Keyless fobs. Why?
Discussion
Same make - different family member, focus ST3 - Found out handily the other day that if the missus leaves her handbag (containing her key for the car) in the boot, the boot pops back open to prevent you locking the key inside!
Must remember to have a proper read of the manual. I did check what to do if the key is completely dead - Use key hidden inside remote to gain access and hold key near ignition barrel and the car will start!
Other than that grab handle to unlock, use any handy digit to lock by touching the"special" area on the outside of handle. Think iv'e only used the remote for a long range check that I locked it, had to point the remote at my head to get sufficient power however
Must remember to have a proper read of the manual. I did check what to do if the key is completely dead - Use key hidden inside remote to gain access and hold key near ignition barrel and the car will start!
Other than that grab handle to unlock, use any handy digit to lock by touching the"special" area on the outside of handle. Think iv'e only used the remote for a long range check that I locked it, had to point the remote at my head to get sufficient power however
Had a Suzuki Swift with Keyless and while at first I thought it was a bit gimmicky I grew to love it.
I keep my keys on a carrabina on my belt, it never had to leave there.
Walk up, press the black nipple on the handle and I was in. Press and twist the ignition knob (like a 'normal' ignition) and away we go.
Key would only open the car if you were stood next to it and only started the car if the fob was INSIDE the car (even stood next to the car with the door open it wouldn't start). Wouldn't let you lock the fob in the car.
If the battery failed you could use the key inside the fob on the door lock and the ignition knob had a slot so you could use it like a 'normal' car.
Could be the last out of work and the first off the car park as everyone was faffing with their bags/ pockets for keys and I just wandered up and disappeared.
Brilliantly simple execution of a system that (looking at this thread) alot of manufacturers seem to be stuffing up.
I keep my keys on a carrabina on my belt, it never had to leave there.
Walk up, press the black nipple on the handle and I was in. Press and twist the ignition knob (like a 'normal' ignition) and away we go.
Key would only open the car if you were stood next to it and only started the car if the fob was INSIDE the car (even stood next to the car with the door open it wouldn't start). Wouldn't let you lock the fob in the car.
If the battery failed you could use the key inside the fob on the door lock and the ignition knob had a slot so you could use it like a 'normal' car.
Could be the last out of work and the first off the car park as everyone was faffing with their bags/ pockets for keys and I just wandered up and disappeared.
Brilliantly simple execution of a system that (looking at this thread) alot of manufacturers seem to be stuffing up.
Seems totally pointless to me - I had a BMW courtesy car with this a while ago and I spent ages looking for somewhere to put the key!
Seemingly another solution to a problem that didn't really exist - like electric handbrakes - that will kick you in the nuts once out of warranty!
And why do we need start buttons - my father had a 1954 Austin that required the key in the ignition and a press of the button to make it start - 50 years later we seem to have re-invented a 1950s feature! Progress, don't you just love it!!!
Seemingly another solution to a problem that didn't really exist - like electric handbrakes - that will kick you in the nuts once out of warranty!
And why do we need start buttons - my father had a 1954 Austin that required the key in the ignition and a press of the button to make it start - 50 years later we seem to have re-invented a 1950s feature! Progress, don't you just love it!!!
poing said:
KungFuPanda said:
Works quite well on my A8. Walk up to the car, put my hand behind the handle and it unlocks a fraction before I pull to open. Press stop/start button to start engine and same button to stop. Lock the car by touching the little square pad on the handle. All while the key stays in my pocket. Also, the car won't lock when it knows the keys are inside the car.
I left my lights on last weekend and got into the car using the key blade which is stored inside the key/ Opened both the boot and driver's door using the traditional keyhole.
So all that clever locking stuff and it doesn't have a lights-on warning buzzer?I left my lights on last weekend and got into the car using the key blade which is stored inside the key/ Opened both the boot and driver's door using the traditional keyhole.
Although manufacturers are strange sometimes. The Fiesta turns off the lights when you lock the car, excellent because that just means you can leave them turned on safe that they will turn off when you press lock. Still has to have a warning sound to alert you that you've left them on, what's the point in that!
It's very simple.
I walk to the car and open the door and it unlocks.
I get in the car and press the start/stop button and the car starts.
I drive the car.
I stop the car and press the start/stop button and the engine stops.
I walk away from the car and it locks.
..and all the time my key is in one of my pockets (I don't even know which one).
I therefore don't have to faff about finding the key to unlock the door.
I don't have to faff about finding the key to start the engine.
I don't have to defrost bloody door locks in winter.
I don't have a bunch of keys hanging from the ignition.
etc.
