This Old Minivan Has A Bizarre Unlock Procedure

Gif: Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

I recently borrowed my grandmother’s 2004 Chrysler Town & Country to help with my move in New York City. Overall, the van – despite its rough appearance – performed wonderfully. It made me realize how great vans really are, but there was a single aspect that I found extremely strange: its unlock function.

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I’ve driven a lot of cars in my time, and unlock usually falls into two different operation categories: all of the doors open with a single press of a button or the driver’s door opens on the first click and the other doors open on the second. However, this van didn’t do that. Instead, one click of the button unlocked both driver’s side doors (i.e. the actual driver’s door and the left-hand sliding door.) A second click would open both passenger-side doors and the truck. I’m sorry. I don’t care if you think this is boring, I think it’s fascinating, and that’s what really matters on this here website.

The operation is confirmed in a very strange way too. When you hit unlock one time, the driver’s side blinkers flash. Hit it a second time and all four go off. I’ve never seen anything else like this, man. Lock, on the other hand, is much more straightforward. One click of the fob locks all the doors and sounds the horn. I should note that the horn doesn’t sound on unlock. The lights just flash. What in the world???

Gif: Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

I have struggled to think of any practical application for this. Perhaps it had something to do with the electrically sliding doors this van was fitted with, but I’m really not sure. It’s probably just some hair-brained idea a DaimlerChrysler engineer had in the early days of the Bush Administration. That’s when Chrysler was Chrysler – the pre-recession good stuff. Logic and common sense be damned. It was a car company built on vibes.

Gif: Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

And, let me tell you: this weird unlock action is a total vibe. I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad one, but it certainly is one. In an otherwise deeply normal 20-year-old minivan, it’s nice to see a little bit of weirdness coming through. That’s what I like in a car I’m driving no matter how old it is.