Can the car be locked without turning off the engine?
4 Answers
When the vehicle is not turned off, the doors cannot be locked. Even if some car models allow locking the doors without turning off the engine, the engine will automatically shut off after locking. Since the vehicle remains stationary for a long time after parking, the accumulation of exhaust fumes can easily enter the car through the air intake, which can have dire consequences if someone is locked inside. Relevant information about car doors is as follows: 1. Introduction: The car door provides access for the driver and passengers, isolates external interference, reduces side impacts to some extent, and protects the occupants. The aesthetics of the car are also related to the design of the doors. 2. Standards for good car doors: The quality of car doors is mainly reflected in their anti-collision performance, sealing performance, ease of opening and closing, and other functional indicators. Anti-collision performance is particularly important because during a side impact, the buffer distance is very short, making it easy to injure the occupants inside the vehicle.
This has happened to me several times. Last time when I went to a convenience store, I forgot to turn off the engine and found the car locked itself. Actually, many cars with keyless entry can operate this way—just walk away with the key beyond the sensing range. However, this is extremely risky: first, it wastes fuel and increases engine carbon deposits; second, if someone with ill intentions gets into the car, they could drive away with your still-running vehicle. My advice is to develop the habit of turning off the engine whenever you park, especially for quick stops like picking up a package. If you really want to keep the air conditioning on, check if your car has a remote start function, which is a safer alternative.
I've tried different car models myself. Cars with traditional key ignition generally can't be locked because you have to remove the key to press the remote lock button. However, keyless start models are much more flexible – the car automatically locks when you walk away with the key. But I must point out two safety risks: First, exhaust fumes might accumulate in underground parking lots. Second, when waiting with the air conditioning on in summer without turning off the engine, children could potentially open the doors if they press the central locking button from outside. Last time I saw a neighbor doing this in our community – the AC compressor ran continuously for three hours and eventually drained the battery completely.
From a safety perspective, I do not recommend locking the car with the engine running. A continuously running engine produces large amounts of carbon monoxide, which is especially dangerous in enclosed garages. A friend of mine once experienced their car alarm being triggered due to exhaust fumes backing up into the vehicle after locking it without turning off the engine. Modern cars are becoming increasingly intelligent, with many models featuring protective mechanisms. For example, a Japanese car I drove would automatically shift to P if the door was opened while in D gear, but idling with the car locked is still possible. If you really need to leave the car briefly, it's better to turn it off and restart it - those extra ten seconds can save you a lot of trouble.
