I just finished reading the "emergency escape" thread, and after reading a lot of other threads on this topic, I have discovered that there seems to be a rampant misconception about a rather concerning safety issue with our cars.

Contrary to what many people believe, "pulling twice" on the door handle in case of electrical failure or becoming locked in the car by remote WILL NOT, I repeat WILL NOT open the door!

In my experience, this only works WITH electrical power, and even then, only if the doors were locked using the central toggle switch.

I have personally tried this with my MCS several times before, along with other MINI owners and their cars, and the results have always been identical. If you still don't believe it, try it! Lock yourself in the car using your remote and try getting out of your car. You can yank on that handle a thousand times and you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR.

Please be warned and pass the word on so that we may eliminate this common misconception that the door handles are "mechanical"... Judging by every MINI I've seen, THEY ARE NOT.

If your car was built after October and you actually HAVE an emergency boot release cable, learn how to use it (although if your rear shelf panel is in place there's no easy way to reach the boot anyway) ....if not, carry something in your car that you can use to break a window and escape in the event of electrical failure.

Just trying to prevent fellow motorers from encountering an unpleasant "surprise" somewhere down the road..

Motor on!



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2003 DARK SILVER / WHITE MCS.

 

This is because your car like many others (in Europe at least) is fitted with deadlocks. The reason for this is that if someone wants to steal your car they will not be able to gain entry by smashing the window and pulling on the open handle on the inside of the door.

 

Oh geeze, here we go again... :evil:

OK, FIRST check out the most recent of many threads on this issue (this is not a request to Calvin77, who we know has followed these issues very thoroughly) -- here.

To summarize where we are now:

1) You cannot get locked in your car if you "accidentally" lock it with the remote while inside. Actual field testing by MCO members indicates that pulling twice on the inside door latch will open the door.

2) #1 above is rumored to work regardless of whether there is battery power or not...although to-date no one has actually reported the results of an experiment of sitting in their car, locking the doors, and then disconnecting the battery and seeing if the "two pulls" thing works.

3) It is generally considered -- by most MCO members willing to kill braincells over this one -- rather unlikely that your battery will simply die while you're sitting in your locked car. But if it does, 2003 (and presumably all future) MINIs have the emergency boot release cable, so you could crawl out the boot.

4) If you are in an accident, your doors automatically unlock. No one has been willing to crash their MINI to test this one either.

I'm sure that there's still room in all of this for more alarm and ranting, so let's see where we get today.

 

Calvin sez:

> Contrary to what many people believe, "pulling twice" on the door handle in case
> of electrical failure or becoming locked in the car by remote WILL NOT, I repeat
> WILL NOT open the door!

. . . and jsun sez:

> You cannot get locked in your car if you "accidentally" lock it with the remote
> while inside. Actual field testing by MCO members indicates that pulling twice on
> the inside door latch will open the door.

Seems like diametrically opposed opinions on something that can be demonstrated empirically -- as my wife and I did shortly after getting Frau Blüecar. She could get out (via "pull twice&quot when I locked the car with the remote. Yet, the warning remains in the manual and on a stricker in the corner of the windscreen. Hmmmmmm!

Now, I have some inkling that things are a bit different if you have the factory installed alarm system (we do not). Could this be the reason for this glaring discrepancy?

Oh -- one more thing. Having now read the thread that jsun pointed to, I feel the need to point out a situation that would make it necessary to lock someone inside the MINI with the remote. As a long time city dweller (though no longer), this picture came to mind immediately: Imagine you have parked in an "unfriendly" neighborhood. You need to use a pay phone because your cell phone died (or some similiar compelling need) and you have a passenger with you. You get out of the car and lock the door to keep the passender safe, right? This is obvious to me. (If you've never lived in a crime-ridden city, you need not reply).

Mark (the troublemaker)



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Frau Blüecar -- MC IB/W. Motoring since 3-10-2003

 

Seems like "Point/Counterpoint" :smile:

 

As for getting out of the boot the shelf will pose little issue.... use the remote boot release.... push open the tailgate.... once open the shelf can easily be pushed out so it will just flap arround on the tailgate teathers... fold down seat... and you are free.....

