[particlefx]

I bought a new water heater last night and loaded it into the back of the FX. Fit fairly well but there was no way the hatch was going to close. So I tied it and started home (I only live about 2 miles away). As I'm accelerating I hear a couple warning beeps and the nav screen pops up this screen:

Well, not exactly that screen; the screen I got last night showed the rear hatch open instead -- but I didn't have my camera then. This screen is what you get if you open the driver's door while the car is moving.

So they way it works is like this: assuming a door is open then as soon as the car goes over 5 mph it will then beep twice and show the warning screen. You can cancel the screen at anytime by pressing some other view (trip, map, etc) and it will stay off. If your speed slows below 5 mph and then exceeds it again, the warning will come up once again (which did get a bit annoying with all the stop signs on the way home).

On a side note: The Q45 displays a warning screen if the foot brake is on so perhaps it's a similar deal in the FX where you have to drive over 5 mph (doesn't really matter to me and I'm certainly not going to test it).

Anyway, I just wanted to share this for those of us that want to know everything we can about the car (even silly stuff like this).

 

[SDGuy]

It has all kinds of wizardry. They should offer an online course on the car's gadgets.

One question. Iif it knows when you are going 5 MPH, why can't it lock the doors? Or did I miss this feature in the manual? I have not owned any car in the past 6 years that has not locked the doors either when placed in Drive or at 3-5 mph. It is a safety issue especially when my wife drives. I was told the FX had "autolock", but that is an unrelated and pretty useless feature. Any help appreciated.

 

[Randy Huddleston]

It has all kinds of wizardry. They should offer an online course on the car's gadgets.

One question. Iif it knows when you are going 5 MPH, why can't it lock the doors? Or did I miss this feature in the manual? I have not owned any car in the past 6 years that has not locked the doors either when placed in Drive or at 3-5 mph. It is a safety issue especially when my wife drives. I was told the FX had "autolock", but that is an unrelated and pretty useless feature. Any help appreciated.

Auto locking doors is not a feature of the FX. Even those with the Tech Pkge don't have it, at least the '03's didn't.

 

[esemes]

any third party auot-start package will enable an auto-lock feature , if so desired.....

i was shocked as well, with all the features, that there's no auto-lock

 

[particlefx]

One question. If it knows when you are going 5 MPH, why can't it lock the doors?

SDGuy, it has become apparent to me that you are quite savvy with electronic circuits so why not create an auto locking feature for us? I know where you can find the vehicle speed signal (VSS) and it should be easy to patch into the electronic door locks. Seems academic to measure the VSS signal to see what it is outputting and then create a simple circuit that could trip the locks. What do you think?

 

[esemes]

One question. If it knows when you are going 5 MPH, why can't it lock the doors?

SDGuy, it has become apparent to me that you are quite savvy with electronic circuits so why not create an auto locking feature for us? I know where you can find the vehicle speed signal (VSS) and it should be easy to patch into the electronic door locks. Seems academic to measure the VSS signal to see what it is outputting and then create a simple circuit that could trip the locks. What do you think?

:idea: :idea: :idea: (not for me, for SDGUY) :idea: :idea: :idea:

 

[SDGuy]

Nice of you to think I might be able to do this But I don't have much digital electronics knowledge.

The VSS , if it is like other cars, is a square wave pulse that increases in frequency with increasing speed. The car already has a microprocessor that can read these pulses and probably that is what already provides the information to the NAV, speedometer, door open alarm etc. So a Nissan provided firmware ugrade would be the easiest way to provide automatic locking at 5MPH. Maybe we could put some pressure on Nissan?

