Many modern cars are equipped with automatic door locks. As the name implies, this feature causes the doors to lock automatically when certain conditions are met. For instance, the doors might lock once the car hits a certain speed. It’s a useful feature for safety purposes, and it can also be quite convenient for drivers to not have to worry about locking all doors manually.
However, there may be cases in which you want to reset the automatic door locks of your vehicle. This guide will show you how, covering the auto door lock reset process for several leading brands.
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How to Reset Automatic Door Locks on a Ford
Let’s begin with America’s best-selling car brand: Ford. To disable automatic door locks in a Ford car, you’ll first have to access the vehicle’s programming mode. Here’s how it’s done, in just a few simple steps:
- Start up the car and hit the unlock door button three times.
- Turn the car off and, again, press the unlock button three times.
- Turn the car back on. At this stage, you should hear a little beep, which signifies that you’ve entered the programming mode.
- Press the lock button, and then the unlock button right away after it. You should hear the horn sound one time to signal that auto door locking has been switched off. If you repeat the process, you’ll hear two horn blasts to show that it has been turned back on.
Resetting Auto Door Locks on a Honda
Honda actually provides a menu of automatic door lock settings that you can adjust to suit your needs. Here’s how to access that menu and how to reprogram your door lock system:
- Turn the vehicle on.
- Press the “Home” button, which is usually found on the left side of the steering wheel.
- Scroll through the “Settings” menu on the central display using the arrow buttons.
- Head to the “Vehicle Customization” submenu, followed by “Door Setup.”
- Go to the “Auto Door Lock” menu.
- You can then scroll through the available settings and check or uncheck the boxes provided to adjust them. To turn off the system completely, check the box beside “Off.”
Reprogram Automatic Door Locks on a Toyota
Toyota also makes it possible to turn your vehicle’s auto door lock system on or off. In fact, this manufacturer has one of the fastest and simplest processes, only requiring three easy steps:
- Close all the doors and turn the ignition to the “On” position.
- Shift into the “P” position.
- Press and hold the driver’s side power door lock switch for five seconds, then release it. The doors should then lock and unlock to let you know the operation was a success.
Note: This whole process needs to be done quite quickly, within 10 seconds total. So, once you’ve turned the ignition to “On,” make sure to complete the other steps as fast as you can. If you need to undo your changes and turn the system back on, simply follow the same steps again.
How to Reset Auto Door Locking on a Chevrolet
Like many other big brands, Chevrolet gives owners the choice to disable automatic door locks, if desired. The process is similar to other brands but with a couple of key differences.
- Make sure all the doors are unlocked, but don’t turn on the engine.
- Pull and hold the turn signal lever back.
- Turn the ignition to the “On” position, then back off.
- Repeat all three steps a second time, then release the turn signal lever.
- The car should then lock and unlock.
- To complete the process, press the power door lock button two times.
Reset the Automatic Door Lock System on a Nissan
For those who drive Nissan brand vehicles, here’s all you need to know to configure your automatic door locks on or off.
- Get into the vehicle and close all doors.
- Turn the ignition to the “On” position.
- Push the power door lock button into the “Unlock” position, then hold it down for five seconds or more.
- The hazard indicator should flash to let you know the system has been switched off. If you need to undo your changes, just repeat the process.
Ways to Reset Auto Locking on a Jeep
Jeep vehicles actually have two different methods for resetting auto door locks. The method you use will depend on whether your model has Jeep’s Electronic Vehicle Information Control (EVIC) system or not. For those with EVIC, here are the steps to follow:
- Put the car into Park.
- Turn on the engine.
- Tap the “Menu” button to access the “Personal Settings” menu, and scroll through to find “Auto Door Locks.”
- Configure the automatic lock settings as you like, then turn the engine off to confirm.
For vehicles without EVIC:
- Put the key in the ignition, but don’t turn it on yet.
- Close all doors.
- Turn the key from “Lock” to “On” four times.
- Press the “Lock” button on your power door lock switch to finalize the process.
Reasons Why You Might Want to Disable Automatic Door Locks
We’ve seen the details of how to reset automatic door locking on many major brands, but it’s worth considering some reasons why you might want to do this. Auto door locks are widely considered a key safety feature, reducing the risk of children or other passengers opening the doors while a vehicle is in motion. They can also minimize your chances of being a carjacking victim.
However, there are still several reasons to turn them off, including:
One of the most common reasons why people want to reset automatic door locks is when they’re working for a rideshare company, like Uber. In this kind of work, you tend to do a lot of stopping and starting, picking up and dropping off many passengers per day. It can be annoying if the doors keep locking people in or out of the vehicle as you go about your work.
Personal Preference
Some people simply prefer locking doors manually. This is particularly true for drivers with many years of experience who are already in the habit of locking their doors at certain moments. Such drivers may find it tricky or frustrating to adjust to a car that locks the doors on its own and therefore prefer to switch off the system.
Repair
In some cases, you might not actually want to disable your automatic door locks entirely. Instead, you simply want to reset and reboot the system to fix a lock-related issue. Perhaps your auto lock system has been activating inconsistently, for example. In that case, a reset could be the way to solve it.
Disable Automatic Door Locks on Any Vehicle
As this guide has shown, the process of resetting auto door locking varies from brand to brand. Some manufacturers make it easier than others, but they all generally allow you to disable or reconfigure your car’s auto-locking system as you want when you want. If your vehicle isn’t listed here, or if you’re not quite sure how to change the auto locks, the best thing to do is consult your manual or visit your local dealership.