Rear doors locking automatically

[Rolfe]

When I drive off I can hear a couple of thunks that sound like the rear doors locking automatically. I assume this is some sort of child safety locking device. Highly commendable. Except, I am not carrying children in the car. I was taught always to leave all doors unlocked when driving unless there was a specific reason to lock them. This was explained to me as a safety precaution. In the event of a serious crash and driver or passengers being trapped in the car, unlocked doors can make all the difference to a successful rescue.

So how do I turn this automatic child lock thing off?

 

[CarlMG4]

When I drive off I can hear a couple of thunks that sound like the rear doors locking automatically. I assume this is some sort of child safety locking device. Highly commendable. Except, I am not carrying children in the car. I was taught always to leave all doors unlocked when driving unless there was a specific reason to lock them. This was explained to me as a safety precaution. In the event of a serious crash and driver or passengers being trapped in the car, unlocked doors can make all the difference to a successful rescue.

So how do I turn this automatic child lock thing off?

All doors lock from the outside when you hit 10mph, it's an anti-hijacking feature. They will re-open when the drivers door opens from the inside, or when you press the door unloxk button.

You can turn it off in the settings,

Click the car image settings bottom right,

Could be in Convenience off the top of my head

 

[Rolfe]

I found something on page 158 of the manual, thanks. There's a switch on the ends of the doors.

 

[CarlMG4]

I found something on page 158 of the manual, thanks. There's a switch on the ends of the doors.

Edit: @Rolfe see this image, I'm not sure if you have the option on SE but heyho.

Yeah, that's the child lock - something different altogether. See above.

Doing that will permanently prevent the rear doors from opening from the inside until you flip it back. To stop children opening them.

 

[Rolfe]

Ah, so I need to do what Carl said. Thanks.

I thought the idea of an anti-hijacking device was to unlock the doors once the car was doing over 10mph. At least, vague memories of driving lessons 50 years ago talked about this.

My driving instructor said, keep your doors unlocked at all times when driving as a safety measure (unless children are in the car who might open a door). However, if there's anyone suspicious in the vicinity and you're stationary or going very slowly, lock them.

I remember her leaning across me to lock a door when we were stationary at traffic lights, saying that she didn't like the look of a particular character on the pavement. Then when we had pulled away from the lights, she unlocked the doors again, explaining that good safety practice was to drive with doors unlocked. (I don't know if she really didn't like the look of the character, or if it was simply to drive the lesson home.)

What's the point of locking doors at over 10 mph? Nobody's going to grab a handle and jump in at more than that speed. Surely the doors need to be locked when the car is stationary and released when it has picked up speed? Which is not what my car seems to be doing.

 

[Macadoodle]

Trophy owners can opt to turn this annoying feature off, SE peasants cannot as far as I know.
As an SE peasant, I too find it annoying , my 9 yr old daughter constantly tugs at the rear door handle when I pick her up from school as I keep forgetting my stupid bloody car insists on locking me in.
Will likely cause earlier than needed wear of the door locks too

 

[Rolfe]

I've heard other people's cars do it and thought it was maybe a child safety device. I actively do not want to drive in a car with locked doors. I don't believe it is safe.

 

[Ian Key]

Ah, so I need to do what Carl said. Thanks.

I thought the idea of an anti-hijacking device was to unlock the doors once the car was doing over 10mph. At least, vague memories of driving lessons 50 years ago talked about this.

My driving instructor said, keep your doors unlocked at all times when driving as a safety measure (unless children are in the car who might open a door). However, if there's anyone suspicious in the vicinity and you're stationary or going very slowly, lock them.

I remember her leaning across me to lock a door when we were stationary at traffic lights, saying that she didn't like the look of a particular character on the pavement. Then when we had pulled away from the lights, she unlocked the doors again, explaining that good safety practice was to drive with doors unlocked. (I don't know if she really didn't like the look of the character, or if it was simply to drive the lesson home.)

What's the point of locking doors at over 10 mph? Nobody's going to grab a handle and jump in at more than that speed. Surely the doors need to be locked when the car is stationary and released when it has picked up speed? Which is not what my car seems to be doing.

Things have changed since you and I took our driving tests although mine was only (gets calculator out) 45 years ago.

Cars have an impact sensor that unlocks the car doors in an accident so the auto locking shouldn't be a problem.

A few years ago (25 in fact) the rep at the firm I worked for locked his keys inside the car. The AA man came out and jacked up the front of the car, took off the front driver's side wheel and the inspection panel behind it. He then proceeded to hit the bulkhead with a rubber mallet and all the doors unlocked. I think they are a bit more sophisticated nowadays though.

 

[Eber]

The AA man came out and jacked up the front of the car, took off the front driver's side wheel and the inspection panel behind it. He then proceeded to hit the bulkhead with a rubber mallet and all the doors unlocked.

Was his name Jeremy Clarkson?

 

[CarlMG4]

Ah, so I need to do what Carl said. Thanks.

I thought the idea of an anti-hijacking device was to unlock the doors once the car was doing over 10mph. At least, vague memories of driving lessons 50 years ago talked about this.

My driving instructor said, keep your doors unlocked at all times when driving as a safety measure (unless children are in the car who might open a door). However, if there's anyone suspicious in the vicinity and you're stationary or going very slowly, lock them.

I remember her leaning across me to lock a door when we were stationary at traffic lights, saying that she didn't like the look of a particular character on the pavement. Then when we had pulled away from the lights, she unlocked the doors again, explaining that good safety practice was to drive with doors unlocked. (I don't know if she really didn't like the look of the character, or if it was simply to drive the lesson home.)

