A Quirky Unlock System
Driving my grandmother’s 2004 Chrysler Town & Country recently made me appreciate the greatness of vans, but one feature stood out as particularly unusual: its unlock procedure. Unlike most vehicles, which typically unlock either all doors at once or the driver’s door on the first click and the rest on the second, this minivan had a different approach. The first click of the unlock button on the fob opened both driver’s side doors – the actual driver’s door and the left-hand sliding door. A second click was required to unlock both passenger-side doors and the trunk.
This unconventional operation was confirmed by the vehicle’s blinkers. A single press of the unlock button caused the driver’s side blinkers to flash. Pressing it a second time made all four blinkers flash. I’ve never encountered another vehicle with this functionality. In contrast, the lock function was more straightforward: one click locked all doors and sounded the horn, while the unlock function only flashed the lights without sounding the horn.
The reasoning behind this unusual design remains unclear. It might be related to the electrically sliding doors featured in this van, but it’s hard to say for certain. Perhaps it was simply an unconventional idea from a DaimlerChrysler engineer during the early 2000s. Whatever the reason, this quirk adds a touch of uniqueness to an otherwise ordinary 20-year-old minivan.
In a world of increasingly standardized automotive design, this little bit of weirdness is refreshing. It shows that even in a mundane family vehicle, there’s room for some character and personality. As someone who appreciates a good story behind a car’s features, I find this unlock procedure fascinating – a reminder that sometimes, car companies were built on more than just practicality, but also on ‘vibes.’
