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I'm slightly spooked - can anyone explain this?

(42 Posts)
kittylester Tue 24-Jul-18 11:48:04

DH has been out in his car this morning and when he came back asked me if I'd left my car windows open on purpose.

We last used the car yesterday afternoon, DH driving, and used the air conditioning (obviously!) so the windows weren't opened at all. The car has remained on the drive all morning.

The windows were all open to the same level - 4 inches or so - and nothing in the car had been touched. Though who would want half a packet of Foxes Glacier Mints I don't know.

We have had this happen before and my binoculars (free from NT) were stolen.

The reason it has spooked me is that we have had a couple of burglaries on this road recently.

And, I'd prefer it if it was DH's car that was stolen! grin

CardiffJaguar Sat 28-Jul-18 11:57:30

So much of our cars are now controlled by computers which as most of us know are liable to 'odd events'. All this is electrical and those 1s and 0s can be controlled by more than just a key fob (which itself can be cloned). Sometimes it can be a matter of another object with code control passing by at the wrong moment. We have no way of knowing what may happen. However I suggest you could adopt using one of those special key cases that prevent cloning or action while the key is inside.

Funkygran21 Fri 27-Jul-18 22:37:19

Our car has done this quite a few times. It is connected with the locking system.

knspol Fri 27-Jul-18 21:06:17

Didn't think my car had remote window opening until left it outside garage one night. Winter time and had not had any open windows but next morning passenger window wide open and car soaked through as had had torrential rain. Had to take to garage to get dried out properly, took them a couple of days as had to dismantle things.

pheasant75 Fri 27-Jul-18 15:28:55

My wife s car a Renault scenic one day her windows went down automatically. I had to ring the garage to see if was a regular occurrence it can happen.
the other night my car alarm went off never done it before so I went on the web and found out the interior sensor can go off at night time?, so it showed how to switch off the inside sensors even a moth can set it off.this one is a Nissan qaushkai tekna 2014 , so be careful about all the technology, there is so much on there I still haven't used and i had it 14 months LOL

Sickofweddingcake Fri 27-Jul-18 14:25:41

Notagran55...same with my Mini: if you pressed the fob for about 10 to 15 seconds, the windows and sun roof...as well as unlocking the door...also opened. Great in hot weather to save time and effort; not so great when I first realised it could do this.I was carrying a pile if books into the house, the keys were on top squashed against me.I came out of the house later...it had been raining. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why they were all open...until I read the manual...a bit late, I know...one soggy car for a couple of days! blush

pollyperkins Fri 27-Jul-18 14:09:35

On our new car you only have to brush against the handle with the key in your pocket for it to open utself. Luckily you can tell as it tucks its ears in when asleep.

narrowboatnan Fri 27-Jul-18 12:35:48

Does anyone else live in the house with you? Years ago I had a job where I had to keep a log of my mileage. To make life easier I used to reset the counter to zero each night ready for the next day. One morning there were over 50 miles logged on it. My 16 yo DS had gone joy riding in it and taken his mates from Telford to Wolverhampton

Magrithea Fri 27-Jul-18 12:17:13

It's as others have said - probably something to do with your key fob.

mabon1 Fri 27-Jul-18 11:26:45

Put it in the garage and lock it!!

coast35 Fri 27-Jul-18 10:43:28

I read that thieves can activate the cars remote control through several walls so we now keep our car keys in a metal box at night. Just a precaution. It amuses our daughter who says who is going to steal your Suzuki Vitara when there is a Maserati parked across the road!! I love my Suzuki though so in the metal box they go.???

quizqueen Fri 27-Jul-18 10:33:08

One window on my Vauxhall started opening by itself and I had to have the electric mechanism replaced (luckily on its lifetime guarantee for free). The other one is starting to do the same now so you must have some sort of fault like that.

harrigran Fri 27-Jul-18 10:07:10

We had it happen to us in France, mechanic shrugged his shouders and told us the heat interferes with the electrics.

theresacoo Fri 27-Jul-18 09:32:06

this has happened to me.

i parked up, locked up and then went back after a few seconds just to check id locked it and all windows were open!
very strange

mischief Fri 27-Jul-18 09:22:51

Have you checked the petrol level to see if it had been used for a jolly and returned?

NonnaW Wed 25-Jul-18 11:23:08

Our estate car has a means of opening the boot via the key fob. Unfortunately the button is very sensitive and several times has been activated in DH’s pocket.a couple of times the dogs have been in the back (not in hot weather, I hasten to add!) and they have leapt out. Once was on a holiday park, whilst we were opening up prior to collecting dogs and luggage. We opened the door again to find 2 very pleased with themselves dogs sitting outside. Thankfully they had come immediately to find us, but it is very worrying to think that they could potentially jump out into a busy road. We are wondering if this function can be disabled.

annodomini Wed 25-Jul-18 09:21:34

I couldn't find my keys last night so the car remained unlocked. Sadly, nobody stole my old banger. sad

Iam64 Wed 25-Jul-18 09:20:53

kitty, this has happened with my car several times in recent months. I keep meaning to take it into the garage, then it behaves properly for a few weeks and I don't bother..... I don't think its gremlins, its some kind of electrical fault. My fear is when I do take it in, there will be lots of money needed to pay the bill.

Teetime Wed 25-Jul-18 09:04:12

DHs last car had what I can only describe as window slip. We would often get in the car and the back window would be open.

M0nica Wed 25-Jul-18 07:38:55

Could be the heat and something overheating. We once had a house burglar alarm that went off without warning and wouldn't stop and when the repair man arrived he said one component had expanded in the summer heat (like now) and touched something else.

MamaCaz Tue 24-Jul-18 21:26:46

I seem to remember something similar happening a couple of times with my late dad's car too (a Seat). For the life of me, I can't remember exactly what eventually turned out to have caused it, but think it was something like cornergran described, where the key fob was in his pocket, and buttons on it were accidentally pressed.

kittylester Tue 24-Jul-18 21:05:03

Thank you Sue.

Thanks all for your input.

Googoogoo1 Tue 24-Jul-18 20:36:08

I would consider the electronics of the car. I recall we used to have a vehicle where the windows opened by their selves!!! Particularly as they were all the same distance open.

SueDonim Tue 24-Jul-18 20:29:34

Kittylester auto-parking is handy but it's not a deal-breaker for me. I'm in fact currently looking at a new car and that doesn't have it.

However, I don't find parking too difficult anyway. If you struggle to park or have physical difficulties that make it awkward then it would be a boon. It isn't failsafe though. Sometimes mine just gives up and says 'Parking manoeuvre ended prematurely.' Then you're on your own! grin

winterwhite Tue 24-Jul-18 19:39:14

Obviously Alexa at work grin

BlueBelle Tue 24-Jul-18 18:49:52

The fact that they were all opened at exactly the same distance tells you it was technical no thief is going to go round all four windows checking they are opened to the same level