Key ring key and foot operated tailgate questions

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by Lexman8

Didn't know that. How do they verify your identity before (presumably) doing a remote unlock? Can they also start the car remotely?

I have not used it, read about it somewhere, I think you may need your VOC pin number, I have my pin number in my phone just in case.

[Quacker]

Are XC90 not all fitted with keyless entry, where as long as the key is on one’s person just grabbing any door handle will unlock the car? It is certainly fitted if the under-bumper keyless tailgate opening is fitted. Or am I missing something obvious, like a trick question here?
For my part I almost never use the key buttons to lock and unlock, and when I do, as often as not it’s because I want to remote open or shut some window[s]. I use the VOC app far more often than that, to remote start the car.

Speaking of which, the remote start requires verification to work, in my case by fingerprint recognition on Apple devices.

[gaby]

Originally Posted by Quacker

Are XC90 not all fitted with keyless entry, where as long as the key is on one’s person just grabbing any door handle will unlock the car?

Mine isn't and that's by choice. It was one of the reasons I started from Momentum trim,
adding features until I got what I wanted (and not what I didn't want).
But I live in Belgium, things may be different in the UK.

[BiggyG]

I rarely take the key out of my pocket. Use the automatic unlock in the handle and the lock button to lock. Use the foot operated tailgate.

I have used the VOC app to unlock / lock when I’ve gone out into the drive and forgotten the key. Remote start doesn’t allow you to drive the car does it? Only starts the engine and dash doesn’t light up, you need to turn the start stop button to get it to light up, and I assumed you would need the key to do that.

I may consider switching to the mini key, but like the reassurance of having the bigger one in case it weren’t to work.

On another note, both of my keys are broken. One has the cover release switch missing, the other one the cover just slides off the latch doesn’t hold it. Has anyone had any luck getting them replaced under warranty? The car is 18 months old and I’ve only had it two months. Keys were like it when I got it. Replacements are ridiculousy expensive

[Lexman8]

All UK XC90s have keyless as standard unless it's changed for MY19.

Whilst you can start the engine remotely, it cannot be driven unless a key is detected inside the car and the start button operated.

If keyless entry fails and you use the manual key to unlock the door, the alarm will go off and you need to start the car with the key inside to cancel the alarm. Note that even if the battery in the key fob is dead, it can be activated by putting it in the front cup holder. I assume it uses induction to provide power to the key there. This works for the standard keys but I don't know if the small key will work like that.

I vaguely remember someone getting a replacement key under warranty. The Momentum key is pretty cheap and nasty for a 'premium' car.

[familymangreg]

Originally Posted by volvocamper

Collected my XC90 yesterday and spend today waxing it but a couple of initial questions if you would not mind pls guys;

The key-ring style key (the simple ‘key’ with no buttons) seems a lot more sensible to me for everyday use than the ‘proper’ key - am i correct? With arthritic fingers I find it difficult to use the buttons on the side of the key, surely they would have been better placed and easier to use if on the front of the key?

Secondly, can just the foot operation of the tailgate opening function be disabled? I can see that if not careful when walking past the back corner of the car when in garage i could inadvertently open the tailgate - straight into the garage door. I have had a quick look in online manual but how to do this not immediately obvious.

Thanks in anticipation

I'm a little confused, does your car have keyless entry? I thought all XC90s do. If so, then you rarely need to use the key.

1. To unlock, simply grab any door handle, when it senses your touch on the back side of the handle, and your key is in proximity of that particular 'door' (read area of car) it will unlock.

2. To unlock boot simply walk up and press the boot opener with your key in proximity.

3. To lock the car simply press the lock area on the outside of the door handle with your key in proximity.

4. To lock the boot, press the lock button on the underside edge of the boot lid when it is open.

In terms of accidentally triggering the foot operated boot, I've never done this by simply walking close to the boot. It is possible to do however if you are stood very close to the open boot, when connecting trailing electrics, or when sitting on the back of the car with your legs over while changing your shoes. If we have the family mingling around the boot changing into walking boos etc, it can often happen. In this situation I just make sure the key isn't in proximity, by leaving it in the front or similar. I with there was an option in Sensus to switch the feature on and off for this very reason. Otherwise, I think the foot operation is absolutely brilliant, there is so many occasions when I approach or leave the boot carrying multiple bags or boxes and am able to operate the boot without putting them down. Lots of people say it rarely works, but I'm afraid to say they simply haven't learnt how to use it properly. For me it works first time > 95% of the time. There is a clown who video reviews for CarWow (Matt Watson), who announced the system was a bit of a gimmick and never works, while frantically waving his foot under the wrong site of the car, in entirely the wrong motion to trigger it.

The key design isn't good, the buttons are not easy to find or use, but I very rarely use them. I think this may well be why Volvo have gone for form over function with it, because you don't really need to use the buttons (but then I suppose the same key is available without keyless entry).

:wq

[Whiterdesign]

You can use the VOC app to remotely unlock your car, or you can ring VOC and they will do it but you need the PIN number that they gave you when VOC was registered. Remote start will work from the app but you need the key when you enter the car to allow you to operate the start switch which then allows you to drive the car. If the key battery is flat then you place it in the centre console where there is a key image, it then reads the chip in the key which allows you to start the engine

[Lexman8]

Originally Posted by Whiterdesign

If the key battery is flat then you place it in the centre console where there is a key image, it then reads the chip in the key which allows you to start the engine

Does this work with the button-less key? Clearly there has to be some circuitry (induction based?) for this to function and I wonder if it's fitted to the small key.

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by Lexman8

Does this work with the button-less key? Clearly there has to be some circuitry (induction based?) for this to function and I wonder if it's fitted to the small key.

It has to work the same way as it is meant to be used on its own with normal key left at home, for say when you go to the beach, as it is waterproof, I dont think anyone will have had one long enough to test it out, the battery lasts for many years as there are no buttons being pressed its just a weak signal being emitted.

[Lexman8]

Originally Posted by nu11eaf

It has to work the same way as it is meant to be used on its own with normal key left at home, for say when you go to the beach, as it is waterproof, I dont think anyone will have had one long enough to test it out, the battery lasts for many years as there are no buttons being pressed its just a weak signal being emitted.

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear.

If the battery in the key fob (whatever the type) is dead, the fob has to be powered somehow in order for it to communicate with the car. I presume this is via induction coils and in both the cup holder and the key fob. I was merely wondering whether the small fob had this facility given its limited size. I've just re-read the manual and it doesn't say anything about the small fob not working in the cup holder so perhaps it'll work same as the big fob.

Incidentally, if Volvo's system works similarly to Merc's, the fobs only transmit very briefly when they are near/in the car. It's the car which transmits constantly as it has the much larger battery. The fobs simply listen for the car's signal and only at that point do they transmit. If the fobs had to transmit continuously the batteries would last no time at all.

At least one person over on Swedespeed has exhausted the small fob battery and there's a discussion about how to replace it. Someone has opened up the fob and it's a standard CR2032 cell soldered onto a circuit board. I think that's the same battery as used in the standard fob. Unfortunately, opening up the case pretty much destroys it.