04/10/2008 01:11. "HAVE you locked the car?" It became a common catchcry from my wife as we frequently stopped at the myriad wineries in Western Australia's Margaret River vineyard region.

Being a bit of an obsessive compulsive, I just had to go back and check that the Volvo V70 was indeed locked.

However, proximity keys like this usually open when the holder grabs the door handle, so you have to leave the key with someone while you trot back to the car park to test the door.

After having done this on several occasions, I then recalled that the Volvo "smart" key fob has a special "i" button which does the footwork for you.

Press the button and a yellow, red and green light disco plays on the fob until it settles down and decides whether the door is unlocked (yellow), locked (green), or there is... // Courier Mail