 

Ah! I hadn't worked through the mechanics of this but that sounds like the way to do it -- thanks, Jason!

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Frau Blüecar -- MC IB/W. Motoring since 3-10-2003

 

Part of the confusion here is that newer MINIs do not have the deadlock ...
I read a Technical Bulletin discussing this a while back - from some date (10/02?) the deadlock is not fitted in US MINIs (don't know about European ones).
The bulletin also explains how to modify inside the door to remove the deadlock for an older MINI with concerned owner.
The bulletin was clear that this was *not* a recall issue and should be done only on specific request from an owner.

 

Cant we just crank open the sunroof? I thought I read that in the owners manual. :smile:

 

Must be the '02 models that won't open w/ the double pull. I've got a Jan. '03 built MC, and I can get out of after locking it w/ the remote.

 

>>Cant we just crank open the sunroof? I thought I read that in the owners manual. :smile:

yes, you can manually crank open the sunroof... devil's advocate though, what if your car is on it's roof. I'd kick my window in! or the windshield for that matter, I've heard that they're flimsy :smile: (*fingers crossed* no trouble with mine)

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2002 Dark Silver MCS. Premium / Sport / Nav

 

hmmmm,

Bet you could put a fist right through the windshield and crawl out in a jiffy.

 

Jsun wrote:

>>To summarize where we are now:
>>
>>1) You cannot get locked in your car if you "accidentally" lock it with the remote while inside. Actual field testing by MCO members indicates that pulling twice on the inside door latch will open the door.
>>
>>3) It is generally considered -- by most MCO members willing to kill braincells over this one -- rather unlikely that your battery will simply die while you're sitting in your locked car. But if it does, 2003 (and presumably all future) MINIs have the emergency boot release cable, so you could crawl out the boot.


Just to clarify in response, I absolutely HAVE, on two separate occasions, "field tested" the "pulling twice" after locking with remote and I can ASSURE you that neither my door nor those of the five other MINI owners at the last local meet would open.
This is not a "theory" of mine nor am I just spreading an unfounded rumor, this is something I have thoroughly tested and proven along with other MINI owners. ( I mentioned this in my original post, and while I respect your incredulous reaction I really must express that I have no reason nor motive to lie about this).

I also might add that my dealer verified the veracity of this information after I expressed my concern..

As far as it being rather unlikely for the battery to simply die while you're sitting in your locked car, I must disagree considering that this very thing happened to me on the first day I had my MINI (as luck would have it, I had just unlocked my doors minutes before the event), and it happened to my best friend's boss in his MCS about two weeks ago (he had to exit his MCS through the sunroof, which was open at the time).

The battery doesn't just die, but anyone "willing to kill brain cells over this one" might realize that it's not terribly difficult for the battery terminals to shake loose on bumpy roads, thanks in part to the stiff suspension and particularly shaky ride of the MINI. As I said before, it happened to me, and apparently it's happened to several other MINI owners..( a search on this and other forums revealed several posts on this topic).

As far as the boot release cable, as many of you know my MCS is a 2003, and does not have such a cable..(same goes for the other two 2003 MCS's at the local meet.) Apparently it was only included after late October builds, but then again, no one seems to know for certain.

Again- The information in my post was based on fact...thoroughly tested and proven...please do not dismiss it so easily as being false, as I am not one to spread false or arbitrary rumors without previous investigation, especially regarding an automobile which I love and respect greatly.

This may be a build date issue, or as mpemburn says, may have something to do with the dealer installed alarm (which I, and all of my other friends do have, by the way) but regardless of the actual reason, and even though this information may prove irrelevant to your particular MINI, the fact is that this remains a valid and pertinent safety issue concerning many of the MINIs currently on the road.
Stating the generalization that "you CANNOT be locked in your car by accidentally locking with the remote" is simply not true...Clearly, many people have.

The intent of my post was not to create a debate nor to arouse controversy on this issue, much less provoke frustration among forum members upon reiteration of this topic.... it was simply a "heads up" to all MINI owners about a possible safety issue that I have personally observed and documented time and time again in many MINIs including my own, and towards which many forum members still express confusion. Furthermore, the implied classification of my post as a "rant" strikes me as being rather erroneous, considering the absence of any negative tone in my post, which I in fact consider was clearly expressed as a friendly warning to fellow MCO members. A "rant" implies complaint, of which my post contained none. Nonetheless I apologize if my intent was misunderstood.

