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Original poster

***ATTENTION RENAULT GRAND SCENIC DRIVERS***

19 replies

wagon · 16/10/2012 15:09

I had the most traumatic morning yesterday. I drove to the cash point with the baby in the car, hopped out to run round and get the baby and my handbag out of the car. The car has remote central locking. Before I could get to the passenger door, the car locked with the baby, my purse, my phone and most importantly my keys inside. This was in under a minute.
I had no way of getting into the car. The police came and could do nothing. After 40 mins, the fire brigade arrived and said the only option was to break the drivers window to enter the car and get the now very distressed baby out.
Renault are charging me £300 for the broken window and offered a courtesy car at the cost of £20 a day.
They are now saying I should have read the handbook and should know never to leave the key inside the car.

OP posts:
lisaro · 16/10/2012 15:25

Sorry, they're right. I have an Audi that would do the same. Hope the little one is ok now.

Original poster
wagon · 16/10/2012 15:35

But at no time have I ever been told that and with three kids I'm not sure when I'd find the time to read the entire manual.

OP posts:
Snorbs · 16/10/2012 16:00

So you buy a complicated, potentially lethal device with many buttons and switches and can't be bothered to read the manual to find out how at least the major stuff works? That's, um, brave.

Valuable learning experience, though, huh?

MrsBucketxx · 16/10/2012 16:07

i always take my keys with me everywhere, mainly cause if you park with the key in it tells you to remove it.

steep learning curve, and a very expensive one, glad your dc's are ok.

Original poster
wagon · 16/10/2012 16:39

Thanks Mrs Bucketxx. I posted mainly as a warning. All fine. Our car gives no warning.

OP posts:
QuintessentialShadow · 16/10/2012 16:43

My friend had a similar experience. In her Scenic she could turn on the engine using the remote control button, she did not need to physically insert the key into the car. She turned on the engine using the button, and drove off with her key (house and car keys on one keyring) on the car roof!

She came home and did not know how to turn off the engine, and could not get into her house.

The joys of modern wonders....

lisaro · 16/10/2012 17:58

To be fair it's not anybody else's fault you didn't read the manual, and having kids is no excuse. I get you are warning people, but it seems like you're having a go at the manufacturers unfairly. Once again, I hope the little one is ok, but look on it as a learning curve.

MrsBucketxx · 16/10/2012 19:30

i have to stick my key in a slot, maybe its an older type.

and they try and make thing easier, more dangerous more like.

BobbiFleckmann · 16/10/2012 19:36

wagon! do the numbers 1, 3 and 8 mean anything to you?

what sort of individual reads the entire manual to their car by the way? not one I'd want dinner with obviously, but really - does anyone?

(I had one of the keyless meganes and had no idea this could happen. I did not read the entire manual at any stage in my ownership of the car. Or indeed any car. Or the oven, come to think of it)

bureni · 16/10/2012 19:41

If you do not read the instructions you can hardly blame anyone else if things go wrong, If you leave your home and slam the door leaving your house keys inside the home who are you going to blame, the house builder perhaps?

WMittens · 16/10/2012 21:07

But at no time have I ever been told that and with three kids I'm not sure when I'd find the time to read the entire manual.

How do you know when it's due a service, then? When do the brake pads need to be replaced? Surely if you're driving with precious passengers you want to be able to stop when you really need to?

Tuttutitlookslikerain · 16/10/2012 21:14

I've got a Renault Scenic, if I leave the key card in the slot and open the door an alarm goes off and a message comes up saying Please remove key card.

Mine has never locked with the key inside.

Original poster
wagon · 16/10/2012 23:03

Seriously people?
I read the manual. I know when it is due for a service. I know how to turn the thing on. How to check the oil. Or when the brake pads need replaced. I just missed section 2.1 para 3b which says not to leave the "key unattended".
For all you massive Manual readers that means don't leave it in the car for less than a minute. Many thanks for all your concerned responses.
I hope none of you miss any paras in the manuals of your car/washing machine/ dishwasher etc.
I also hope when you have the odd moment of anguish that when you share it, people don't stand around wagging fingers.

OP posts:
WMittens · 17/10/2012 08:23

I've locked myself out of the house in the past, and now I never leave any key unattended; it's a learning curve.

I'm sure most people feel sympathy for you (or in my case anyway, for your baby). However, I think people have only been "wagging fingers" because it appears you want to blame everyone except yourself: "The police came and could do nothing." "Renault are charging me... ...they are now saying I should have..." and "But at no time have I ever been told that..." Take some responsibility.

WMittens · 17/10/2012 08:26

...I'm not sure when I'd find the time to read the entire manual.

I read the manual. I know when it is due for a service. I know how to turn the thing on. How to check the oil. Or when the brake pads need replaced. I just missed section 2.1 para 3b...

So you found the time to read the whole manual except section 2.1 para 3b? Just how big was that paragraph?!

lambethlil · 17/10/2012 08:40

Shock at quint's friend's story and Flowers for wagon.
Wmittens are you in training for some prep school debating competition?
I never ever leave the keys in the car- just too risky with dcs. But it's a fiddle with this car as they're not necessarily in the slot. I end up doing a dosy do with always a door open if I'm loading, so there's always a door open.
And another thing... There's not an easy way of disabling the alarm for short trips away from the car leaving dog, kids or or DH.
Love the car, but the whole key/ slot is a pita.
L

WMittens · 17/10/2012 11:29

lambethlil no, I'm just not very sympathetic; it's something I'm working on.

Moredofbumsnet · 22/10/2012 13:30

If the car was really clever it would have known that wagon's keys were inside.
My car is very old and has no central locking and a drivers door that will only lock with the key but I still managed to lock the dc in.

turtles · 22/10/2012 13:37

I never leave the keys in the car for this reason but it still happened to me - baby was holding keys, pressed the lock button, I took keys off him and put them on the drivers seat, closed back door, couldn't open front door. It wasn't a Renault.

I was convinced it would never happen to me, I was so careful but I was in DH's car so my guard slipped, fortunately the child locks weren't on and my 4yr old managed to open the door from the inside otherwise we would have had to break the windows.

Always keep the keys in your hand or pocket or round your neck on a lanyard, problem solved.

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