On Call app + Idiot = Alarm

[Walter Eagle]

Just a little something to be aware of - the On Call app appears to allow you to lock the car, even with the keys inside it.

I was sitting stationary, engine off, in a public car-park with my wife. She hadn't seen the app in detail and I was just showing her some of the options. The locked/unlocked control was showing status "unlocked" and, like a complete fool, I said "And you can lock or unlock the car remotely", and brushed the "Lock" command every so delicately. Honestly, I barely made contact with it.

Immediately the door locks clicked, the driver's and central displays shut off, the mirrors folded in and the indicators gave their flash. We looked at each other. "5h1t!", I said, "Don't move. We're now inside a locked car. If it detects us moving, the alarm will go off." At which point, the alarm did indeed go off. Passers-by turned to look at this pathetic little scenario of two panic-stricken adults in a trap of their own making (all right, his own making.) Within seconds I got a text message from Volvo On Call, saying "Your car alarm has just gone off. Please ring XXXXXXX if you require assistance." (So it's good to know that that bit works.)

Meanwhile I'm thinking "How do I stop this alarm and lights flashing?!!!" The idea of simply pressing 'unlock' on the app had completely escaped my alarm-raddled brain. I've no idea whether that would have worked. I fumbled around to the back seat, reaching for my jacket with the key in it. The back seat was never usually so far away, was it? I could hardly reach it. And all the time the alarm's going and the lights are flashing. Crikey, why did I get an XC90? The inside seems to be growing and getting more distant while I struggle against my seat-belt. "Switch it off, you fool!", my wife offers, helpfully. If only I could reach just...a...little...bit...further... And still the alarm's going and people are watching and the lights are flashing.

Eventually I got the key, and used it to kill the alarm. It probably only took 20 seconds in total, but it seemed like several lifetimes. I've not tried again with combinations of me inside+keys inside; me outside+keys inside; or (possibly the worst) me inside+keys outside.

Anyone else care to test and post their results...?

Walter (who now knows better than to tinker with things like that)

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Walter Eagle

Just a little something to be aware of - the On Call app appears to allow you to lock the car, even with the keys inside it.

I was sitting stationary, engine off, in a public car-park with my wife. She hadn't seen the app in detail and I was just showing her some of the options. The locked/unlocked control was showing status "unlocked" and, like a complete fool, I said "And you can lock or unlock the car remotely", and brushed the "Lock" command every so delicately. Honestly, I barely made contact with it.

Immediately the door locks clicked, the driver's and central displays shut off, the mirrors folded in and the indicators gave their flash. We looked at each other. "5h1t!", I said, "Don't move. We're now inside a locked car. If it detects us moving, the alarm will go off." At which point, the alarm did indeed go off. Passers-by turned to look at this pathetic little scenario of two panic-stricken adults in a trap of their own making (all right, his own making.) Within seconds I got a text message from Volvo On Call, saying "Your car alarm has just gone off. Please ring XXXXXXX if you require assistance." (So it's good to know that that bit works.)

Meanwhile I'm thinking "How do I stop this alarm and lights flashing?!!!" The idea of simply pressing 'unlock' on the app had completely escaped my alarm-raddled brain. I've no idea whether that would have worked. I fumbled around to the back seat, reaching for my jacket with the key in it. The back seat was never usually so far away, was it? I could hardly reach it. And all the time the alarm's going and the lights are flashing. Crikey, why did I get an XC90? The inside seems to be growing and getting more distant while I struggle against my seat-belt. "Switch it off, you fool!", my wife offers, helpfully. If only I could reach just...a...little...bit...further... And still the alarm's going and people are watching and the lights are flashing.

Eventually I got the key, and used it to kill the alarm. It probably only took 20 seconds in total, but it seemed like several lifetimes. I've not tried again with combinations of me inside+keys inside; me outside+keys inside; or (possibly the worst) me inside+keys outside.

Anyone else care to test and post their results...?

Walter (who now knows better than to tinker with things like that)

Sounds like a fun day If you done mind my saying

[Walter Eagle]

Oh, 'fun' was definitely the word I was searching for.

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Walter Eagle

Oh, 'fun' was definitely the word I was searching for.

Think of the ability to laugh at oneself as "dressing" to a salad.

It brings the mundane to life!.

[TheDufster]

Oops, ha ha!

I managed to lock the car with the keys inside it the other morning!

My routine is to unlock the car, open the boot remotely. I then put my things in the boot and NORMALLY press the left button to close the boot without locking it. Then I open the back door to hang up my suit jacket (which contains my car and house keys) before getting into the driver's door.

However, this time I inadvertently pressed the "close and lock" button on the boot and by the time I had opened the rear passenger door, hung up my suit jacket and then closed the door, the boot had finished closing and the car locked itself (as instructed!)

I was left outside the car at 5.30am with no car or house keys and a locked car.

Amazingly, this was the day after I had installed and setup the Volvo On-Call, so I used the app to unlock the car!! (I keep my phone in my trouser pocket!)

Otherwise I would have been faced with 2 options. Wake the family by ringing the doorbell or waiting 45 minutes for my better half to get out of bed.

[Walter Eagle]

Thank goodness - it's not just me!

Now then, I wonder ... would the car have been happy to lock itself with keys inside if you didn't have the app?

In your case the car 'knew' you did have the app (i.e. Volvo On Call has linked your phone to your car), but would it have any way of knowing where your phone was at the time? Or did it care? Was it just hell-bent on locking itself anyway? Damned machine, doing exactly what you told it to do. What kind of crazy system is that?

Walter