kaorisdad

I usually don't lock my cars in my garage. When I bought my new A6, the salesperson suggested that the car always be locked as some systems are continually on only while unlocked. He said if I didn't, my battery would be drained if I went on vacation.

Does anyone know what additional systems are left on while the car is unlocked?

ettsn

I don't have an answer for you, but I'm quite interested in the answer. I leave my cars unlocked in the garage all the time!

snagitseven

I don't believe there's any significant energy advantage to either locking or unlocking the car. The car has stages of power saving modes where if it's not turned on for a period of time, systems are put into "sleep" mode. An example of this is if the car has been off for awhile, the MMI goes through a longer, full startup. Another would be the requirement of pulling the door handle twice to unlock the car - once to wake the locking system and another to unlock the door.
On the other hand, it's not a bad idea to lock the car at all times, even in a locked garage (although I'm guilty of usually not doing so).

in2dwww

I think there's a difference between "armed" and "disarmed" when it comes to the alarm. For instance, the red led blink on the driver's door. The towing sensor. The key proximity sensors.

If the car is unlocked, it will not be "armed" and might go into sleep mode faster.

However, I bet there's not a single Audi dealer that leaves their cars "disarmed" and unlocked simply to save power.

Thus, just lock it. If the battery does drain, there's always roadside assistance to the rescue!

gatorguy7

I doubt that Audi would design an electrical system which would drain the battery to empty. Like Snagit it said there are most likely safe guards in place to prevent this. Either way I'd like to know what the systems are that on when the car isn't locked but turned off.

ScrewGuy

My car sat unlocked in the garage for 12 days recently. I did not have any issues.

tenspeed

The salesperson meant people that take longer vacations...

irenesbob

Agree. It seems prudent to me to lock any cars you've got in the garage if you're planning to be away for an extended period of time. The garage is generally the most vulnerable entry point and once in, the bad guys have cover as they try to break into the house and take or vandalize (maybe a worse outcome) whatever goodies are in the garage.
FWIW - I lock me A6 wherever I leave it: at home, at my kids' or a friend's house. I don’t think we can be too cautious and with the smart entry system getting into the car is a piece of cake.

dicktahoe

The best way to have your battery last a long time is to keep it fully charged. If I'm going to leave my car more than a few days, I connect up this excellent charger/maintainer.

kaorisdad

Thanks everyone for your responses. Here is a response from Audi Tech:

"It is true that certain systems are left on while the vehicle is unlocked. While we do not have a list of the specific systems that are left on when the vehicle is left unlocked, we can advise that they are passive systems. If your vehicle has been standing for an extended period, please note the following:
• The proximity sensors are deactivated after a few days to save power. You then have to pull on the door handle once to unlock the vehicle and a second time to open the vehicle.
• To prevent the battery from being discharged and to preserve your vehicle’s ability to start for as long as possible, the energy management system gradually switches off unnecessary convenience functions. It is possible that you will not be able to unlock your vehicle using these convenience functions."