How to instantly lower your car windows with the key remote

c|net.com ^ | 9-4-12 | By Ed Rhee

[rawhide]

The temperature inside your car can get insanely hot on sunny days, regardless of the temperature outside. When you get to your car and it's boiling hot, what's the first thing you do? You lower the windows and blast the air conditioner, right?

A convenient feature that's been around for years, but remains unknown to many car owners, is the ability to lower the windows with the key remote. This allows you to begin cooling your car without having to get in first. Unless the car dealership told you about this trick or you happen to read manuals for fun, you may have been unaware of this ages-old trick.

The trick usually involves pressing the remote's unlock button, releasing it, then pressing it again and holding it down. In some cars, instead of using the remote, you can insert your key in the door lock and turn it clockwise, release, then turn it clockwise again and hold. Turning the key counterclockwise will usually raise the windows back up. Some cars will also include the sunroof as a window in this operation, while some convertibles with automatic tops will shut.

Based on an internal CNET poll, we've confirmed that the trick works on various models from the following manufacturers:

Acura (MDX/TL/TSX)

Alfa Romeo (159)

Audi (A3/A4/A6/A7)

BMW (3 Series/5 Series/7 Series/M5/Z4)

Chevrolet (Corvette)

Chrysler (Sebring/Town & Country)

Dodge (Challenger/Charger/Durango/Journey/Ram)

Ford (C-Max/F-150/Focus/Fusion/Mondeo/S-Max/Taurus)

Honda (Accord/Accord Crosstour/Odyssey/Pilot/Ridgeline)

Infiniti (G25x/G35/G37/I30/I35/M35)

Jaguar (S Type/XJ8/XK8)

Lexus (ES300/GS350/RX300/RX350/RX400h)

Lincoln (LS/MKX/MKZ/Zephyr)

Mazda (6/CX-9/MX-5 Miata)

Mercedes-Benz(B180/C240/C300/CLK350/CLS550/E350/E500/ML550)

Mini Cooper (Clubman)

Nissan (350Z/Altima/Maxima/Murano/Titan)

Volkswagen (Beetle/Golf/Jetta/Passat)

Volvo (C30/V50)

[llevrok]

I used to trick my wife by dropping all the windows as she walked up to the car. She was convinced we had a defective car ! :-)

[dinodino]

RTFM.

[CodeToad]

Why bother? My truck has a remote start that in the summer will turn on the AC full blast and start the seat coolers and in the winter it turns on the heaters and the seat and steering wheel warmers. Problem solved and my winders ain’t down.

[Revolting cat!]

On one of my remotes the lock don’t work, and the other which worked but had been lost for several months under a pile of paper and now showed up don’t work at all. Are there batteries inside them? How to change them? (10 yr old car. Visit a dealership and pay them >$100?)

[cripplecreek]

I can lean out the winder of the house with a shotgun and get the winders down in both cars at one time. At this distance maybe more if I use buck shot.

[CreviceTool]

Turning the key in the driver’s door of my Jag rag top lowers the windows and the top. The key also raises the windows ans the top as well.

[imardmd1]

(save) Thanks!

[Revolting cat!]

I let James take care of such trifles for me.

[Steve Van Doorn]

I remember someone showing us how it is done but I forgot. Thank you

[Marcella]

“I can lean out the winder of the house with a shotgun and get the winders down in both cars at one time.”

I laughed at this and my Yorkie, who is on my chair, looked up and stared at me like I was nuts.

You are a special poster.

[Rebelbase]

For all the stupid times I’ve tried it I’d like to know how to get the key remote to open the front door to my house.

[cripplecreek]

You are a special poster.

Yeah I'm "special" alright.

[Flycatcher]

I once tried to open a door.

But I couldn't.

Because it was ajar.

[ibheath]

On one of my remotes the lock don’t work, and the other which worked but had been lost for several months under a pile of paper and now showed up don’t work at all. Are there batteries inside them? How to change them? (10 yr old car. Visit a dealership and pay them >$100?)

It is a coin style battery, usually you can get two for under $5 at lowes/home depot. Walgreens/CVS/etc carry them too. Just unscrew the back, open, pull the battery and read the number on it.

[cripplecreek]

Well have him paint that ugly ass house if he isn’t doing anything else would ya.

[libertarian27]

I wouldn’t do this in Detroit or the South Side of Chicago...

and a myriad of other cities throughout the land.

[centurion316]

My Lexus has done this twice whilst parking in the parking lot with me in the office and the key fob in my pocket. The first time it happened, I had to get online to figure out what was going on. The second time, I was annoyed - when is it going to happen when a thunderstorm rolls through?

[Tennessee Nana]

:)

[RonInNaples]

Usually hearing aid or watch batteries in them. Dealers will charge you $40-$60 or more for a replacement. When I called the Ford dealer and got his price I passed on it. Went to Amazon and got them for $20 plus shipping. Also got the case with no guts since it seems the key ring area on the remote always breaks. Move the guts from the broken remote to the new one and I’m in business. The cases were $2.99 on Amazon.