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Ford Bronco Auto Unlock Doesn't Work While Doors are Off | Key Fob locked in Trunk

Toccoa

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I guess the next video will be that you can’t drive without wheels. :rolleyes:
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Rick Astley

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So yeah I noticed this the other day. I had my 2 kids in the back so we had the doors off in the front and doors in the back (kits are in car seats).

Well yeah I got out and noticed the rear doors were still locked. I'm like "okay let me hit the unlock button" but yeah NO DOOR! No unlock button. So I reached in to unlock it (you can also do it from the fob).

But yeah it's a WEIRD flaw/bug I think. The doors should unlock when you jump out. Now there MIGHT be an option on the dash to unlock all doors when you stop the truck. I'm pretty sure that might actually be an option.
So the work around is just reaching in and pressing unlock? That really makes trunk items (assuming you even have a cover back there) insecure and the entire thing a non-issue. Just reach in to unlock the tailgate.

I have more of a problem that you can start the vehicle with it in the back. So what if you have a safe, back or console? Evidently anyone can just start it and take off then?
I would be surprised if the fob range was long enough to start the car with the fob in the trunk. On our '19 Ranger we cant start the car if the fob is anywhere in the bed of the truck. It's a SCAB, so our back seat is only 1/2 sized as well, can barely get the truck to start if the fob is against the rear cabin wall.

Range on these fobs is tailored to what they design the spec as.
 

Captain nSANEo

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Your key fob should be with you at all times... end of story.
 

AK SNO RIDER

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I have more of a problem that you can start the vehicle with it in the back. So what if you have a safe, back or console? Evidently anyone can just start it and take off then?
Uh maybe don't leave the key in your vehicle with no doors in it?
 

4x4TruckLEDs.com

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So the work around is just reaching in and pressing unlock? That really makes trunk items (assuming you even have a cover back there) insecure and the entire thing a non-issue. Just reach in to unlock the tailgate.



I would be surprised if the fob range was long enough to start the car with the fob in the trunk. On our '19 Ranger we cant start the car if the fob is anywhere in the bed of the truck. It's a SCAB, so our back seat is only 1/2 sized as well, can barely get the truck to start if the fob is against the rear cabin wall.

Range on these fobs is tailored to what they design the spec as.
Well we had the front doors off and rear doors on (had my kids with me). It was odd to drive somewhere, park the truck, turn the truck off, get out and attempt to open rear doors and i COULD NOT. Usually when you have the doors on and put the truck in park, turn key off, get out all the doors unlock. In this case, no front doors, so it didn't UNLOCK the back. I either had to reach in through the front door and unlock the back door OR reach into my pocket and press the key fob.
 

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AK SNO RIDER

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So the work around is just reaching in and pressing unlock? That really makes trunk items (assuming you even have a cover back there) insecure and the entire thing a non-issue. Just reach in to unlock the tailgate.



I would be surprised if the fob range was long enough to start the car with the fob in the trunk. On our '19 Ranger we cant start the car if the fob is anywhere in the bed of the truck. It's a SCAB, so our back seat is only 1/2 sized as well, can barely get the truck to start if the fob is against the rear cabin wall.

Range on these fobs is tailored to what they design the spec as.
That is NOT a range issue, that's Ford not wanting you to lose your key.

And since I don't see an actual unlock button on the Bronco back doors, I'm guessing he reached in and pulled the door handle, which probably left the tailgate locked. So if you did have an enclosure back there, it would probably still be secure. That is, as secure as you can possibly expect the trunk of a vehicle with no front doors to be.
 
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AK SNO RIDER

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The key system in these vehicles is actually very smart. They use multiple modules to know exactly where your key is located at all times.

The system knows whether the key is inside or out of the vehicle with precision.

The door handles will unlock it if you grab them with the key on your person. It will NOT unlock if you try to open the door from the outside with the key inside the vehicle. That would be a safety and theft hazard.

