Disable Rear Set Door Lock Button

[AudiEmpire]

Has anyone successfully disabled the electronic lock button on the rear doors? I have 2 young children in the rear seats of both my S7 and wife's Q7. The kids can reach the lock button with their feet... and this has become a 'game' for them.

Can the buttons be disabled via programing? Carista / Vagcom / MMI setting ?
I'm assuming there is an electronic connection inside the door that could just be unclipped? Would this result in an error light?
Is there a fuse I can pull? Or would the fuse in question also disable other needed electronics in the rear?

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

[Nhuthien12]

I have child block button on my Rs7. I think s7 and Q7 should have them too


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[gk1]

There should be some buttons on the driver's side controls similar to these that allow you to disable the rear locks. Fairly standard on all Audis for many years now.

[AudiEmpire]

There should be some buttons on the driver's side controls similar to these that allow you to disable the rear locks. Fairly standard on all Audis for many years now.

Unfortunately, that is not how Audi designed the system. Quoting the owners manual "The child safety lock prevents the read door from being OPENED (aka Unlocked) from the inside and the rear windows from being operated".

My wife is close to the unthinkable... trading our new Q7 for a MiniVan or any SUV that solves this child safety issue. Not an issue for me/S7, as I always have the key in my pocket.

The Q7 is currently at the dealer for a host of other issues, I'll let everyone know if they have any proposed solution outside of "Tell your wife she has to keep the key in her pocket".

[ericw.]

Unfortunately, that is not how Audi designed the system. Quoting the owners manual "The child safety lock prevents the read door from being OPENED (aka Unlocked) from the inside and the rear windows from being operated".

My wife is close to the unthinkable... trading our new Q7 for a MiniVan or any SUV that solves this child safety issue. Not an issue for me/S7, as I always have the key in my pocket.

The Q7 is currently at the dealer for a host of other issues, I'll let everyone know if they have any proposed solution outside of "Tell your wife she has to keep the key in her pocket".

Propose that she goes with the RS5, they can't unlock doors if there aren't any doors in the back. lol

[gk1]

Unfortunately, that is not how Audi designed the system. Quoting the owners manual "The child safety lock prevents the read door from being OPENED (aka Unlocked) from the inside and the rear windows from being operated".

My wife is close to the unthinkable... trading our new Q7 for a MiniVan or any SUV that solves this child safety issue. Not an issue for me/S7, as I always have the key in my pocket.

The Q7 is currently at the dealer for a host of other issues, I'll let everyone know if they have any proposed solution outside of "Tell your wife she has to keep the key in her pocket".

I see what you're saying now. Not really a safety issue as there is only a lock button in the back and the unlock and opening of the door is only done through the handle which can either be mechanically or electronically disabled.
I can see however it would be annoying as *uck to have the door lock clicking constantly as they press the button repeatedly. Sadly the best thing I could think of would be some sort of mechanical barrier over the doorlock. Not sure if that would be feasible.

I don't recommend it since it will throw a fault and likely controls other items, (maybe not a MIL), but you could try pulling fuse 5 Panel B ST3 - red (For S6 but might be same for S7). It should be the 30A fuse for the rear door control module. I'd assume the windows would also not work then.

[AudiEmpire]

I see what you're saying now. Not really a safety issue as there is only a lock button in the back and the unlock and opening of the door is only done through the handle which can either be mechanically or electronically disabled.
I can see however it would be annoying as *uck to have the door lock clicking constantly as they press the button repeatedly. Sadly the best thing I could think of would be some sort of mechanical barrier over the doorlock. Not sure if that would be feasible.

I don't recommend it since it will throw a fault and likely controls other items, (maybe not a MIL), but you could try pulling fuse 5 Panel B ST3 - red (For S6 but might be same for S7). It should be the 30A fuse for the rear door control module. I'd assume the windows would also not work then.

As terrible as it might look... my leading solution candidate is to fab up a mechanical barrier with 3M command strips and some kind of flexible black plastic, maybe covered in Carbon Fiber vinyl... which ought to add 20 awhp :) .

