originalstarlit

I know it is not possible because I checked the manual, but I left the car running in the driveway and several minutes later when I returned, it was locked! Luckily I was home and not a problem, but WTF.

I at first blamed myself. I must have hit the lock button as I exited. Yeah, that's the ticket. But then I tried to recreate the problem. First with the key in the ignition, hitting the lock button while the door was open. Denied!!!!
Then I started the engine, again opening the door and hitting the lock button. Denied!!! Well, so much for it is my fault.

Then I remembered the strange feature called auto relock. I went to the personal settings menu and sure enough it was disabled. Checking the manual, this feauture is about hitting the lock command on the key fob. Does not apply anyways.

So now I have a call into service and soon I may have Japanese engineers for a BBQ. What do you guys make of this?

DougJones

I have done this as well while cleaning out my car. I found out that if you brush up against the lock located by the door handle, it will lock. It may still look unlocked, but it's not. I've actually done this on more than one occassion.

skipcoon

I too have also had a problem. I unlocked the car with the remote and proceded to put my children in the abck seat(twin 2yr olds). And as usual I threw the keys in the front seat to free up my hands. After me and the wife had them buckled in and closed the doors. We tried to open the front doors and they were locked! I thought my wife was going to kill me. Luckaly it was no 100 degrees outside or I would have had to break a window. I called to local police and they came and unlocked it for me. I felt like a dumba?s.

CanadianMoFo

Yeah I had the same thing happen once last winter. Car was running. I got out to brush the snow off the car. When I tried to get back in the door was locked.

Now I roll down the window a bit before I get out when the car is running.

MaxMus

wait, is that a feature and can it be disabled.

CanadianMoFo

Well the Auto-relocking feature can be disabled. Its for when the car is locked, and you press the unlock button on the remote. Then if the doors are not opened within the period of time chosen in the feature menu, the car will relock the doors.

We are talking about the car running, doors unlocked. You get out, close the door, then come back and the darn car is locked and running. It should be impossible.

CM.

carcus

I tried to duplicate what happened to you and the car will not lock by itself, please, don't get me wrong, just giving my input. I also agree, it is pretty much physically impossible to hit the lock button getting out and even with the key in should not let you. The only time I have had the car lock was with the auto lock option enabled...that only worked if I hit unlock and never actually opened a door, then they locked back up again. Personally, I wished the Max locked when you put the car in drive for safety....although some people hate that, they feel trapped. This is kinda a strange glitch. Can you try it again in the driveway and get it to duplicate it again....with your spare keys handy....if it does, sounds like the computer might have a issue. Keep us updated.

JayMAX22

I did the same thing. I got out of my car to get something out of the driver side rear door. Once I returned to the driver seat the door was locked. Luckily I didn't shut the back door. I too had the auto lock feature turned off but the engine was running. You can bet it won't happen to me again...I hope (smile)

Smoken'04

iTrader: (2)

hmmmm I have to check my autolock feature. This happened to me a couple weeks ago. Was at a party, started the car and had the ac, highbeams on...car locked and my spare was at my house 20 minutes away. So for that hour almost the car was like a freezer and I was blinding people coming up the street lol....oops

akaxmrxhammer

i believe it happens to both driver's and passenger door lock. there's times when my gf exits and trys to reenter after buying something from the store, she wouldn't be able to becuz the door will be locked somehow. when i look at the door lock, it seems unlocked but when i pressed the unlock button, it moves a little. same thing happened to me couple of days ago. my car was running with my gf in it and i came out to smoke a cig. when i tried to enter, it was locked. i told my gf to open the door and after she opens it, she tells it it was unlocked. i felt stupid at that time but after reading this forum, i guess other people are experiencing the same problem.

Max Cat

Here's a theory I have (but haven't had the time to test yet). If you unlock the door by pulling the inside handle rather than hitting the unlock switch, I think the handle pulls the lock button out enough to allow the mechanism to move and open the door, but the lock may still be engaged, or close enough to being engaged that the force of closing the door re-engages it.

