Had a scary moment this weekend

J

jimpeel

New member
I live in CO and we were going shooting at Great Guns in Nunn, CO. I packed up the SKS, Browning HP, Taurus 1911, my wife's Lady Smith and lots of ammo. Threw it all in the trunk and we were off.

We stopped at a truck stop named Johnson's Corner and had breakfast. When we came out, the trunk lid of the car was standing wide open.

Heart attack!

We looked in the trunk and everything appeared to be there.

SKS, check.
Browning HP, check.
Lady Smith, check.
Taurus 1911, check.
Everything else, check.

The only thing we can think of is that someone opened their car using their remote and it actuated the trunk lid on my car. We don't know how long it stood open. All we know is that everything was there and we don't have to live with the guilt of having our firearms on the street.

I will never trust the trunk to transport my firearms again.

Maybe others could learn from my experience.
 
I bet ya had the keys in your pocket and accidentally hit the trunk lid button. I have done that before.
 
Depending on the car & it's features...

you may have the ability to disconnect any manner of remote trunk-popping so that it'll only open with the physical insertion of a key in the lock.

That may put you in a better position to haul your gear. I can't imagine that your guns piled (visibly!) in the back seat is going to be a better idea than concealed in a trunk.

Obviously, the best idea is to make the range trip a "no stops" kind of trip, but this is not always possible.
 
Look in the glove compartment. That's the most common place I've
seen the disconnect switch for trunk releases. If it's not there,
check the owners manual or online. If it can be opened with a
remote--there is probably a way to disable it.
 
Some of them are physical disconnects: open your trunk and look at the cabling that attaches to the actual trunk latch. Sometimes it's opened by a physical cable that manually pulls it and that cable itself is attached to a servo that jerks it and there is a manual sliding device that disables it.
 
all trunks on new cars are required to have some kind of manual latch to open it from the inside. in case some one gets stuck in the trunk. or at least a way to open the seats from the trunk if they fold down. that sounds like the most likely scenario, your stuff in the trunk was piled up and when you stopped it hit that latch somehow. depends on your trunk.
 
Impossible for another remote to activate your trunk, but if you do want to disable the latch motor then PM me, I'll look it up on our shop information software.

Probably easier to just double-check the trunk is closed when you walk away from it.
 
I would bet that YOU were the one who accidentally hit the trunk release on your remote. Been there done that.
 
BillM said:
Look in the glove compartment. That's the most common place I've seen the disconnect switch for trunk releases.
Click to expand...

There is a valet switch in the glove compartment which disables the trunk button on the dash; but does that also disable the remote control function?
 
Last edited:
RodTheWrench said:
Impossible for another remote to activate your trunk, but if you do want to disable the latch motor then PM me, I'll look it up on our shop information software.

Probably easier to just double-check the trunk is closed when you walk away from it."
Click to expand...

The key does not work to open the trunk. The only way for me to get in is to turn the ignition on and push the trunk button on the dash. I could disconnect the electrical cable; but that would leave me no way in.

The trunk was slammed shut and then I drove twenty miles to the restaurant. It was closed when we went inside. The only possibility is another remote inadvertently opened it. The button on the dash does not work when the ignition is off.
 
Last edited:
While it might be impossible for new production cars to be activated with another remote, it just might with a 1991. I'm betting you are right.
 
Impossible for another remote to activate your trunk,
Click to expand...
That's not true. While it's remote, (tee hee) it's possible. I've had my keys in my hand walking to my truck (2003) and the doors unlocked before I hit the button. I stopped in my tracks and there was a guy nearby just getting into his car. HIS button unlocked his car and mine. He had no idea and therefore no malicious intent, but those coincidences are out there. And there are people that go around testing their key fobs and garage door openers WITH malicious intent.
 
Hasp and padlock mayhaps?




99-360View-Rear1-1280px-550x373.jpg
 
You can pull the fuse for the trunk circuitry, but that may disable something else, too.

Many years ago a state trooper told me to always park where you can see your car, and always choose a seat in the restaurant with a view of your car. Something to try for, anyway.
 
RodTheWrench said:
Impossible for another remote to activate your trunk,
Click to expand...
No, it is NOT impossible. It is unlikely, but it is absolutely possible.

Automobile remotes are just like remotes for a garage door opener: there are only a finite number of codes available, and they get recycled. If another car within transceiver range of yours happens to belong to someone who has a remote with the same code as yours, when he unlocks his vehicle he'll also unlock yours.
 
Haven't been there in a while, but Johnson's Corner used to have the best biscuits and gravy in this part of the country.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top