Those who want all that faff are welcome to their keys
I walk to the car and open the door and it unlocks.
I get in the car and press the start/stop button and the car starts.
I drive the car.
I stop the car and press the start/stop button and the engine stops.
I walk away from the car and it locks.
..and all the time my key is in one of my pockets (I don't even know which one).
I therefore don't have to faff about finding the key to unlock the door.
I don't have to faff about finding the key to start the engine.
I don't have to defrost bloody door locks in winter.
I don't have a bunch of keys hanging from the ignition.
etc.
Those who want all that faff are welcome to their keys
GetCarter said:
It's very simple.
I walk to the car and open the door and it unlocks.
I get in the car and press the start/stop button and the car starts.
I drive the car.
I stop the car and press the start/stop button and the engine stops.
I walk away from the car and it locks.
..and all the time my key is in one of my pockets (I don't even know which one).
I therefore don't have to faff about finding the key to unlock the door.
I don't have to faff about finding the key to start the engine.
I don't have to defrost bloody door locks in winter.
I don't have a bunch of keys hanging from the ignition.
etc.
Those who want all that faff are welcome to their keys
That's great for a one-user car.I walk to the car and open the door and it unlocks.
I get in the car and press the start/stop button and the car starts.
I drive the car.
I stop the car and press the start/stop button and the engine stops.
I walk away from the car and it locks.
..and all the time my key is in one of my pockets (I don't even know which one).
I therefore don't have to faff about finding the key to unlock the door.
I don't have to faff about finding the key to start the engine.
I don't have to defrost bloody door locks in winter.
I don't have a bunch of keys hanging from the ignition.
etc.
Those who want all that faff are welcome to their keys
My sister and brother in law get in their car. She's driving. She and children get out at my house and hubby jumps in, presses start button and waves goodbye as he drives off to a business meeting in Norfolk.
The phone call came about two hours later when they discovered she still had the keys in her handbag...
I started this same thread, when I bought my wife's cmax.
The ford is an awful system,
I totally get properly keyless entry and start. But keyless start but you need to lock and unlock is so inconvenient, where do you put the keys? Not in the cup holder if you have a cup. Not on the dash, not in my pocket because I've got in the car while unlocking it.
Grrr drive it yesterday for the first time in a while it still sucks
The ford is an awful system,
I totally get properly keyless entry and start. But keyless start but you need to lock and unlock is so inconvenient, where do you put the keys? Not in the cup holder if you have a cup. Not on the dash, not in my pocket because I've got in the car while unlocking it.
Grrr drive it yesterday for the first time in a while it still sucks
rxe said:
stanglish said:
I don't get what the actual issue is.
So you have your keys in your pocket, and you don't have to get them out to open the car - cool.
So you get in your car and you have keyless go as well so you just tap the button and off you go - cool.
So you stop, and tap the button again to turn the engine off - cool.
So you get out of the car and presumably if you go out of range it'll lock again, but that's obviously a little odd so you might want to manually lock it. So you get the key out of your pocket, blip it to lock, then walk away - cool.
What about this do I not understand? Have never used these systems before and have a more povvo spec Fiesta. Is it really all about not wanting to drive with something in your pocket and needing somewhere to put the keys as you drive? If so this is mental.
Problem is when it goes wrong - then it gets really annoying. This example happened to a mum at school....So you have your keys in your pocket, and you don't have to get them out to open the car - cool.
So you get in your car and you have keyless go as well so you just tap the button and off you go - cool.
So you stop, and tap the button again to turn the engine off - cool.
So you get out of the car and presumably if you go out of range it'll lock again, but that's obviously a little odd so you might want to manually lock it. So you get the key out of your pocket, blip it to lock, then walk away - cool.
What about this do I not understand? Have never used these systems before and have a more povvo spec Fiesta. Is it really all about not wanting to drive with something in your pocket and needing somewhere to put the keys as you drive? If so this is mental.
1) Family pile out of the house, mum forgets key
2) Small child runs back to get key, they're all in a hurry, the class is off on a trip
3) Distracted mum forgets to get key off child, and drives off (can you see where this is going yet?)
4) They all get to school, mum waves off little johnny and returns to car...
5)...which now is a dead lump of metal until the school trip is over.
Variants include "car starts when one person is driving it, but the key is actually with the person saying goodbye next to the car, car doesn't restart at destination".
Similar problems happen at the MOT bay - I've showed up recently only to be told the whole garage is knackered because someone drove their car onto the ramps, wandered off with it running, and now they can't move the car.
