Push Button Start

[kefun]

Hey guys,

I was wondering, has anyone started the car and then walked out and leave their keys elsewhere and try to drive away without the keys in the car? Would it work?

 

[Dr_Watson]

Yes it works.

 

[Meat]

Yes you can drive away from your keys. There is a warning light on the instrument panel that illuminates when the keys are out of range from the car. The car will continue to run when out of range of the keys but will not restart if you kill the ignition.

 

[minnesotaart]

Also, at least on my '14 GT, it beeps rapidly at you as you leave the proximity of the vehicle.

 

[Sekmor]

Actually just did a little experiment the other day to try this out. Started the car as usual, put the key fob in the house, and then drove around the block without the fob. All that happened was a flashing red light and a chime. Car ran fine.

What the heck, I thought the fob actually helped deter theft. But in this case, the engine will run forever until manually shut off. If the car is running outside on your driveway, you better lock the doors before walking away. I guess no different than leaving the keys in the ignition on an older style vehicle.

 

[MikeM.]

I guess no different than leaving the keys in the ignition on an older style vehicle.

Well, yes, with one important difference. On an older style vehicle with the key fob attached to a physical ignition key, you are not going to lock the doors if you need to exit the vehicle and the engine is still running, you are not able to lock the door without reaching in, turning the engine off and retrieving your key/fob. Without an ignition key, it's easy to lock the car because the fob remains in your pocket.

 

[Dr_Watson]

H

Actually just did a little experiment the other day to try this out. Started the car as usual, put the key fob in the house, and then drove around the block without the fob. All that happened was a flashing red light and a chime. Car ran fine.

What the heck, I thought the fob actually helped deter theft. But in this case, the engine will run forever until manually shut off. If the car is running outside on your driveway, you better lock the doors before walking away. I guess no different than leaving the keys in the ignition on an older style vehicle.

What did you expect, the engine to shut off as you are driving down the highway at 80mph and the car stops sensing the fob? What if the battery runs out while driving?

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

H

What did you expect, the engine to shut off as you are driving down the highway at 80mph and the car stops sensing the fob? What if the battery runs out while driving?

or... How about the engine cuts off if it detects you trying to take the car out of park without it sensing the key fob?

 

[Dr_Watson]

Possibly, just hope you are never stuck in traffic, put it in park, then the battery runs out. You won't be able to move it out the way or tow it.

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

Possibly, just hope you are never stuck in traffic, put it in park, then the battery runs out. You won't be able to move it out the way or tow it.

Pretty sure in the owners manual, it explains that if the battery is dead in the key fob, it can still start the car. I think you have to press the key fob next to/against the start button on the dash.

edit: it should be designed that the car shuts off if it does not sense the key when you try to remove it from park. This is the initial step in driving the car, so if you do not have the key with you, it prevents you from driving away without the key, or the car being stolen if it is left running in park.

If you somehow lose the key while the car is already in drive....well that is a much bigger/strange can of worms.

 

[MikeM.]

edit: it should be designed that the car shuts off if it does not sense the key when you try to remove it from park.

That's one nanny I can live without. It is more than adequate to have a chime to warn me if I drive off without the key.

 

[CX5Dude]

Both NHTSA and Transport Canada do not allow a vehicle to be shut down by itself for any reason while driving to prevent a crash. Imagine leaving your driveway and being T-boned by a tanker truck just as you reached a given limit for your fob to be away from the car while crossing four lanes of traffic! Better the car gets stolen due to a careless owner leaving it running than to take out a school bus of kids.

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

Both NHTSA and Transport Canada do not allow a vehicle to be shut down by itself for any reason while driving to prevent a crash. Imagine leaving your driveway and being T-boned by a tanker truck just as you reached a given limit for your fob to be away from the car while crossing four lanes of traffic! Better the car gets stolen due to a careless owner leaving it running than to take out a school bus of kids.

What?

That is an extreme situation that would not be able to ever occur if given my example of the car immediately shutting down if it does not detect the key fob right when the shifter is moved out of park. Also the key fob has a very small "window" in my experience. It has to be a few feet maximum from the car for it to unlock the doors for me.

A similar situation already takes place if you have remote start. You can remotely start the car, but as soon as you open the door, the car shuts itself off. This is to prevent the car from being stolen since it does not sense the key until you restart the car.

