Does being able to lock the car prove that the engine has been turned off?
2 Answers
In general, if the car engine is not turned off, you cannot use the remote key to lock the car. Therefore, it can be basically inferred that being able to lock the car proves the engine has been turned off. However, for safety reasons, it is best for the owner to personally confirm this. Turn off the air conditioning before turning off the engine: If the air conditioning is on, always remember to turn it off before turning off the engine. If you turn off the engine without turning off the air conditioning, the next time you start the car, the air conditioning will automatically start as well. If the engine hasn't warmed up, this will increase the load on the engine, which is not conducive to engine maintenance. Pay attention to turning off the car headlights: Some car owners are careless and lock the car and leave without noticing that the headlights remain on. If this happens frequently, it can cause immeasurable damage to the battery.
Not necessarily. Being able to lock the car doesn't always mean the engine is off. I drive a Hyundai with a remote key, and when I press the lock button, the doors do click shut, but the engine might still be running—especially when I'm in a hurry and forget to turn it off before getting out. Hyundai's design allows remote locking for theft prevention, but it doesn't automatically shut off the engine. Once, I did this at a supermarket and later found my car idling, wasting fuel—luckily, no accident happened. Safety-wise, if the engine stays on while locked, heat and exhaust fumes can build up inside, potentially causing issues over time. It's best to manually check the tachometer or listen for engine noise before locking, making it a habit to avoid trouble. In daily driving, locking is more about security, while turning off the engine is about saving energy—these two actions should be handled separately.
