How Do Central Locking Systems Work?

The central locking system makes it possible to lock or unlock all of a vehicle's doors, the liftgate or the luggage compartment lid simultaneously. This can be done mechanically by locking one of the front doors using the key or by locking the doors from inside the vehicle.

A vehicle can be centrally locked by the following methods:

• Using the mechanical key
• Moving the internal door handle to the opening position 
• Using the operating buttons on the radio remote control

The central locking system is available with single or with double locking.

Double-locking is an additional anti-theft device and can only be activated if the ignition is switched off and the driver's door is fully closed. Double locking ensures that opening the vehicle from the inside (for example. after glass breakage) is no longer possible.

Remote Central Locking

The vehicle can also be locked and unlocked centrally using the radio remote control buttons. To activate double locking, the locking button on the radio frequency remote control must be pressed twice.

If the vehicle is unlocked but the doors, luggage compartment, or the liftgate remain closed, the vehicle will automatically re-lock. The period of time this takes may vary by model.

Global Open and Close

An additional feature that exists is the ability to close (or open) all the windows in the vehicle at once via the radio remote control. If one or more of the windows are fully or partially down, and the doors closed, depressing and holding the lock button on the radio remote control for a period of 5 seconds continuously will command the vehicle to close all of the vehicles at once. Similarly, if the unlock button on the radio remote control is depressed and held for a period of 5 seconds continuously, the vehicle is commanded to open all of the windows at the same time. This feature may vary between models.

For more information, please refer to your owner's manual or speak to your local Ford dealership.