop then the new keyed was inserted. The new clone key does start the car and we use the key. Here is the problem, if you use the cloned key to mech. unlock the drivers door it will open but the thieft alarm goes off (horn blows off and on). So there is a connection from the mech. locks to the electrical system and it does not like the cloned key.

[FusionDiffusion]

I think a lot of people here are forgetting how to operate locks manually without any power assist. You can lock/unlock all the doors and open the hood and trunk all without any power. So if your battery dies overnight and your car is locked you should have no problem getting in it and then locking it up when you're done. It just takes some extra work on your part.

 

So if your battery dies and you need to get into your car, insert the key into the lock cylinder on the driver's door and turn it to unlock the door. Then you can open the door and pop the hood for jump starting, battery replacement, or charging. EDIT: Apparently this needs more clarification so here goes: After driver's door is unlocked with key, pull door handle towards you to open door. After opening door, locate hood release handle on panel below and to the left of the steering column (the thing the steering wheel's attached to). Using one, two, or even three fingers, pull handle aft to release hood. Exit and teleport to front of car. Reach one hand in the newly emancipated hood crack, fumble around with the release, and lift the hood open. Don't forget to use the hood prop before releasing the hood or you might end up with a boo boo. If you don't know where the battery is, I give up.

 

If you want to open the other doors, you'll have to get in the car and flip the lock rockers for each door you want to unlock.

 

You can also get in your trunk with a dead battery as well. All you have to do is stick your key in the forgotten lock cylinder in the trunk and turn it to open, all without using any buttons! Amazing!

 

Now here's the tricky part for some people. Instead of pushing a lock button to lock all your doors, you will have to go around and manually lock each one by pushing the rockers on each door!

 

If you manually unlock and open the door or trunk and the battery is not dead, then you will probably set of the perimeter alarm since I don't believe they have a disarm switch built into the key cylinder. In that case, just press unlock on the fob or turn the key to on in the ignition to stop the alarm.

 

Back before power locks, everyone knew how to use door plungers/rockers and a key in a cylinder to lock and unlock doors and the trunk. It seems this simple knowledge has escaped many these days when we expect everything to happen at a push of a button.

Edited May 25, 2012 by FusionDiffusion

[FFHdriver]

I think a lot of people here are forgetting how to operate locks manually without any power assist. You can lock/unlock all the doors and open the hood and trunk all without any power. So if your battery dies overnight and your car is locked you should have no problem getting in it and then locking it up when you're done. It just takes some extra work on your part.

 

So if your battery dies and you need to get into your car, insert the key into the lock cylinder on the driver's door and turn it to unlock the door. Then you can open the door and pop the hood for jump starting, battery replacement, or charging. If you want to open the other doors, you'll have to get in the car and flip the lock rockers for each door you want to unlock.

 

You can also get in your trunk with a dead battery as well. All you have to do is stick your key in the forgotten lock cylinder in the trunk and turn it to open, all without using any buttons! Amazing!

 

Now here's the tricky part for some people. Instead of pushing a lock button to lock all your doors, you will have to go around and manually lock each one by pushing the rockers on each door!

 

If you manually unlock and open the door or trunk and the battery is not dead, then you will probably set of the perimeter alarm since I don't believe they have a disarm switch built into the key cylinder. In that case, just press unlock on the fob or turn the key to on in the ignition to stop the alarm.

 

Back before power locks, everyone knew how to use door plungers/rockers and a key in a cylinder to lock and unlock doors and the trunk. It seems this simple knowledge has escaped many these days when we expect everything to happen at a push of a button.

A great post, dripping with sarcasm as it should. lol

[dogo88]

I think a lot of people here are forgetting how to operate locks manually without any power assist. You can lock/unlock all the doors and open the hood and trunk all without any power. So if your battery dies overnight and your car is locked you should have no problem getting in it and then locking it up when you're done. It just takes some extra work on your part.

 

So if your battery dies and you need to get into your car, insert the key into the lock cylinder on the driver's door and turn it to unlock the door. Then you can open the door and pop the hood for jump starting, battery replacement, or charging. If you want to open the other doors, you'll have to get in the car and flip the lock rockers for each door you want to unlock.