Alternately, you could get a digital engineer to build a circuit that does a single shot trigger when pulses get to a certain frequency. I don't know if it would be a problem to keep resending this door lock trigger signal EVERY time the speed crosses this threshold (IOW, every time you accelerate at a stoplight)- or if it would be best to only get one trigger for each ignition startup and then you are on your own if you stop and open the doors without shutting off the car. Anyway, this one isn't my project . Jaak, who piped up in the mute thread has got the smarts though - I'll ask him about it. For all I know, his Murano may already have auto locking and us Infiniti types got left holding the door lock switch. Wouldn't that be funny. SDGuy

 

[esemes]

having come from an 03 murano SL AW, i can vouch for the lack of autolocks........

 

[particlefx]

You're right, you could get into a similar situation as the door alarm I mentioned above where the door locks fire at every stop sign just as the door alarm does now. I know that pressing the lock button when the doors are already locked still engages the locking solenoid so that's a no-no. However, if there is a way to determine whether the doors are currently locked then anytime the "pulses" reach the 5 mph point the lock command could be sent if the doors are unlocked. This still creates a problem if they are unlocked and the vehicle is decelerating but that's probably a rare occurrence.

A simple and inexpensive firmware update would be nice if Nissan does it. My experience with this sort of issue has been that the manufactures seldom make the updates backward compatible though.

 

[GEAUX]

any third party auot-start package will enable an auto-lock feature , if so desired.....

i was shocked as well, with all the features, that there's no auto-lock

OMG, thats right, no auto lock when in drive. I think I was amazed at the other toys to realize.

I still am in awe of the "no key" ignition and lock/unlock. I impress my friends daily with their "lowly" key fobs...hehe

 

[jaak]

Yeah, Auto lock was probably the one thing I would have liked to have.

I've got it on my list of to do's but I do have a real job too, ya know!

SDguy did get me thinking about it, and it shouldn't be too tough to do. (Famous last words...) But I won't get to it, until I'm finished with the direct audio input interface. I want my iPaq to play mp3's into the sound system and be controlled from the radio's controls. :?

 

[SDGuy]

RE: door locking on drive off

I just called Infiniti and the representative acted like she had never heard of auto door locking in modern vehicles. I made the suggestion and she said she would note it. FWIW, if you'd like to express your opinion, it is

Infiniti Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 191
Gardena, CA 90248
800.662.6200
9:00am - 6:00pm Eastern / Central Time
8:00am - 5:00pm Pacific Time

 

[particlefx]

I just called Infiniti and the representative acted like she had never heard of auto door locking in modern vehicles.

LOL, I knew there had to be a reasonable explanation for the missing feature: Infiniti just hasn't ever heard of it.

Seriously though, I'll bet $20 that the 2005 models have it. Any takers? 8)

 

[mushutofu]

You know whats worse...

For those without the tech package...you can lock and unlock your doors with the factory remote while the vehicle is in motion? WTF is that!
On my Tl-s once the engine was started the remote would not work...i.e. you couldn't open the doors and trunk.

 

[dinofx35]

LOL, I knew there had to be a reasonable explanation for the missing feature: Infiniti just hasn't ever heard of it.

Seriously though, I'll bet $20 that the 2005 models have it. Any takers? 8)

This is the type of feature you find in Buicks. I'll take that bet. I will accept PayPal for payment 8)

 

[gtxjoe]

I am glad there is no autolock feature.

I hope no one suggests to Infiniti that there should be an annoying chime, if the driver does not buckle his seatbelt :wink:

 

[kcrudup]

I am glad there is no autolock feature.

Amen to that! Who locks their doors, anyway? ****, I run around in South Central L.A. half the time and I still don't lock my doors.

 

[particlefx]

I am glad there is no autolock feature.

Amen to that! Who locks their doors, anyway? ****, I run around in South Central L.A. half the time and I still don't lock my doors.

Yeah, but you're a big scarry black guy too.

 

[kcrudup]

****, I run around in South Central L.A. half the time and I still don't lock my doors.

Yeah, but you're a big scary black guy too.

Sheeit- that means very little to a jacker with a 'nine, though!

 

[SDGuy]

I hope you guys are joking about Autolock. Autolock could be a menu item: OFF, 0MPH, 5MPH,10MPH