I live in a cold climate and in the winter I like to warm up my car, especially now with a new baby, and go back in the house until it heats up for a few minutes. I've discovered that while the keys are in the ignition and the car is running, I cannot lock the car doors on my '98 S70 with the remote or with the button on the door while the door is open.

I like the fact that the car won't let me forget my keys, but not being able to lock the car while it is running makes me feel very uneasy. Is there a workaround to this?

I should have tried locking it with a second key the first time. I tried it the other day and it works. Thanks for all your input.

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I can still lock the car before or after I start it with the remote starter.

Just another option

Zelly

I do this all of the time.

What you have to do (at least what works for me) is to lock the door from the outside with a second key... the actual key, not the remote. It is like you have to 'prove' to the car that you have a set of keys in your hand.

This does not set the alarm, but it is better than leaving your car unlocked.

Hope this works for you.

Doug

On my last car I had an aftermarket alarm that allowed me to lock and arm the car while it was running. I USED THAT FEATURE A LOT! My wife wasn't crazy about me doing it, but I found it quite convenient. I'm always thinking of the well being of my car, and starting the car, then moving it to the back door of my office, for example, to load in some boxes, then driving away without having to turn it on and off several times is just plain better for the poor cold car. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about warming it up, I'm just talking about avoiding excessive starts/stops especially while the car is still cold. Bad for carbon and moisture buildup inside everything (plugs, oil, exhaust etc). And it's less risky then just leaving the car running unattended in even the lowest of crime ridden areas.

I miss this on the Volvo. Can't the alarm be programmed for this?

I agree. That's what I did with my last car when I ran errands and just had to pop into a place for a bit. I thought it is much better keeping the car running than having to stop and start the car each time, especially in the cold.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to buy an aftermarket solution to my problem.

Ah, shucks. Thanks anyway.

è is alt 138

I live in a cold area too. The tree huggers are gonna hate me but I had a remote starter installed for 'bout $200 cdn. It's a little different from most because it has to work w/ the alarm system and ocassionally my wife will hit the wrong button setting off trhe alarm. Other than that, it works like a charm. Cools off the car in the summer too.

Try using a spare key or close the front door and reach in through the back door and hit the lock button. Another option is a block heater.

If you probably can't get around this protective interlock, and since it is not really very good for your car to run it in idle, you could consider getting an interior fan heater. These are very common in Quebec, for example, and plug into an outside receptacle. They can also be put on a timer. Would this be a solution for you? A block heater would also help.