Car expert astonishes drivers with hidden key function that adds extra security

05 October 2023 , 09:18

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Many cars will have this feature (stock photo) (Image: InYourArea)

As car theft is on the rise, it's more important than ever to keep your motor safe - especially as a rise in chop shops means you might not retrieve your car if it's stolen.

It's important to make sure your vehicle is locked when you leave it, but if you have a habit of forgetting if you've left it locked or not, one motorist has a great tip that could help.

TikTok car expert Dongcheshijie is well known to her 2.2 million followers for her motoring advice, and she often details how to get the most out of your vehicle. In her latest video, she's explained that your car can tell you when it's locked - and it's really easy to set up as well.

"You don't have to go back just press the lock button and you'll know", she explained. "You haven't set it up? Normally, if your car door is locked, you press the lock button, and the car horn will sound. We press and hold the lock button and unlock button for five seconds and keep it on. After hearing a beep, the function that the car horn will sound when you press the lock button is set.”

The video shows Dongcheshije holding down the lock and unlock buttons of a remote key-fob together for five seconds until the car horn sounds. This means that the car will sound its horn briefly every time the lock button is pressed, allowing the owner to know when the vehicle has been locked.

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This hidden feature can also tell the driver if a door is open, preventing the car from being locked. "If we press the lock button again and find that we don't hear the horn sound it means that there must be a car door that is not closed properly", she said. "Hearing the sound of the horn means that the four doors have been closed, then we can leave with confidence."

The car expert also highlighted that this feature could be helpful if you can't find your car in a busy car park, as you can simply follow the horn sound. While this function is found on many models, drivers should check their vehicle's handbook to see if the trick varies for their model.

Motorists took to the comment section to shair their tips for knowing when their vehicle is locked. "My car has two unlock/lock buttons in the car in the front driver and passenger sides. It dings if we hit the button and a door is open", one person explained. Another added that "if my car door isn't properly locked, I'll hear the locking and unlocking sound after another and know."

Did you know this trick? Let us know in the comments below.

Bryony Gooch