In closing, and in an attempt to re-establish the relevance of my original post, my suggestion to everyone out there is simply "TRY IT". If your MINI opens up with dual yanks after a remote lock-up or battery disconnection, cool...
If it doesn't, (like mine) then I'm just glad I got a chance to warn you first..

Motor on safely!

_________________
2003 DARK SILVER / WHITE MCS.

 

Dudes,

Whether or not your door opens with the old double-pull, EVERYONE should have an object in their car that can break the window in an emergency. It would suck to have to run the double-pull door opening test upside down while submerged in a lake.

 

Calvin77, you are in Mexico, correct? Based on the information iancull provided, there may exist the possibility that there is a difference between the cars you've observed and US spec vehicles. Also, the other point he made was about production dates. ?? Just posing the possibility.

 

>>This is because your car like many others (in Europe at least) is fitted with deadlocks. The reason for this is that if someone wants to steal your car they will not be able to gain entry by smashing the window and pulling on the open handle on the inside of the door.

Unless they jump in "Dukes of Hazard" style!!

Thanks for the warning Calvin. I think the best solution since we all have different build dates, different MINIs, and live in different places/countries, is to test it out for our own individual situation. I'd rather know in advance if I will be "locked in" prior to a panic situation. Hopefully in a true emergency the thin windshield could be fairly easily broken. Thanks.

 

My MCS was built mid October 2002 as a model year 2003. I do not have the boot release cable but it looks like I have some bracketry where the cable would go. Does anyone know if the cable can be retrofitted?

Carl

 

The cable is pretty simple. I'm sure you could buy it for $15 and install it in 15 minutes. It just runs around the right side of the boot and up to the latch. If you have a good dealer and express your concern, they may do it for free.

 

>>Whether or not your door opens with the old double-pull, EVERYONE should have an object in their car that can break the window in an emergency.
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The folks on the "replaced another windshield thread" could help with suggestions for appropriate objects.

 

>>Thanks for the warning Calvin. I think the best solution since we all have different build dates, different MINIs, and live in different places/countries, is to test it out for our own individual situation. I'd rather know in advance if I will be "locked in" prior to a panic situation. Hopefully in a true emergency the thin windshield could be fairly easily broken. Thanks.

Yes! My point exactly... The reason I brought this topic up again was that I was noticing many people were just taking for granted the info they read on this board, without actually going out and testing the veracity of the information they were receiving. After going out and actually testing this, many people have been surprised to discover that the the information they had assumed to be true was actually (at least in their case) false.

Many of these people could have lost precious minutes in an emergency situation upon discovering that what they were told would happen, didn't, forcing them to take actions they would not be prepared to take.

Knowing in advance and being prepared is always better...

 

Hmmm ok I am a bit confused w/ this issue since when I first took delivery of my MC I locked my Boyfriend in by using the Keyfob. He was able to unlock the doors w/ the toggle mounted unlock/lock toggle. So he was able to get out, and wasn't locked in.. am I missing something here?

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<img src="http://www.retrogradeattire.com/deep...nner.jpg" alt="Beepers" border="0">

 

>>Hmmm ok I am a bit confused w/ this issue since when I first took delivery of my MC I locked my Boyfriend in by using the Keyfob. He was able to unlock the doors w/ the toggle mounted unlock/lock toggle. So he was able to get out, and wasn't locked in.. am I missing something here?
>>
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Nope.

__________________________________________________ __________________________

 

>>Hmmm ok I am a bit confused w/ this issue since when I first took delivery of my MC I locked my Boyfriend in by using the Keyfob. He was able to unlock the doors w/ the toggle mounted unlock/lock toggle. So he was able to get out, and wasn't locked in.. am I missing something here?

The thing is, not all MINIs work this way, and as of yet it seems that nobody knows the exact reason for this. It's definiteley deliberate though, since the owner's manual mentions the possibility of becoming trapped in your car if you lock someone in, and it's happened to many of us.