2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10: Hello 15,000 Miles

That's a lot of miles in a few short months.

BTW why it the speedo telling you the door is unlocked?

@firstwagon

Because the door IS unlocked. There is no lock "plunger" hence the reason for the display.

DECK
DOOR AJAR
DOOR UNLOCKED
LOW TIRE
FLAT TIRE

All the above can be displayed in the LCD.

You would have to be the car to see it and thus you would know your door is unlocked. You got in.

It would be very annoying to sit there staring at a redundant statement. Kinda like if it said "Engine is running" as you were driving down the road.

Again there is NO WAY to see if the car is locked or unlocked WHILE DRIVING; there are no VISUAL clues on the door trim, if it's that annoying then lock the doors and it goes away. The doors should auto-lock anyways, apparently someone disabled that function. Your obviously complaining about something just to complain, is it that hard to press the door lock switch to not be "annoyed"?

Do you think it's redundant when cars display "Door Ajar" or "Hood Ajar" as well?

Your door or your hood should not be open while you are driving.

I never drive with my doors locked (why would I?) so it would be annoying to have the car constantly telling me too.

Is that so hard to understand?

"I never drive with my doors locked (why would I?)."

1) To prevent unauthorized access while you're stopped or in traffic. Whether it be road rage or a potential carjacking, locked doors gives you more security and a better chance at escaping unharmed.

1b) To prevent theft from your trunk (or backseat) while stopped if you have a car with an exterior decklid release. Like a smash-and-grab, it happens to people who are careless.

2) To prevent a door from opening in a collision by you or other objects/debris in the interior activating the door handle during the crash. Laugh if you want, but it happens.

3) To add a layer of security in keeping the door closed in the event of a collision by securing the interior lock mechanism. This and #1 are the two biggest reasons to lock your doors while driving.

4) To lessen the chance that you or a passenger accidentally opens a door while you're moving.

In over 30 years of driving, none of the above have ever happened to me or anyone I know.

If you live in a high crime area then I see your point for 1a and b.

Having your doors locked in an accident seems like more of a bad idea. That much harder for you to get out or other people to get in to help you.

"Having your doors locked in an accident seems like more of a bad idea. That much harder for you to get out or other people to get in to help you."

That's like saying automakers should use lower-strength steel in the pillars because it's easier for rescuers to cut and get you out. I'd rather have the better protection to begin with. You're way more likely to suffer injury from what happens during the crash than from a possible delay getting out of the car afterward. And since cars rarely catch fire in accidents anymore, there aren't many scenarios where you need to get out immediately. If you're injured, you should be staying put anyway. Plus many automakers - like Volvo and BMW - have fitted post-crash automatic unlocking for years.

None of my examples have thankfully happened to me but 1b) happened to my father twice before the days of autolock.

Obviously firstwagon, you don't understand on how modern safety systems work.

In an accident, the Viper will unlock the doors, shut off the fuel pump, and activate the hazards, like on many if not all Chrysler cars.

Again there is absolutely no visual clue the status of the door locks, so how hard is that to understand that there has to be an indicator, I mean do you want it to say "Doors Locked" then since you drive around with unlocked doors? (Then you'll complain about that).

And you say that no-one drives with their door open, but doors will not close all the way and people still drive around like that, same with hoods as well.

This isn't a big red light, it's not flashing, it's not even giving you a chime, so it's not annoying, and it's as simple as reaching over and pushing the door lock button, or reactivating the auto-lock feature that someone has disabled. And you don't need the dealer to re-activate it either, just read the owners manual (something that many people need to do)

Can't wait for a post complaining about the security system that auto-arms (yes it does auto-arm...again read the owners manual) and the associated whining that comes from it.

Love the line about engine running while driving LMAO!!! I have to agree though the door unlocked thing is just stupid. The door ajar warning is not redundant because a door could be closed but not fully, especially with little kids. But bimmerjay is also not quite correct about auto door locks securing the doors in a collision. Auto door locks are not designed or intended for that purpose, the doors old fashioned latching mechanisms serve that purpose. Auto door locks prevent carjacking and accidental opening by children. In a collision the doors will automatically unlock when the airbags are deployed. And since airbags are deployed within milliseconds this defeats the purpose of door locks preventing doors from opening. Most cars now will also turn on interior lights and hazard lights, and turn off the fuel pump.

"And since airbags are deployed within milliseconds this defeats the purpose of door locks preventing doors from opening."

Actually the doors don't unlock until the car has come to a complete halt, there's a built in delay where the interior light, hazards, and fuel pump shut down are activated....do you honestly think that Onstar is already dialing when the airbags go off...it's seconds after the impact before anything takes place.

Also any inputs from the door handle when the doors are locked above 5 MPH are ignored by the Viper, because like many modern cars the doors will unlock and open when one of the front doors (or driver and passenger door on the Viper) are opened from the inside.

And how did door ajar not redundant? If your interior lights are blaring and your driving down the road with a rattling door then obviously it's open, again you CAN'T SEE the status of the door locks in the Viper other than what's shown in the LCD.

What about seatbelt lights then? Your obviously not wearing it, and hell GM and other manufacturers like to tell you when the passenger isn't buckled in as well, can't the driver physically see the status of the seatbelt?