[infinkc]

i had this issue with my q7, my kid pressed the lock button when i got out of the car with the keys still inside. They were in a carseat at the time and obviously couldnt open the door. Was a very scary situation. Luckily it wasnt hot out and we were able to get the door open through the window.

I landed up disconnecting the button, there was no reason for me to ever use it. I had complaints in with audi and they also said at the time the only way was to have it disconnected. Since your car is at the dealer, have them do it, Audi told me they would cover if i had a dealer do it, but i just did it myself.

who puts a button on the door within perfect reach for a small child!

[AudiEmpire]

i had this issue with my q7, my kid pressed the lock button when i got out of the car with the keys still inside. They were in a carseat at the time and obviously couldnt open the door. Was a very scary situation. Luckily it wasnt hot out and we were able to get the door open through the window.

I landed up disconnecting the button, there was no reason for me to ever use it. I had complaints in with audi and they also said at the time the only way was to have it disconnected. Since your car is at the dealer, have them do it, Audi told me they would cover if i had a dealer do it, but i just did it myself.

who puts a button on the door within perfect reach for a small child!

This would be fantastic. After disconnecting the button did you have any warning lights or loss of function outside of the button. Also, when you say "Audi told me they would cover if i had a dealer do it, but i just did it myself." Are you talking about Audi North America / Corporate? My next step post today's conference call onslaught is to call them.

[MVR 155]

My daughter did this once, I was pulling out of the garage and she asked for something I needed to run back into the house for. I came out and I couldn't open the door. Obviously I panicked for a quick minute and then realized I could take the actual metal key from the fob and unlock the door manually. I told her to NEVER do it again and she hasn't so much looked at the lock button. She was 4 when this happened (early this year). Best to just discipline kids not to touch things they aren't supposed to.

[AudiEmpire]

UPDATE WITH RESOLUTION!

I ended up calling AOA... they told me to go pound sand, "System is functioning as designed". Luckily my dealer's service department stepped up and took care of it for me, disconnecting the buttons. No error lights, exactly what i needed. They did charge me an hour of labor, but just happy to have it fixed.

[Riker]

UPDATE WITH RESOLUTION!

I ended up calling AOA... they told me to go pound sand, "System is functioning as designed". Luckily my dealer's service department stepped up and took care of it for me, disconnecting the buttons. No error lights, exactly what i needed. They did charge me an hour of labor, but just happy to have it fixed.

Great to hear, AoA is great for certain issues and being buddy buddy with your dealer can net you a whole lot more. I imagine they accomplished this through VCDS. I am terribly curious though, When you say: "The kids can reach the lock button with their feet", is there an unlock feature in the foot well?

[AudiEmpire]

Great to hear, AoA is great for certain issues and being buddy buddy with your dealer can net you a whole lot more. I imagine they accomplished this through VCDS. I am terribly curious though, When you say: "The kids can reach the lock button with their feet", is there an unlock feature in the foot well?

There is no power unlock button in the rear seat of either our 2019 Q7 or 2016 S7. Both have a single power LOCK button, and rely on a manual pull of the door handle for unlocking. As you can imagine a child, strapped into a car seat, can not reach the handle with his/her hand, but can reach the LOCK button with their foot. German engineering must have been on coffee break during this first design sprint.

[widebodyfx]

Not sure if it helps but a lot of European rear door handle assemblies do not come with lock controls.

[gk1]

Best to just discipline kids not to touch things they aren't supposed to.

German engineering must have been on coffee break during this first design sprint.

LoL. I like to think of German engineers more as disciplined, than perhaps irresponsible. .
You must consider that your situation is an edge case.
You need a car seat + child configuration that reaches and a child's propensity to do such a thing without consequence.
Then you need a driver who closes the driver's door with the key inside before opening the rear doors. As good as engineers are they are hard pressed to prepare for EVERY eventuality.