[voltage_fluctuation]

Hi.. I bought a used MY14, like the car, but not some of the features (that you do not usually notice before you start using it).

rant start

The child lock is all-or-nothing for he back doors. Who designs these things? Do the engineers even look at real world usage? Volt engineers cut costs in the wrong place. No one wants and electronic control for child locks, flip a lever and you are done till your child is 8+ or whatever years.

Fine, you want to be "cool", but what about being able to open locked doors by pulling on the (inside) door handles even when you lock the door, and the car is moving? Whoever comes with these ideas should be ashamed of calling themselves engineers. You lock the door for a purpose, if pulling on handles opens the door, why even have a lock?

end rant.

Is there a way to disable opening of the door (any door) by just pulling on the handles unless you unlock?

 

[Barry]

In my 2013, the locked door will not open the first time you pull the inside handle. You have to pull it twice.

I don't think there is any way to disable that.

The fact that it opens on the second pull, I consider a safety feature. Being able to escape the vehicle in a hurry without having to find the unlock button, or in case the electrical system for the unlock button is not working, could be important.

As for the child lock, yes it is different from other vehicles. A single button locks both rear windows and door handles. You can set it and leave it set until your child is 8 if you like. Fortunately it is extremely quick and easy to turn off when you want it off. I think this system is more suited to those who carry kids only occasionally rather than on a family hauler.

 

[drpike]

I just got a 2011 last week. I always lock the windows to prevent my 6-year old from playing with them. Are you saying that that also sets the rear child locks? That could be why he's been saying he can't open the door when we stop.

 

[emg77]

I just got a 2011 last week. I always lock the windows to prevent my 6-year old from playing with them. Are you saying that that also sets the rear child locks? That could be why he's been saying he can't open the door when we stop.

Yes, I didn't realize this until I locked the windows to keep my kids from playing with them (they are 10 and 12 so they should know better), but then they couldn't get out of the car.

 

[Fyodor]

The inside door handles release the latch mechanically and override the electric locks. As I see it, that's redundancy and a useful safety measure. Any other cars I've had with power locks worked the same way.

 

[voltage_fluctuation]

The inside door handles release the latch mechanically and override the electric locks. As I see it, that's redundancy and a useful safety measure. Any other cars I've had with power locks worked the same way.

Hmm.. this is my first American car, none of the imports that I drive works this way. You can manually open the lock (little clumsy, that is to say that you really need to know you are opening the door), but just pulling on the handle does not unlock the door. Sucks that there is no override.

 

[canehdian]

Hmm.. this is my first American car, none of the imports that I drive works this way. You can manually open the lock (little clumsy, that is to say that you really need to know you are opening the door), but just pulling on the handle does not unlock the door. Sucks that there is no override.

All domestics that I've ever been in do this. Seems many don't know this coming from other brands, though it's very handy.

 

[Fyodor]

Hmm.. this is my first American car, none of the imports that I drive works this way. You can manually open the lock (little clumsy, that is to say that you really need to know you are opening the door), but just pulling on the handle does not unlock the door. Sucks that there is no override.

The last two VWs I had worked exactly this way - first tug unlocks, second trips the latch. Others did not have power locks, or were 25+ years ago and I just don't remember. But I think it is probably written into the safety codes.

 

[srmarti]

Under what circumstances does the OP want the child to be able to defeat the child safety lock? I'm not sure I understand what the problem is.

 

[srmarti]

The last two VWs I had worked exactly this way - first tug unlocks, second trips the latch. Others did not have power locks, or were 25+ years ago and I just don't remember. But I think it is probably written into the safety codes.

This is for the front doors? In the Volt I don't think the rear doors will open from inside with the child lock engaged. Isn't there some safety regulation about small children in the front seat?

 

[Fyodor]

This is for the front doors? In the Volt I don't think the rear doors will open from inside with the child lock engaged. Isn't there some safety regulation about small children in the front seat?

Now you've forced me to think about this. I may have to plead a senior's moment and admit I've conflated the child lock and the auto door lock cases. If they are different then I could be wrong about the double pull opening. I'll experiment but I bet someone has an answer before I do...

 

[caskConditionedAle]

When I stop to let people out, I put the car in Park. That unlocks all the doors.

 

[Anker]

When I stop to let people out, I put the car in Park. That unlocks all the doors.

The rear doors still can't be opened from inside if the windows are locked.

 

[voltage_fluctuation]

Under what circumstances does the OP want the child to be able to defeat the child safety lock? I'm not sure I understand what the problem is.

I do not want the child to be able to defeat the child safety. It is a little inconvenient to have both doors child locked with the same button. If you one child is older than the other, or the parent is sitting in the back with the child, they are both locked in.

My initial "problem", which I am told is more like a safety feature, is that pulling on door handles twice will unlock the doors even when you hit the lock on the doors. That is definitely a new paradigm for me .

 

[canehdian]

I do not want the child to be able to defeat the child safety. It is a little inconvenient to have both doors child locked with the same button. If you one child is older than the other, or the parent is sitting in the back with the child, they are both locked in.

The button is accessible to you, as the driver, at your fingertips. When the vehicle is stopped and your adult passenger wants out, just press the button?
The old style, if you had left it on that door, you'd have to get out, open the door for them, flick the switch off.
In the modern world, you just hit a button on your door with 1/2 second of effort.
I'm not seeing the inconvenience. I see convenience.

But I guess you won out in the end, because IIRC the gen2 volt does not have the electronic controls. You'd have to manually engage child locks on the door the old fashioned way.

 

[MinnVolt]

When I stop to let people out, I put the car in Park. That unlocks all the doors.

In my Gen 1 this is a option in the vehicle settings - I believe the default is not to unlock when put in park. For safety, I prefer to have all the doors remain locked, and having watched kids bail out of cars without looking, it seems to make sense.

Re; The double pull to exit - the last three Volvos I owned all were set up this way