Keyless ignitions

[Michael Dye]

What, exactly, is the purpose of a keyless ignition switch? Like texting, I'm guessing it has something to do with our inherent laziness. A good friend bought a new minivan (the make and model I don't remember) and one day, after loading the kids up for a trip to some amusement park in another state, his wife somehow managed to drop her entire keyring close enough to the car that she was able to get in, start the car, and drive away. Fast forward to the required potty stop a couple hours away. Shuts the car off, feeds the troops, and in the process of leaving, discovers the missing keyring. Now, she's 150 miles from home, the car won't start, the kids are pissed, and the hubby has to bring his key fob to her just so she can get home. Not a good weekend, overall. Screw those keyless ignitions.

[Kurt Kintner]

I really don't like it.. All my life, I've parked my truck in a secure garage, and left the key in the ignition....
I don't carry a key ring.... When I drive the Murano, I have to remember to get the fob off the hook....
Most times I forget, get in the car and have to go back in the house to get it.... You can't leave it in the car
because it screams at you to remove it ... I've dropped my wife off many times, then realized half way home,
she has the key.... It's ok if I go home without stopping and shutting off the engine...

[Rich Engelhardt]

What, exactly, is the purpose of a keyless ignition switch?

Like George mentioned above - it's main purpose is to help prevent theft.
One other good thing is that there isn't this massive key chain hanging from the steering column. That's extremely hard on the mechanics of the lock.

I'll have to try the drive-away-and-leave-the-keys thing with my Toyota. I have a feeling it's too "smart" to start and continue running without the keys inside or in close proximity.

I know if you try to lock the fob inside, it makes all kinds of noise to let you know the keys are in the vehicle.

[Frederick Skelly]

The lawyers must have gotten involved in this.......

Hi Glenn,
Sure they did. Liability is a huge concern when nearly anyone can drive a car.

But Glenn, sometimes the state of California's standards (or the US govt's) for this or that drive how items are designed. There could be some of that here too. Please dont get me wrong here - not trying to be judgemental, political or saying it's good vs bad. Only that sometimes well-intended "do gooders" cause this too.

Fred

[Matt Meiser]

Mine knows if the keys are inside or out. To lock the keys in the car requires pessimism g a combination of buttons on the keypad. And leaving them in for long periods is not good as the car doesn't fall as far to sleep when the key is present.

Ive seen all manner of issues with mechanical ignition too, from jammed mechanisms to broken keys to failed switch contacts. You could just as easily get stranded at a rest area with a mechanical switch.

[Jim Becker]

If I'm awake, my keys are attached to a belt loop and I'm not worried about losing them and driving off without them. But yes, for some folks that might be an issue.

[John K Jordan]

One other good thing is that there isn't this massive key chain hanging from the steering column. That's extremely hard on the mechanics of the lock.

Back in the 70s I learned my lesson about that - I set the car on fire with a comedy of errors.

My Fiat 128 ignition switch wore out due to my massive key ring, actually two rings wired together with a loop of soft wire. It got so the key would not turn the switch. I removed the plastic cover under the steering wheel to examine it and discovered if I beat on the side of the switch housing with a wrench while turning the key I could get it to work. I left the plastic cover off and used the car like this for a year or so.

One day while driving on the busy interstate through Knoxville the mass of keys swung into the exposed wiring under the switch. This sent the battery voltage through the keys and through the loop of thin wire holding the two parts together. The wire lit up like a light bulb filament and burned in two, dropping half the keys and the glowing wire onto the floor. At that time my habit was to clean out the car every six months whether it needed it or not. The hot wire dropped onto some paper junk on the floor and started a fire. There I was, driving on the interstate and trying to avoid causing an accident while frantically stomping out the fire with my right foot.

I learned several valuable lessons. One, don't put all the keys on one ring. Two, clean out the car on occasion. And three, always wear shoes while driving!

These days I have a number of key rings in my shop, each very light weight - for the tractor, the big truck, the little truck, the big mower, the bobcat, the jeep, the other jeep, etc.

I always meant to send this story to Car Talk but I waited too long.

JKJ

[Lee Schierer]

One disadvantage of the key less ignition system is if you are traveling with another person that also has a key for that car and you decide to leave the key in a jacket or purse in the trunk, the system won't let you lock the car. I know this is true for all cars, but it is true with our Honda Accord.

[Matt Meiser]

Like I said, mine won't let you accidentally lock the car. But you can force it by pressing a key combination on the keypad. I suspect it will let you use a fob too, since it would obviously know there's a fob outside the car. I'll have to try when my wife gets home.

[Eric Keller]

all of the keyless ignitions now in use are vulnerable to hijacking. Oh, well, I really like it. I have dropped my wife off at work, realized I needed something at home, and driven the toyota home without a key. It complains though. I have heard that some cars will stop working if they are too far away from the key. That doesn't seem like a good idea.

I have a huge keychain for work. I don't want to carry it around just to have my car key. I have fewer problems with car keys than I used to have.

[Doug Garson]

What, exactly, is the purpose of a keyless ignition switch? Like texting, I'm guessing it has something to do with our inherent laziness. A good friend bought a new minivan (the make and model I don't remember) and one day, after loading the kids up for a trip to some amusement park in another state, his wife somehow managed to drop her entire keyring close enough to the car that she was able to get in, start the car, and drive away. Fast forward to the required potty stop a couple hours away. Shuts the car off, feeds the troops, and in the process of leaving, discovers the missing keyring. Now, she's 150 miles from home, the car won't start, the kids are pissed, and the hubby has to bring his key fob to her just so she can get home. Not a good weekend, overall. Screw those keyless ignitions.

Same thing could have happened with a keyed ignition. She got to the park, spent the whole day there with the kids , gets back to the van and finds she lost the keys sometime during the 4 hours at the park. With keyless ignition you get in the habit of having the key with you in pocket or purse and there is no need to take it out so little chance of losing it. Bottom line keyless entry and ignition are more convenient than traditional keyed systems but nothing is foolproof.

[roger wiegand]

My car won't start unless the clutch is depressed. Hard to do without being in the car. Plus there is no "start" button on the key fob, you'd have to be far enough in the car to press the button on the dash, on the far side of the steering wheel. You'd have to be a contortionist to try to start it without sitting down in the driver's seat.

[roger wiegand]

What, exactly, is the purpose of a keyless ignition switch? Like texting, I'm guessing it has something to do with our inherent laziness.

Or hating having a bunch of keys dandling down against you leg as you drive. Or not wanting to carry a long poky thing in your pocket, making holes in the bottoms of your pockets. Not a necessity certainly, but a welcome option. On my car anyway you have the option of sticking the key fob into a slot on the dash, if you prefer the more traditional mode of operation.

[Prashun Patel]

I like my keyless ignition.

The only stress is when I leave the car at any kind of valet. Gotta remember to leave the keys in the cup holder then. I once got a call when I was in airport security that my car at the parking garage was blocking traffic because they didn't have my key which was still in my pocket

[Mike Henderson]

I love my keyless ignition. It also allows me to unlock the doors just by pressing a button on the handle. Some other cars - you don't even have to do that. Just pull on the handle and the system recognizes that the fob is in range and it has exchanged credentials.

I'd never go back to a regular key. I want the same thing on my house. Just walk up to the door and it unlocks for me because I have a fob in my pocket. On the house, I don't like the present systems that require batteries. Those also take a key and, like I do today, I have a key in a "vault" attached to my house in a place where it's not obvious (that's in case I lose my key).

Mike