Therefore, when you close the door, the outside handle sees the lock as engaged, even though a visual inspection shows the lock button "half way". I'm going to test this with the window all the way down tomorrow and see if there is a point on the lock button where the inside is unlocked, yet the outside remains locked.

xorbitman

iTrader: (1)

Hi Guys,

I have had this problem since January...( Just after I got the car) and I too was lock out while cleaning the car ( in Montreal winter at Minus 50 bellow with wind chill factor...yeas you read right!) Luckily the rear door was open. This still somehow happens frequently and that is why I went to a locksmith and had a door key made with no plastic so that it fits like a credit card in my wallet. And I have had to use it.

originalstarlit

xorbitman,
Is this a special key that only fits the door but not the ignition or am I reading too much into your statement? If it does not have the plastic, does it still have the chip? I did not know that locksmiths could make the Nissan keys. The manual does not state that this a possibility.

akaxmrxhammer

he just made the key to unlock the door.

Max Cat

Okay folks, I tested my theory extensively and here's what I found...

1)Regardless of whether I unlock with the switch or by pulling the handle, the autolock does not ever "relock" unless I've used the fob to unlock and not opened a door within the prescribed time.

2)If I unlock using the switch, I find no way to accidentally relock , no matter what I do or how long I wait.

3)If I unlock using the "pull the handle" method, it does not keep the outside handle locked (shooting holes in my original theory). Nor does slamming the door at various intensities cause it to relock enough to keep the outside handle from engaging.

HOWEVER, I did find that using the "pull the handle" method of unlocking, which only pulls the lock **** out about half way leaves the lock **** in a position that tapping it e_v_e_r-s_o-S_l_i_g_h_t_l_y causes it to relock. If you brush against the lock **** at all when you exit, it WILL relock that door. Now, I tested multiple egress positions, and found it hard to actually come close to the lock ****, so somebody else is going to have to come up with how we are hitting the stupid thing

originalstarlit

I have noticed many strange lockouts of "other natures" long before the Max locked me out while running. I always brushed them off as nothing, but when you start to evaluate, maybe it is not so.

There have been times when I've gone to the car in the garage and it is locked. Even my wife has asked, "Why is the car locked?" Well, I've always brushed the question aside thinking that it was nothing. I probably locked it out of habit as I exited. (my choice is to use the powerlock on exit) Or maybe someone brushed the keyfob (highly unlikely for the horn would startle us in the garage.)

Then there are the times when my wife is trying to enter and can't get in on the passenger side. I'm in the driverer's seat and am saying to her, "It's Open" based on the lever position. But no it is not open.

Yes, I too have tried to recreate the lock scenerio, but have had no success. This is the worst case: intermittent, and unpredicable.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

I'm telling you, our Maxes are so evolved, they have personalities and intelligence. You must of made them mad. Only time it auto-locked on me was after I activated the feature to see when it would work (forgot about it), I used the keyfob to unlock then stood around talking for a min. and I heard it lock. Well, I don't like my car arguing with me so I turned it off. It never happened while sitting in the car, and I always lock it when getting out, so it's useless to me.

originalstarlit

Thanks xorbitman, I got my valet key cut on a non-plastic topped blank today. It is now my security blanket to a problem Nissan will never admit. At least I will have access if another "Impossible Lockout" occurs.

MaxMus

this is a really disturbing thread. maybe the Maxima is just really "Christine" reincarnated?

P.S. "Christine" was a motion picture.

originalstarlit

Both my wife and I enjoyed the dark humor or that movie and we now refer to our "spirited" vehicle as Christine. Thank you for the suggestion; see my edited sidebar.

xorbitman

iTrader: (1)

Hi All,

Yes it does appear that our Max's have a personality all their own. The key was cut by a locksmith and does not have any chip. It is used only to unlock the door in case of a lock-out when "she" gets upset with us and ....well you know the rest! By the way, have any of you experienced any problems with the struts (shocks). I am replacing mine for the fourth time while my dealers' sales manager's company car has had to replace his 5 times! Some of us were told that the new ones ('05) were on their way soon and to wait to change them. One guy at Freshalloy was even told that there was going to be a general recall on '04's!

msoemax

take a look around on this board!!!
There are several threads regarding the struts.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=337047
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=326893


Yes there is an issue with the struts. Please stay on topic!!!!