Can't lock (powerless) car (displayed in local mall)

[nicecarstar]

I am displaying my Smart Car in the local mall. Fire regulations require the battery be disconnected, but I can't lock the car, either with the remote or the key. Surely, if the battery was dead there must be a way to get into the car. Am I missing something here? Can anyone help me? Thanks!

[T12121]

if you lock the passenger door remove battery then use the key to lock the other door wouldnt that work? I dont know just a thought/suggestion.

Tom

[nicecarstar]

Tom, thanks for your reply. When the battery was disconnected, I couldn't use either the key or the remote to lock the car. Obviously, I didn't want to leave the car unlocked in the mall, so I had to reconnect the battery. What happens when you have a dead battery and the electric locks and key won't work? I must be missing something, here.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by nicecarstar

Surely, if the battery was dead there must be a way to get into the car. Am I missing something here? Can anyone help me? Thanks!

You're missing something - there's a keyhole on the driver's door, under a small cap with a picture of a key on it. To remove the cap you have to press on only one side of it, so that the other side will tilt out; underneath the cap is a keyhole.

[nicecarstar]

Thanks. We inserted the key, but it won't lock the car unless the battery is connected.

[h20m0f0]

thats wierd

[SmartCard]

that's probably because the keyhole is not a true mechanical lock of yesteryear, but just electronic as well?

[JPaul]

So, bottom line (and this thread tends now to get more general, and not just about 'nicecarstar' issue of locking without power) is this: how are we supposed to UNLOCK the car and have access to the battery, if the latter went dead? Is there a place where we can plug a charger (or another vehicle's battery) that remains accessible if the car is locked and without power on its own?

BTW: I did modify the thread's title to reflect the more general question at hand.

[Old Panda]

Yea, 'if' you have locked your car for the evening and the next morning, for whatever reason, you go to your smart and find that the car won't unlock due to a dead battery, how would you get into it to CHARGE THE BATTERY?

My guess is that in that scenario, the 'key hole' on the drivers side WILL UNLOCK the door, but NOT LOCK IT.

Guess the MB engineers didn't see a need for locking the car up with a dead, or no, battery. Maybe something they should rethink for 2010?

[HGB]

Does this mean that I must leave my wife in the car holding a shotgun to protect the contents until I return with a new battery or some sort of assistance?
Are we not seeing something and there is really a simple solution?
Are the engineers in Germany laden with warped humor?
Is Mercedes Benz interested in selling a lot more smarts in the future...?