The standard approach of sticking something in a slot (be it a key or some token) is very safe indeed - the key is under the control of the driver, and the driver has to take physical action to ensure that the car is off or starting or whatever. This seems to be a technology in search of a problem to solve - I've never noticed that "manual" key fobs are a problem. Back in the day when you had to manually lock all the doors of a car, it was a pain, but now, just pressing a button is not hard.
Most of the time I think its fantastic. Key fob in pocket, never needs to come out. It's very convenient. You do get a bit too used to it though. My car has nothing like this but if I've been driving the wife's car for a few days, I have been known to approach my own car and pull on the handle trying to work out why I can't get in.
I do agree that the 'half' systems are hopeless though. Had a Megane hire car with that 10+ years ago. Couldn't see any benefit whatsoever.
Riley Blue said:
'Keyless' sounds like a solution to a problem that didn't exist to me. If it had never been introduced, would people be clamouring for it? I doubt it.
Quite. Cars need keys of some description, be that a card, fob, key or whatever. The only thing that "keyless" does is remove the need to put the key in a hole and turn it. You still need to reach towards the dashboard and push a button however, so the effort that keyless saves is minimal.Given the security problems that keyless systems appear to have and the minimal convenience they bring they are arguably a retrograde step.
Gad-Westy said:
I love keyless go but as you allude to there are some potential banana skins. My other half's Leaf has it. She's had to chase after me a couple of times after she's dropped me off with the key in my pocket. Never caused a major upset yet but there is potential there!
Most of the time I think its fantastic. Key fob in pocket, never needs to come out. It's very convenient. You do get a bit too used to it though. My car has nothing like this but if I've been driving the wife's car for a few days, I have been known to approach my own car and pull on the handle trying to work out why I can't get in.
I do agree that the 'half' systems are hopeless though. Had a Megane hire car with that 10+ years ago. Couldn't see any benefit whatsoever.
My QQ tells you when the key leaves the car :-/Most of the time I think its fantastic. Key fob in pocket, never needs to come out. It's very convenient. You do get a bit too used to it though. My car has nothing like this but if I've been driving the wife's car for a few days, I have been known to approach my own car and pull on the handle trying to work out why I can't get in.
I do agree that the 'half' systems are hopeless though. Had a Megane hire car with that 10+ years ago. Couldn't see any benefit whatsoever.
The Keyless system on my RS is a good one.
Walk up to the car, touch behind the handle, car unlocks, get in, foot on clutch, press start button, off you go.
Get out, and now you have options! You can either walk away, it will lock and then beep, or touch the black button on the drivers door handle to lock it and walk away.
It doesn't lock the car, if it senses the key is in the car, the button doesn't work.
Very easy to use system, but the key is massive!
Walk up to the car, touch behind the handle, car unlocks, get in, foot on clutch, press start button, off you go.
Get out, and now you have options! You can either walk away, it will lock and then beep, or touch the black button on the drivers door handle to lock it and walk away.
It doesn't lock the car, if it senses the key is in the car, the button doesn't work.
Very easy to use system, but the key is massive!
Klippie said:
As above...love the keyless entry and starter button in my Swift Sport, its the best thing ever.
I now find it a pain driving other cars with the conventional ignition key/switch.
Same, it's one of those features that I always thought was a bit gimmicky but since having my SSS it's my favourite feature of the car. I'd now look for it as a feature on any new car that I buy. I now find it a pain driving other cars with the conventional ignition key/switch.
LuS1fer said:
Troubleatmill said:
Just wait until you have a START button.
I do and that's behind the wheel where it's hard to get at... grrrAlways wondered if I press it at 70mph if it would actually turn the engine off or if their are some safeguards to stop such stupidity.
Morningside said:
I even have one-of-those on my Scenic.
Always wondered if I press it at 70mph if it would actually turn the engine off or if their are some safeguards to stop such stupidity.
On my Focus a single press while moving will do nothing. However, if you either hold it for 3 seconds or press it quickly 3 times, the engine will shut down regardless of your speed.Always wondered if I press it at 70mph if it would actually turn the engine off or if their are some safeguards to stop such stupidity.
Traditional keys have their limitations, too. They can be lost as they constantly have to move around. They wear out due to the constant metal-on-metal contact of the ignition barrel. But they also have their uses - physical sensation of mechanically turning a key, fewer electrical bits to go wrong. On the other hand, keyless go fobs have their limitations also, and will suit some better than others; just because something is new doesn't mean it is automatically useless!
For most people, any way of introducing a bit of convenience is a godsend and, therefore, keyless go works for the majority, hence it is here to stay.
For most people, any way of introducing a bit of convenience is a godsend and, therefore, keyless go works for the majority, hence it is here to stay.
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