What's the point of locking doors at over 10 mph? Nobody's going to grab a handle and jump in at more than that speed. Surely the doors need to be locked when the car is stationary and released when it has picked up speed? Which is not what my car seems to be doing.

I believe the idea behind auto-locking doors is to keep them locked for the whole journey, so imagine busy city driving.

You've pulled up in heavy traffic, there are traffic lights, pedestrian crossings etc. When you are stopped in traffic - strapped in and unable to drive forward or backwards, you're vulnerable to hijacking and robbery.

This is in theory used with other defensive driving techniques, such as leaving a full car length gap in front of you, so you can drive off at speed if you come 'under attack'.

It's more useful than you'd think in rough parts of the world, where hijacking and traffic robbery is rife.

 

[Ian Key]

Was his name Jeremy Clarkson?

No, but might have been his mentor though. Full tool kit consisting of a rubber, a wooden and a metal mallet.

 

[brammers]

I believe the idea behind auto-locking doors is to keep them locked for the whole journey, so imagine busy city driving.

You've pulled up in heavy traffic, there are traffic lights, pedestrian crossings etc. When you are stopped in traffic - strapped in and unable to drive forward or backwards, you're vulnerable to hijacking and robbery.

This is in theory used with other defensive driving techniques, such as leaving a full car length gap in front of you, so you can drive off at speed if you come 'under attack'.

It's more useful than you'd think in rough parts of the world, where hijacking and traffic robbery is rife.

This exactly, I lived in South Africa for a couple of years early 90s and locked doors and leaving space to be able to pull around the vehicle in front of you was potentially the difference of getting home or not getting home in some areas

 

[CarlMG4]

This exactly, I lived in South Africa for a couple of years early 90s and locked doors and leaving space to be able to pull around the vehicle in front of you was potentially the difference of getting home or not getting home in some areas

I learned this from a very good friend from Capetown, he said exactly the same thing.

I always think of his stories when I pull up to a busy stop.

 

[Macadoodle]

It's more useful than you'd think in rough parts of the world, where hijacking and traffic robbery is rife.

No doubt. Not a thing I've ever heard of happening around here though, which is why it's bloody annoying not to have the ability to turn it off.
Can't imagine it saved them any money by deleting the option on the SE, possibly will cost them more in warranty claims for worn out locking mechanisms

 

[Brettus]

No, but might have been his mentor though. Full tool kit consisting of a rubber, a wooden and a metal mallet.

Ah for fine, medium and coarse grade percussive maintenance/coercion.

 

[tsedge]

No doubt. Not a thing I've ever heard of happening around here though, which is why it's bloody annoying not to have the ability to turn it off.
Can't imagine it saved them any money by deleting the option on the SE, possibly will cost them more in warranty claims for worn out locking mechanisms

These sorts of things are not about money but more about differentiating the two models and creating reasons to buy the Trophy. That's something many OEMs do.

However, MG seems to make it very hard to know what all differences are, which is counterproductive to that aim and symptomatic of their communication issues.

 

[Rolfe]

It is counterproductive. The trophy should sell on the leather seats, heated seats, satnav, 360-degree cameras, spoiler and so on. If people don't want these or aren't prepared to shell out for them, you're not going to get them to change their minds by getting all mean and saying, well in that case you can't have electrically folding wing mirrors or a USB music system that works, and if the sound of your car doors locking you in triggers claustrophobic panic attacks then that's too bad.

 

[CarlMG4]

It is counterproductive. The trophy should sell on the leather seats, heated seats, satnav, 360-degree cameras, spoiler and so on. If people don't want these or aren't prepared to shell out for them, you're not going to get them to change their minds by getting all mean and saying, well in that case you can't have electrically folding wing mirrors or a USB music system that works, and if the sound of your car doors locking you in triggers claustrophobic panic attacks then that's too bad.

I don't think it's actually a feature of the SE, I think it's more likely an oversight or a bug.

If no-one is reporting these things as issues, and some may not know whether it's supposed to be that way or not, they (MG) are never going to know they need fixing.

It's should be easy for them to add a bit of code into the infotainment to make the auto-lock able to be turned off.

Every car I've ever had that's had it, has been able to be turned off somehow. That's why I think it's not supposed to be that way.

 

[Rolfe]

I don't think it's actually a feature of the SE, I think it's more likely an oversight or a bug.

If no-one is reporting these things as issues, and some may not know whether it's supposed to be that way or not, they (MG) are never going to know they need fixing.

It's should be easy for them to add a bit of code into the infotainment to make the auto-lock able to be turned off.

Is there any way to contact MG directly about little issues like this? Or would it have to be done through the dealer and you just hope they pass it on? If there's an email address, I was thinking about emailing about the USB interface problem with the SE, and could add this at the same time.

It's reassuring to know that there's an impact sensor that would unlock the doors in case of an accident, but that doesn't stop me feeling very claustrophobic when I hear that thunk. So many years of conditioning to drive in an unlocked car.

 

[CarlMG4]

Is there any way to contact MG directly about little issues like this? Or would it have to be done through the dealer and you just hope they pass it on? If there's an email address, I was thinking about emailing about the USB interface problem with the SE, and could add this at the same time.

It's reassuring to know that there's an impact sensor that would unlock the doors in case of an accident, but that doesn't stop me feeling very claustrophobic when I hear that thunk. So many years of conditioning to drive in an unlocked car.

There should be a reporting platform, and user feedback/suggestion scenario but I'm not sure we're that lucky.

Probably be the dealer, I doubt they pass anything on unless it's considered serious, as they would all be pestering head office constantly with the foibles and quirks we discover.