 

You can also get in your trunk with a dead battery as well. All you have to do is stick your key in the forgotten lock cylinder in the trunk and turn it to open, all without using any buttons! Amazing!

 

Now here's the tricky part for some people. Instead of pushing a lock button to lock all your doors, you will have to go around and manually lock each one by pushing the rockers on each door!

 

If you manually unlock and open the door or trunk and the battery is not dead, then you will probably set of the perimeter alarm since I don't believe they have a disarm switch built into the key cylinder. In that case, just press unlock on the fob or turn the key to on in the ignition to stop the alarm.

 

Back before power locks, everyone knew how to use door plungers/rockers and a key in a cylinder to lock and unlock doors and the trunk. It seems this simple knowledge has escaped many these days when we expect everything to happen at a push of a button.

 

Too funny!

 

Great job.

 

Dan

[savngas]

Interesting resurrection of a long dead topic..As the original poster of this thread I come from an era before fobs and TV remotes. When my FFH died I had a vague recollection of how to open the car with the key. Much to my surprise I could not get the car unlocked and the lock had a spongy feel to it when turned with the key. Needless to say I got the hood open through the grill, charged the battery and the rest is history. Afterwards, at the suggestion of another poster, i disconnected the LVB and tried the lock and it worked fine with the key. Another mystery of modern technology. ;-)

[tr7driver]

Can you tell me how you opened the hood please?

[FusionDiffusion]

Can you tell me how you opened the hood please?

 

See updated previous post for clarification...

[savngas]

Can you tell me how you opened the hood please?

 

I used a set of brake spring pliars...reached the pliars (long thin handles on these) through the grill opening and hooked the lever where the inside release cable attaches.

Relatively easy to see. Gave the pliars a squeeze and the latch released.

[Kaliyah88]

I have a similar issue. 2017 FFH won't unlock/start. I tried using the key that's inside the key fob, but it wouldn't fit inside the mech lock on drive side door. I also tried using my Viper remote start key fob, to see if it was the car battery or the key fob, but it also failed. Any suggestions?

[bangster]

apropos of nothing concerning the Intelligent Access fob and hidden key, but I am glad I tried out my keys in all my key slots because I found out that one of my keys didn't work in the drivers door, but does in ignition and trunk, but other key works all around. I did know this before having a battery die on me and made sure I used the key that works. Also know to use that key when getting duplicates made.

 

I didn't make my parents try out their keys, this is their first IA having vehicle and I really had to explain that no, they don't need to take out the hard to get to key to unlock or start it. I got them silicone covers for at least one and they didn't want to use them.

[Hybrid10]

On 10/18/2011 at 5:39 AM, savngas said:

I posted this on an older thread but thought it needed to be current as a warning to others.

My LV Battery went dead...suspect accessory cb radio.

Problem is I cannot get into the car to open the hood even with the door key.

I wondered is it possible that the anti-theft system kept the door from opening with the key?

Dealer said the key should open car and had never heard of this happening.

I worked a way to open the hood from the grill slot and recharged the LV battery.

After the charge i was able to enter the car and everything worked OK.

Key worked OK with charged battery.

Beware if your LV battery goes dead you may not be able to get into the car if it is locked.

Access to the hood latch is relatively easy with a long, thin screwdriver or prybar.

Pop the hood, charge the battery and be on your way.

Harry :happy 

 

Edited October 9, 2019 by Hybrid10

[tgblack]

On 10/7/2019 at 2:18 PM, Kaliyah88 said:

I have a similar issue. 2017 FFH won't unlock/start. I tried using the key that's inside the key fob, but it wouldn't fit inside the mech lock on drive side door. I also tried using my Viper remote start key fob, to see if it was the car battery or the key fob, but it also failed. Any suggestions?

 

Were you able to solve for this?

 

I'm facing the same thing--manual metal key will not unlock driver's side lock from outside. Took the cover off and inserted key, tried to turn gently but did not work. Turned a little harder and the lock cylinder just started spinning around. Worried that I may have broken it. Also tried all different combinations of pulling the handle while trying to turn key, before turning key, inserting key upside down, etc.