tom_993

Hi! I lurk here a lot but rarely post.

I have a different kind of door locking problem. I’ve seen the many posts about reprogramming your door locks, like this one: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f117/got-my-03-4runner-doors-reprogrammed-today-57222/
I’ve successfully done that to my ’03 4Runner. That’s not my problem.

I’ve noticed that sometimes the doors lock automatically even when the truck is sitting in the garage. I come home, park in the garage and go into the house. Sometime later I go back to the garage, like to get something or whatever, and the all doors are locked. It’s like an alarm is auto-locking the doors, but I do not have an alarm. It’s a PIA, as I have to go back in the house and up the stairs to get the keys, and then return to the garage. I’ve actually heard it lock automatically a couple of times when I happened to stay in the garage for a few minutes after arriving home

I vaguely recall reading something about this in the owner’s manual, but I’ve gone back and I can’t find it anywhere. If my recollection is correct, there is some sequence that arms the auto locking feature, like 1) put in park, 2) turn off key and 3) open door all within 10 seconds or something. Most of the time I open the door before I turn off the key (I use the open door to judge how far to pull into the garage) and it does not lock automatically. But sometimes I must do the sequence right (or wrong!) because sometimes it does lock.

Does this auto-locking feature happen to anyone else? Is there a way to disable it? Does anyone know what the sequence really is?

TIA

DealMaker

It happens to me, and I believe the auto-lock happens if all of your windows are rolled up. When I park in my garage I usually roll my drivers window down 'bout halfway, as I usually leave my keys in the truck when I park in my garage.

Haven't looked into the disable though.

bubbamango

i believe it also happens when the key is out of the ignition. i usually have to leave a door slightly ajar or use the valet switch on the alarm to disable it.

DealMaker

I dunno about that. I usually leave my keys on my console, and the car doesn't autolock. Maybe I accidently disables the autolock? Confounded computerized gizmos...

I guess I'll have to read my manual...

bubbamango

yeah, it's a little nerving at times. if i'm working on the truck an wind up closing all the doors, it locks itself. i've just gotten into the habit of leaving the keys on a tire just in case.

spyne

I leave my '03 sitting with the windows up and the doors closed all the time and have never had a problem with the doors locking. Maybe as part of your reprogramming you've activated some feature that's not normally in effect or has unexpected consequences.

I've reprogrammed my door locks so they only engage when the car is in drive and unlock when the car is in park. Did you perhaps activate an option that locks them after a certain amount of time?

tom_993

Hi Spyne,

I did the same reprogramming to my locks as you. I've reread that section of the owners manual over and over, and there is no mention of such a setting.

At least some others have experienced the same thing as I have. I wish there were a way to turn it off.

bubbamango

mine came right off the lot like that. go figure.

Rivalred

If unlock the doors, but do not open them, they automatically lock within 30 seconds or so... 2005 Tacoma DC.

Jared

The 4runner has that same feature, and I was originally thinking that they are activating that somehow, I don't know how though.

I've never had the problem on my '03.

tom_993

Thanks Rivalred, that’s good info. Did you get this info from your owners manual? Or just from experimentation.

This would explain why many people never seem to have the problem, and those that do only see it once and a while. Most of the time when we unlock the door, we open it. This means that most of the time the auto-lock is not triggered.

I have my doors programmed to unlock when I put it in park. I wonder if this counts as an “unlock” as far as the autolocking feature is concerned. I wonder if I trigger this by putting my car in park, then fussing around inside for 30 seconds or so before I open the door. Then, 30 seconds after I close the door, it locks.

I’ll try some experiments this weekend to see if I can trigger this.

Rivalred

Should be in the owners manual, but my truck does not have the VIP upgrade so I do not have that lock/unlcock from park to drive and etc. Only thing I have is they automatically lock after so many seconds if I did not get to the car intime and open the door. GF's Pontiac Vibe does them same thing. Toyota feature I guess?

Sharp4runr

Definitely in the manual for the automatic lock after unlocking with the keyfob. By default it is 30 seconds but this can be changed by the dealership through a scan tool.

You do not need the upgraded alarm to be able to have the doors lock when you take it out of park or reaching a certain speed or to have the doors unlock when you put it in park.

Flamedx4

I knew it! These things are getting so sophisticated they are developing neurotic behavour! Paranoid 4Runners, what next....

Jared

That doesn't count. The 30 second rule only counts when you use your keyfob to unlock.

That way, if you are walking away from your truck and hit unlock on accident while you put your keys in your pocket, the truck will automatically lock itself after 30 sec.

kvanderploeg

Both my 2001 Sport and my 2004 Sport both do the same thing. Unlock the doors from the remote, and don't open any doors, and they will relock in 30 seconds. The '01 has no alarm, and the '04 does.

tom_993

Well, I did a test yesterday. I grabbed my keys and went down to the garage and found the doors locked. I had not locked them, nor did I unlock them with the key fob, when I parked it. I had simply pulled into the garage and turned it off. By the next day, the doors were locked. I don’t know how soon they locked, as I was not in the garage to hear it.

For the test, I unlocked the doors with the key fob and did not open them. Sure enough, after about 30 seconds they locked again. I unlocked them with the key in the door, and this time they did not lock. I re-read the section on the key fob in the owner’s manual, and sure enough, this is in there.

I don’t have a problem with this behavior. I can handle the doors locking again if I don't open them. But this is not the problem I am having. It sounds like a couple of people have experienced the same thing I have. I would be possible to lock your keys inside with the problem I am having. If you were to park it in the garage and go inside without removing the keys, you’d be hosed. I wish I knew what triggers this so that I can avoid it and/or turn it off.

Any more ideas?

loner

I have had a similar situation happen to me, but I don't think it was caused by malfunction. I have noticed that the key fob buttons get pressed very easily when the fob is in my pocket. I also have noticed that the fob has EXCELLENT range - from 100 yards (at least) outside, and it can trigger the locks when I'm at the far opposite corner inside my house.

So, in the couple of rare instances that I have found my doors locked in the morning in the garage, I have attributed it to the button (either lock or unlock) getting pressed on the fob while I was inside the house.

I don't know if this pertains to the above posters - but if it might, you could take your keys out of your pocket when you come inside the house. If the problem never recurs, you know why.