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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > General E90 Sedan / E91 Wagon / E92 Coupe / E93 Cabrio > You guys leave your cars unlocked?



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      02-25-2021, 10:26 PM   #1
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You guys leave your cars unlocked?

When you guys park in your garage do you guys leave your car unlocked? Does this drain battery if the car stays unlocked for long periods? I have a dashcam plugged in always and I hope that doesnt drain it also.
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      02-25-2021, 10:31 PM   #2
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Nope, my car stays locked and keys in my room

A few months back, one of my neighbors told me that there have been carjackings going on in our subdivision lately.

He told me somehow the carjackers got into some guy's garage (in our subdivision) and almost stole all 4 of his cars. But, I think the homeowner heard the cars start or something and woke up.

Ever since then, our outside lights stay on (dad's Honda is parked outside now ever since I brought the BMW ) and all the car keys stay in the house in the mudroom.
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      02-25-2021, 10:33 PM   #3
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I never extend an invitation to a thief, why would I leave it unlocked, I also never leave anything visible to tempt someone to break in.
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      02-25-2021, 10:35 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by tcphoto View Post
I never extend an invitation to a thief, why would I leave it unlocked, I also never leave anything visible to tempt someone to break in.
I don't have anything of value in my car that would tempt a thief to break in.

Unless they really need hand sanitizer really badly
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      02-25-2021, 10:38 PM   #5
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I see. But i wonder if it would drain the battery or keep the computers on.
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      02-25-2021, 10:39 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by 2one3E90 View Post
I see. But i wonder if it would drain the battery or keep the computers on.
From what I know, once the light by the shifter goes out, the car is fully sleeping.
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      02-25-2021, 10:45 PM   #7
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It's a well known fact that thieves actively look through cars to see the one with the lock thing popped up meaning it's unlocked. No idea why you'd make yourself an easy target. I think leaving my car unlocked for a couple days when doing headers is what killed my battery but it was old as shit anyways too. I think maybe modules wouldn't go to sleep if it wasn't locked.
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      02-25-2021, 10:54 PM   #8
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My cars are never locked in the garage. For decades, in Maine, the garage was unlocked and the cars usually had the keys in them. My house in Maine didn't actually come with keys - I never had any until I changed all the knobs to handles, keyed alike. Florida, not so much, but I still don't lock the car when it is in the garage.

And no, whether locked or not makes no difference in power drain. These cars will go dead in a few weeks either way.
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      02-25-2021, 11:06 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by krhodes1 View Post
My cars are never locked in the garage. For decades, in Maine, the garage was unlocked and the cars usually had the keys in them. My house in Maine didn't actually come with keys - I never had any until I changed all the knobs to handles, keyed alike. Florida, not so much, but I still don't lock the car when it is in the garage.

And no, whether locked or not makes no difference in power drain. These cars will go dead in a few weeks either way.
Yeah I'm iffy on this one but generally not locked. I'll lock my e30 for the trunk (when parked in public) since there are often valuables in there but 99.9% of the time it's parked either the top, windows, or both are down and so far all that's ever been stolen in 9 years was about 15 cigarettes (the kind thief left me two to tide me over til I could buy more--what a guy) and an empty Bic lighter back when I used to smoke. Knock on wood. It's never locked in the garage and I've often left the keys in the ignition in the garage (which I typically realize after scouring the house for them).

E92 I only lock because the music keeps playing on bluetooth til I lock it or til it times out. Plus I like hearing the chirp and got a car with the alarm specifically for that reason.
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      02-26-2021, 12:01 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivek. View Post
...so far all that's ever been stolen in 9 years was about 15 cigarettes (the kind thief left me two to tide me over til I could buy more--what a guy
Strange how in those moments you can’t help but feel just a small bit of gratitude. Kind of like when someone steals the cash from your wallet, but leaves your ID and your Marble Slab Club Card.

A courteous and honorable man indeed.
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      02-26-2021, 01:16 AM   #11
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I leave soft top cars unlocked to discourage thieves from slicing the top to break in. Everything else gets locked.
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      02-26-2021, 03:12 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by e90yyc View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivek. View Post
...so far all that's ever been stolen in 9 years was about 15 cigarettes (the kind thief left me two to tide me over til I could buy more--what a guy
Strange how in those moments you can't help but feel just a small bit of gratitude. Kind of like when someone steals the cash from your wallet, but leaves your ID and your Marble Slab Club Card.