The vehicle will start if the key is anywhere in the vehicle. If your key is in your jacket and you toss your jacket in the trunk, the vehicle will start.
It will not start if the key is anywhere outside of the vehicle. If you are sitting in the car and hold your key out the window, the vehicle will not start. If you set the key on the roof directly above your head, the vehicle will not start, even though the key is only a few inches away from you. Again though, toss it all the way back in the trunk and it will start.

Ford actually does a really good job with the programming of their keyless entry.
 

AK SNO RIDER

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Well we had the front doors off and rear doors on (had my kids with me). It was odd to drive somewhere, park the truck, turn the truck off, get out and attempt to open rear doors and i COULD NOT. Usually when you have the doors on and put the truck in park, turn key off, get out all the doors unlock. In this case, no front doors, so it didn't UNLOCK the back. I either had to reach in through the front door and unlock the back door OR reach into my pocket and press the key fob.
I am actually a little surprised that Ford didn't put lock sensors in the rear door handles, since apparently there's more than a few weirdos who drive around with only 50% of their doors removed.
 

Rick Astley

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That is NOT a range issue, that's Ford not wanting you to lose your key.

And since I don't see an actual unlock button on the Bronco back doors, I'm guessing he reached in and pulled the door handle, which probably left the tailgate locked. So if you did have an enclosure back there, it would probably still be secure. That is, as secure as you can possibly expect the trunk of a vehicle with no front doors to be.
🤷‍♂️

I'm the weirdo that disables adaptive cruise control, any function which causes the steering wheel to shake, any sensor-activated braking or steering the car can do for you in any capacity, hates electric e-brakes and proximity sensors and also uses the key fob as a direct key.

In this case you just reach in and unlock a door (your method), or possibly use the unlock switch in the center console (method I mentioned)..... Pretty sure you could recoup both lost seconds of your life from this tedious manual labor by having more accurate lane management on a single drive to Anywhere, USA.
 

AK SNO RIDER

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🤷‍♂️

I'm the weirdo that disables adaptive cruise control, any function which causes the steering wheel to shake, any sensor-activated braking or steering the car can do for you in any capacity, hates electric e-brakes and proximity sensors and also uses the key fob as a direct key.

In this case you just reach in and unlock a door (your method), or possibly use the unlock switch in the center console (method I mentioned)..... Pretty sure you could recoup both lost seconds of your life from this tedious manual labor by having more accurate lane management on a single drive to Anywhere, USA.
There isn't an unlock switch in the center console, is there? The window and mirror controls are there, but the unlock switches are on the front doors.

Wait hold up, you use your key fob like an actual key? It doesn't just live in your pocket full time? Do you also pull the metal key out of the fob and stick it in the door every time? 🤔

I'm all for having real e-brakes and the vehicle not trying to take control over me, but at a certain point you're just being a little over-the-top and inconveniencing yourself 😂
 

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Daktari

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interesting that it knows where the key fob is located, not just 'it's near by'. This could be a problem though, so it's good to know. Could just see putting the backpack down in the back after a hike, getting a drink from the cooler, someone bumps the tailgate and you're locked out from access to food and drink.

I'll never have the doors off, but if you do, it's something to keep in mind and maybe experiment with. Unlocking with the app will only work if you're in range of a cell tower.
 

rugbysecondrow

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More doors, more problems.

Reason #327 to get the 2 DR instead of the 4 DR.

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the blue potato

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A "design flaw" (as quoted in this video)? You guys INSTALLED a theft proof, thick gauge steel, enclosure in your Bronco. Ford did not design that flaw that you guys installed. I would imagine that the peeps who made that enclosure should put a warning in their install for people who don't think this through.
 

BrentC

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... Unless of course you installed a battery shut off switch hidden somewhere.
I want to either do this or add a solenoid valve on the fuel line with a hide-out switch. Do you have a hack or schematic on where his cut-off needs to be? Or do you put it on the main power lead?
 

NotaVegetarian

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