My experience over the weekend getting locked out of my car

[mczajka]

Moral of the story...remember the access code to the car door and get rid of all shorts that have no pockets...

 

On Saturday, I went to the gym then to a grocery store close by. I purchased some items and put my wallet, cell phone, and keyfob in the grocery bag.

 

You can probably tell where this is going...got back to the car, put the bags in the trunk and then closed the trunk.

 

This has got to be the worst feeling!!!

 

Now thoughts start going through my head, what do I do now?

 

I walked back to the gym and got access to a Web browser. Logged into My Ford Mobile and tried to unlock the door remotely. Didn't work. It said there was a communication error (try later). The last time there was an update from the car was when I was parked at the gym. The store is about 1/8 mile away - not far. So, the Update button did not work either.

 

Before I started calling friends and having them run around town, I called Ford's Roadside Assistance number. The gym let me use their phone. They called someone to come out to my car to get me in. They used an inflatable bladder to create enough space to insert a wire to open the door via the door handle.

 

Now here's the strange part...the alarm went off, which is normal. I opened the trunk to get the keyfob and cell phone. The cell phone received a text saying the alarm was triggered. WHAT???

 

Why was the car able to communicate with the cloud, but not My Ford Mobile, to unlock the door?

 

[Rexracer]

Glad you got it figured out.

[GregKet1]

That is really interesting.  I would have thought that if the keys were IN the car they would be close enough to let you unlock the doors.  Definitely not the case, though.  I tested it on my car (with the spare keys nearby) and keys locked in trunk definitely equals being locked out of the car.  I guess I'll memorize my door access code.

 

Thanks for the warning!

[Hybridbear]

Why was the car able to communicate with the cloud, but not My Ford Mobile, to unlock the door?

Sometimes the car seems to lose its connection to the MFM server. Using your key fob to remote start (unlocking/locking doors doens't work) or having the car start charging based on a value charge profile will trigger it to reconnect with the server. It has happened most often to us with the Focus Electric & my parents in their C-Max Energi if the car sits for more than 24 hours without being driven. Other times it has happened has been when Ford has been doing an MFM update in the background.

[CombsAuthor]

That's a bummer...glad you got it worked out.

 

It's easy to program your own "easy to remember" code. You just need to know the factory code and then access it on My Ford Mobile (if equipped) or go to page 56 in your owner's manual.

[EnergiCCAATS]

Interesting, but this should never happen.  From most people I have talked to with other brands of cars with keyless entry, if you try to close the trunk with the key fob in it, the trunk will pop back open preventing you from locking your key fob inside.  I guess Ford decided since they have the code on the door, that feature wasn't needed.  Glad my wife programmed a code in.