Car locks itself

Interesting problem.

2004 Sebring convertible has locked the doors twice now, automatically.
First time the wife was warming it up and cleaning off the snow. Second time
was just after she pulled into the garage. Go out, went in to the house,
came back out and the doors were locked.

Talked to the local dealer, he got a funny look on his face, I asked if he
had heard of this before and he just nodded, then said a couple of others
had reported this and they had been unable to find anything. I suggested a
computer software update but Chrysler has not issued any bulletins on this
so far (who pays??)

Wife in now carrying extra keys and we have a couple stashed at home and
office, pain in the ass if you know what I mean.
Anyone else heard of this problem?

 

This has happened a few times on my 02 Stratus. Always blamed it on the
wife.

HTH

 

Below, I've pasted my response to a very similar post from a week or so
ago - FWIW:

"I had the exact same thing happen to me one time a couple of years ago.
It hasn't happened since.

"The most likely thing is that we inadvertently hit the lock buttons on
our respective remotes just after we started our cars (even more
plausible if you had thick winter gloves on, were cold and moving around
spastically to get done quickly, keep warm, etc.), and then shut the
(locked) doors. After realizing that that is probably what happened, I
have always been real careful to not accidentally hit any buttons on the
remote, and, like I said, it has not happened again."

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

It could be one of the alarm disarm switches shorting out on the drivers
door. This would happen on wet days (snow) or rain or possibly after the
vehicle has been washed.

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

I had this happen on a Toyota Celica (1985) - no remote lock system -
just electric locks. It seemed to happen mostly in the winter, as I
recall. Never did find the problem. Just started carrying an extra
key with me. I'd start the car, get out to clean the windshield of
snow and the doors would lock on me.

Dave

 

It could be one of the alarm disarm switches shorting out on the drivers

No alarm on this car. There was snow on the ground, but had not snowed for
last two days. She said she got out and was cleaning off the car when she
hear it lock (of course I told her in my best, man's know-it-all voice, that
such a thing could never happen, and she should be more careful.) Service
mgr. feels the computer can lock the doors on it's own (sort of a chucky the
car syndrome).

According the service manager, they have had three reports of this on
Sebring's, but never found anything. His guess was a bug in the computer,
but can't proceed until it happens again (suggested a PROM update.)

 

Left the doors open while loading my Pacifica for a trip (dome lights on).
Killed the battery (another story) and had to jump start.
Key is in the ignition (off of course).
Closed the doors and hooked up the jumpers.
Doors all lock!
So there is a computer "lock function" in at least some cars.
Happily, I had a spare key (actually the wife did, but I ain't admitting to
that)
BF