Leaving my wife in a hot car...

Discussion in 'Cooper SE' started by F14Scott, Jun 20, 2021.

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  1. F14Scott

    F14Scott Well-Known Member

    I can't figure out how to (not) do it. In Houston, it's a big deal. I want to be able to jump out of the car to go run into a store or whatever and leave her in the passenger seat with all systems operational.

    In an ICE, I keep the engine running, shift into park, set the brake, open the door, and go TCB, while she is able to sit with the AC going full blast.

    I can't crack the code in Jessie. As soon as I open the door, the car shuts down and the AC turns off. The manual has a large list of conditions that shut down both drive-ready and standby state, and the key one seems to be door open with seat belt off. I've tried leaving the key fob in the car, but that doesn't make a difference.

    Has anyone figured out how to leave a passenger in the SE with the AC running and other accessories ON?

    Two ideas I've had:
    1. Get a dummy seat belt tab to plug into the buckle.
    2. Use the climatization from the app. However, this would not cool at full blast and would not run the radio and other accessories, AFAIK.

    Help!
     
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  3. chrunck

    chrunck Well-Known Member

    Have you tried letting your wife drive? ;)

    Did you see this post in the HVAC thread? It doesn't sound like it keeps the radio on, but if the AC is running full bore maybe it's tolerable.

     
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  4. F14Scott

    F14Scott Well-Known Member

    I had not seen that thread! TY
     
  5. Puppethead

    Puppethead Well-Known Member

    Maybe try leaving the key with your wife, and then she can just tap the start/stop button for radio ready after you exit the vehicle? That combined with the climatization might do the trick.
     
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  6. vader

    vader Well-Known Member

    In my 2020 SE, if 2 people are in the car, then the accessories don't stop till both doors are open or you turn off the car completely with a second flick of the shutdown switch. If only the driver is in the car, everything shuts off when the driver door is opened. I've left my wife in the car on numerous occasions when ducking into a shop on the way home. The aircon and radio stay on for a while (can't remember if it is 5 or 10 minutes. If you leave the fob, then I think it stays on.
     
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  8. Toi

    Toi Well-Known Member

    Same with my 2021.
     
  9. F14Scott

    F14Scott Well-Known Member

    Huh. Jessie's a 2021. If I open the door with my seat belt disengaged, drive-ready goes to standby and the AC goes to a weak, fan only mode, and the radio turns off.

    I would be really frustrated, except that
    I CRACKED THE CODE AND HERE IT IS:
    Screenshot_20210621-124814_Amazon Shopping.jpg
    https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07HKSBCG3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_8CQSE8VW45S6JH0RFMR7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

    Prior to exiting the car, place the gear in Park, apply the Brake, disengage the seat belt, and insert the TIKIT. When I open the door and exit, everything stays on. That's it. Problem solved for $6.

    It is still very safe, as to make the car move the passenger would have to:
    1. apply and hold the foot brake and simultaneously
    2. depress the thumb switch and simultaneously
    3. move the shift lever into gear and then
    4. again, apply and hold the foot brake and simultaneously
    4. deselect the parking brake

    Here's a pic of the TIKIT installed, with the car in drive-ready, AC on, parking brake applied, gearshift in park, and the stereo playing, all with me standing outside the car with the door open.
    20210621_123435.jpg

    VICTORY!
     
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  10. GvilleGuy

    GvilleGuy Well-Known Member

    I don't see any problems there - I like it! I feel the design to force the car to 'off' state when the driver exits is too conservative.
     
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  11. Puppethead

    Puppethead Well-Known Member

    I wonder if that could be changed with Bimmercode. Of course, getting an OBD dongle costs more than $6...
     
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  13. ColdCase

    ColdCase Active Member

    Does the KeyFob have a keep alive, i.e. does it matter if the FOB goes out of range?

    What happens when the passenger opens her door, gets out and moves into the driver's seat. Seems like an angry spouse could leave you stranded :)

    Could someone jump into the drivers seat and take off, spouse and all?
     
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  14. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    I just ordered one even though I was disappointed it wasn't cheaper than the regular $6 due to it being Prime Day. I have no idea if I'll ever need it, but it will join my Power Spoke wheel balancing accessory as one of the things I bought just in case. It's interesting how the item's description--unlike its competitors' descriptions--never mentions the real purpose of the "bottle opener." Thanks @F14Scott!
     
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  15. F14Scott

    F14Scott Well-Known Member

    I bought two, so I wouldn't have to shut off my car to get out and open a beer...
     
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  16. GvilleGuy

    GvilleGuy Well-Known Member

    I ordered two...in black to match my trim!
     
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  17. F14Scott

    F14Scott Well-Known Member

    So, I left for vacation about an hour after receiving and briefly testing the TIKIT, so I can't experiment until the weekend. @ColdCase brings up some good questions; we TIKIT holders (ha) will need to do some testing.

    One thing that occurred to me is that it might be possible to lock the fob in the car. Gotta try that, maybe with the windows down and/or the spare fob handy.

    Also, I wonder if the TIKIT at other seat positions than driver has any effect.
     
  18. GvilleGuy

    GvilleGuy Well-Known Member

    Just got mine - works like it was made to click in there! Perfect fit.
     
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  19. polyphonic

    polyphonic Well-Known Member

    Tesla was our first EV. All of the others try to turn the car off as much as possible, even when sitting in it, DC charging, etc. I really miss little things like that.
    Fortunately it seems like companies (particularly Hyundai and Kia) are taking those cues for their clean-sheet EVs.
     
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  20. Puppethead

    Puppethead Well-Known Member

    Just finished the MINI Together scavenger hunt, and it required leaving the vehicle a few times. I had dogs and a copilot with me, so I had an opportunity to see how to keep the A/C running (necessary with temperatures in the 90s today) when I exited. It does work to hit the "climatize now" option when the car turns off, but it's not a great user experience and is very easy to forget to do.
     
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  21. GvilleGuy

    GvilleGuy Well-Known Member

    And I can verify that it goes for exactly 30 minutes before turning off. I timed it a few weeks ago when I was waiting for a family member to shop.
     
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