A courteous and honorable man indeed.
Sum are plain stupid, like taking prescription glasses when he got in my dads car. LOLOLOL
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      02-26-2021, 04:04 AM   #13
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Ive only ever locked my car in my own garage when leaving town for a while
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      02-26-2021, 06:28 AM   #14
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To me things are about habit. If leaving a car unlocked at home, imho there could be a tendency to by habit, leave it unlocked elsewhere. Or forget.

I also wondered what there is to leaving things unlocked. My wife's relatives in northern NJ, NYC Metro, never lock their house. The logic is we've lived here since 1994, never locked the house, never had a problem. But what does it accomplish?

When I was in college I had friends from Vermont. They never locked their homes nor their cars, anywhere. Back then I thought it was cool. Today, what's so cool about it? It's like in Stockholm when I was there no bikes were locked, nor at a college in NorCal. Honor system only goes so far if you ask me! When you come back and find your Santa Cruz Heckler doesn't seem to be where you last left it, it's inconvenient going downtown to pick up another!
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      02-26-2021, 06:42 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by e90yyc View Post
Strange how in those moments you can’t help but feel just a small bit of gratitude. Kind of like when someone steals the cash from your wallet, but leaves your ID and your Marble Slab Club Card.

A courteous and honorable man indeed.
I think things have really changed with the smartphone, even video technology. Does one really think they can be anywhere and not be streaming in ultra 4k to the web? I know I feel violated when I travel for work and have to stay in a hotel. Last time there was a stuffed bear looking at me as I slept, front desk said to ignore it. I said what about that fiber optic cable running under the door
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      02-26-2021, 06:59 AM   #16
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      02-26-2021, 07:06 AM   #17
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I don't have any hard data, but in my mind the difference is that locking the car puts it to "sleep" and cuts down the amperage draw of the various modules, whereas leaving it unlocked there will be some period of time before it gets to that low-power state.
You can tell that the car was "sleeping" when you open a door or trunk and you hear the fuel pump prime.
So regarding the dashcam, assuming you have it powered by way of a circuit that goes to "sleep" and not powered via constant-hot, the only difference would be that the circuit is hot longer if you don't lock the car.
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      02-26-2021, 07:12 AM   #18
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I look them and keys are in house for all cars in garage. Only daily driver key is readily accessible and tractor key, reason being is my house guest is less likely to be curious. Plus garage is detached so man door stays locked and garage door clicker is with kept in car.
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      02-26-2021, 07:21 AM   #19
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In winter unlocked. Regardless of whether I park home in the garage or outside. Had someone try to take it recently but Feuer has the best defensive system. A manual transmission. I don’t care what people say about them but Chicago Police Department are fantastic. They show up almost instantaneously.
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      02-26-2021, 07:27 AM   #20
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Ya the car will go into sleep mode, locked or not.

Unless we are on vacation most of the cars stay unlocked and the same as^^ 7our of our 8 cars have a 6spd manual so the car isn't going anywhere. Even our house is unlocked most of the time.

As long as you dont leave sunglasses of a GPS on the windshield, it wont get touched
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      02-26-2021, 07:40 AM   #21
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My neighborhood hasn't had any sort of police activity other than a suicidal person three years ago. I leave it unlocked in the garage, but having lived in Milwaukee and had my stereo stolen out of my Cutlass, I lock it if it's outside or anywhere other than home. Always have the keys in the kitchen or on me.
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      02-26-2021, 07:44 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John 070 View Post
To me things are about habit. If leaving a car unlocked at home, imho there could be a tendency to by habit, leave it unlocked elsewhere. Or forget.

I also wondered what there is to leaving things unlocked. My wife's relatives in northern NJ, NYC Metro, never lock their house. The logic is we've lived here since 1994, never locked the house, never had a problem. But what does it accomplish?

When I was in college I had friends from Vermont. They never locked their homes nor their cars, anywhere. Back then I thought it was cool. Today, what's so cool about it? It's like in Stockholm when I was there no bikes were locked, nor at a college in NorCal. Honor system only goes so far if you ask me! When you come back and find your Santa Cruz Heckler doesn't seem to be where you last left it, it's inconvenient going downtown to pick up another!
Wtf They stole your SC Heck aghhhh
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