RAC nightmare 4 hour wait + trapped in car

vikingaero

Locking the car from the interior button does not activate deadlocks. Even without power it will be possible to open the doors. Deadlocks will only be activated from the keyfob or key, unless the OP deadlocked themselves inside the car.......

thegirlintheattic

I've never had an issue, always out within the hour.

However, Friday was extremely busy for them. If you ever get caught out in a hazardous position give the local police a call and get out the car. RAC has always checked my mobile number with me and when I've been away from home I've always said if their driver gives me a ring I'll return to the car then taken myself off.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

vikingaero wrote: »

Locking the car from the interior button does not activate deadlocks. Even without power it will be possible to open the doors. Deadlocks will only be activated from the keyfob or key, unless the OP deadlocked themselves inside the car.......

my car deadlock itself when i press the button on the dash, i can open it from inside by pushing the button back out, or holding the handle out for two seconds. if the battery failed with this feature on, i would not be able to vacate the car as the deadlocks stay in position. you cant get in you cant get out, cant open windows (if electric) your stuck in it untill someone give you a jump start when you open the bonnet for access.

red_eye

Richard_T_ wrote: »

On Friday my car broke down, after the engine cut out, and wouldnt re start, so i called the RAC, as i was stopped on double yellow lines, and not in a good place in terms of traffic aproaching I kpet my hazzard lights on.
They said that it could be an hour to an hour and a half, so i waited pateintly for the orange van to turn up, and waited and waited, they did however call me to say that they had sub contracted their service out to another local recovery service.
After about 3 hours my hazzard lights died, and with it all the electrics as the battery wheezed its last, at which point i was unable to open the electric windows, or open the doors as the central locking had locked the doors, and they couldnt be opened from the inside- in effect i was trapped.
eventualy another breakdown / recovery company ( which RAC had sub contracted) - Burrows turned up and i was soon on my way back home ( all be it with a car that needs a bit of further attention from a mechanic)

Is this normal for the RAC? at the moment im thinking of cancelling my membership ( member since 1999), as i am far from happy with their level of non service. being stuck with a borken down car is bad enough, but when your physicaly trapped inside it, and the RAC cant even be arsed to turn up is another.

you could not open the door becuase of a dead battery??? did you give that nobby thing next to the window surround a good tug or pull on the door lever? all doors can be opened from the inside unless you drive a cavalier and dead locked from the outside

maninthestreet

forgotmyname wrote: »

So how did you get out when the patrol came?

OP could have pulled the bonnet release lever, allowing the patrolman to open the bonnet, and use jump leads to connect the flat to the battery of their patrol van. The OP would then be able to unlock the doors.

forgotmyname

maninthestreet wrote: »

OP could have pulled the bonnet release lever, allowing the patrolman to open the bonnet, and use jump leads to connect the flat to the battery of their patrol van. The OP would then be able to unlock the doors.

Unless you need the key to open the bonnet, Like a lot of Ford's.

Not heard of any cars that deadlock automatically, Mine has motion locking. As soon as i reach 5mph my doors lock. But not deadlock.

When deadlocked it wont open from the internal handles. Key or fob needed to open it.

Zanzibar

What car is it?

The point of deadlocking is so the doors don't manually open from inside when locked using the keyfob - it would have no meaning to be able to deadlock from the inside with the dash button while you were in it - just a safety hazard.

"my car deadlock itself when i press the button on the dash, i can open it from inside by pushing the button back out, or holding the handle out for two seconds."

Thats not deadlocking then - which is where you can't open the door with the interior handle/button.

Richard_T_

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

my car deadlock itself when i press the button on the dash, i can open it from inside by pushing the button back out, or holding the handle out for two seconds. if the battery failed with this feature on, i would not be able to vacate the car as the deadlocks stay in position. you cant get in you cant get out, cant open windows (if electric) your stuck in it untill someone give you a jump start when you open the bonnet for access.

I think thats what i did, after a few random people walked up to my car and opened the passenger door ( catching me by surprise) and asking if i was OK, or knocking on the window.
After that i locked the doors using the key fob, by double pressing the button ( as normal)
I was aware that it had a dead lock function, but until reading the above post i was unaware that this meant that it couldnt be opened from the inside without power.

As for the weather it didnt appear to affect the area where i was, the worst of it was else where, although it was forcast to be wet/very wet that day and you would have thought that a large organisation such as the RAC would have been able to scale up opperations accordingly.

Im still far from impressed by the RACs complete lack of service, and so far i have heard nothing back from them, no apology for the wait or anything else.

forgotmyname

Cost cutting at its best. Luckily the recession is over and everything is looking up.

Ive not seen any sign of that.

My old firm made half the staff redundant. 1st time ever and they had been trading for over 50 years.

im-lost

Really, where's the problem?

You are a low priority, guy in a car, other people, say parents with kids,
lone females, the elderly etc would have been dealt with first.

Being trapped in your car was of your own making, why did you stay in
the car if you brokedown in such a hazardous position? I mean, what fool
does that?

I'm sure if you had phoned the RAC or explained when they phoned to
update you, that you were now trapped in your car in such a hazardous
place, you would have become a priority.