So seeing as it is already designed this way, I don't think it would be much of an engineering problem to design the car to always detect the key as the gear shift is moved out of park. If it detects the key as this is happening, it keeps the car running - if the key is not detected, it can immediately shut off to prevent the car from being stolen and/or to stop the driver from leaving without his key in hand.

edit: Or even better, when the brake is depressed and the key is not detected, the car shuts off. So you are not in the middle of changing gears and having the engine cut off.

 

[flyfisherdon]

A friend of mine drove his wife to the ferry, about one hour away, she got on the ferry, he drove to a nearby sports store to look for some stuff.
When he got out he found he did not have his remote with him.
Apparently the car had operated before because his wife had her key, when she left to get the ferry he did not realize he did not have his remote.
He had to be towed home.
Don

 

[MikeM.]

He had to be towed home.
Don

Towed home? That's silly!

I would have found a way home to get my spare key (or if my wife had both keys, called and asked her to send one using next day delivery).

 

[CX5Dude]

What?

That is an extreme situation that would not be able to ever occur if given my example of the car immediately shutting down if it does not detect the key fob right when the shifter is moved out of park. Also the key fob has a very small "window" in my experience. It has to be a few feet maximum from the car for it to unlock the doors for me.

A similar situation already takes place if you have remote start. You can remotely start the car, but as soon as you open the door, the car shuts itself off. This is to prevent the car from being stolen since it does not sense the key until you restart the car.

So seeing as it is already designed this way, I don't think it would be much of an engineering problem to design the car to always detect the key as the gear shift is moved out of park. If it detects the key as this is happening, it keeps the car running - if the key is not detected, it can immediately shut off to prevent the car from being stolen and/or to stop the driver from leaving without his key in hand.

edit: Or even better, when the brake is depressed and the key is not detected, the car shuts off. So you are not in the middle of changing gears and having the engine cut off.

Not going to debate this any further. I work in the industry and what I posted is FACT. Too much speculation on these sites and once in a while I reply to stop the chatter and mis-information.

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

I don't know if you are even reading what I am saying, but we are on 2 completely different pages.

Everything you said makes sense, but my example would also never allow your example to ever occur, plus other situations like driving away without the key or the car being stolen while left running.

So why is what I am saying wrong? Why does it not make sense to have the car stop itself from ever moving a single inch if it does not detect the key?

Maybe you can reply to the actual problem people are wondering about, such as myself, instead of blurting out other random info that does not relate to the question....

 

[Sekmor]

^^^ X2
Being the first car I've owned with a "push Start" button, I thought there was more to it. I was just trying to learn how it works. Now I know we can't leave the vehicle running, without locking the doors.
I understand the vehicle can't just stop in the middle of the highway cause the FOB is missing, that's not what I was asking.
But if the FOB wasn't detected while parked, shutting down while depressing the brake, selecting a gear, etc., would be a great idea. The capabilties are there, since vehicle won't start without the FOB, or it shuts down when the door is opened in remote start feature.

 

[MikeM.]

^^^ X2
Being the first car I've owned with a "push Start" button, I thought there was more to it. I was just trying to learn how it works. Now I know we can't leave the vehicle running, without locking the doors.
I understand the vehicle can't just stop in the middle of the highway cause the FOB is missing, that's not what I was asking.
But if the FOB wasn't detected while parked, shutting down while depressing the brake, selecting a gear, etc., would be a great idea. The capabilties are there, since vehicle won't start without the FOB, or it shuts down when the door is opened in remote start feature.

One situation off the top of my head (and I'm sure I could come up with many more):

Say you live in a coastal city and it's a cold winter morning. You go outside, start your car to defrost and go back inside to finish your cup of coffee. After a couple of minutes you hear the local tsunami warning system alert. You know you only have minutes to get to higher ground, you grab your spouse and children and rush to your idling vehicle, completely forgetting you have left your keys on the kitchen table. After making sure your family is loaded you put the vehicle into gear only to have some nanny system immediately kill the engine.

Much better to have a warning chime that allows you to drive away in an emergency.

 

[flyfisherdon]

Towed home? That's silly!

I would have found a way home to get my spare key (or if my wife had both keys, called and asked her to send one using next day delivery).

You did not read the fact that he was an hours drive from home, about 60 miles.
Don