Is keyless entry worth speccing?

[Moonpie21]

I'm going to be mocked for this I can tell...

I have my fob? on a lanyard around my neck, I can even wear it under a baggy jumper if appropriate and I hang it on a hook in the hallway when not using it. I will not lose it unless I lose my head.

I walk up to the car pull the handle it opens, I get in the car push the button and off I go. To lock it I press a square on the handle the indicators flash and importantly the wing mirrors fold in showing me it's locked. It is ultimately lazy and worry free.

I get frustrated driving my wifes car having to pat pockets for the key fob to open it. Like it was said earlier, it's hard to go back once you have got used to it..

[dirty doug]

lauda said:

Isn't the whole point of having keyless entry that you've not needed to take your keys out of your bag/pocket in the first place?

Correct! But to be fair I still use the remote button as does wife.

[Nickp82]

Moonpie21 said:

I'm going to be mocked for this I can tell...

I have my fob? on a lanyard around my neck, I can even wear it under a baggy jumper if appropriate and I hang it on a hook in the hallway when not using it. I will not lose it unless I lose my head.

I walk up to the car pull the handle it opens, I get in the car push the button and off I go. To lock it I press a square on the handle the indicators flash and importantly the wing mirrors fold in showing me it's locked. It is ultimately lazy and worry free.

I get frustrated driving my wifes car having to pat pockets for the key fob to open it. Like it was said earlier, it's hard to go back once you have got used to it..

Too easy

[TwigtheWonderkid]

It came as standard on my current car, never gave it a second thought before, but I couldn't be without it now.

On mine you press a little button on the door handle to unlock the door, or press twice to unlock all doors. Press again to lock. Much the same as a key fob but without the fuss of having to get your keys out. Push button start and stop also.

[craigjm]

dirty doug said:

I would say no.

Scenario 1

Wife picks grandkids up from nursery. Hectic as you can imagine - lots of screaming running around etc loads of bags, where's my bottle etc

OK wife now has kids in seats, bags in boot, bottles in mouths & iPads in hands.

Where's the keys?

I know she thinks - if the car starts the keys must be in one of the bags in the boot. Genius she thinks.

Start button pressed & car fires up. Result!

Gets home & finds parking fairly tight so asks DD to park up.

DD gets in car & clocks in 2 or maybe 3 milliseconds that the car is screaming at you from the dash that the keys are no longer in range.

Asks wife where are the forking keys...

Well I did have them she says - the car started after all.

True she did have them.....

briefly as she had left them on the roof of the car which clearly is still in range.

& yes the replacement key can't be described as a small or medium price

If you have ever had a car with it you will know that the above long winded scenario can’t happen because if you drove off and the key fell off the roof it would go out of range and the car would stop. It doesn’t just need the key in Range to start it. It needs the key in Range ALL the time. A second point is that it wouldn’t let them be locked in the boot either. If you put them in the boot and shut it then it reopens the boot so you can’t lock your keys in the boot. Do your research before creating scare stories.

[captain_cynic]

liner33 said:

They only unlock if you pull the door handle and are about .5m away

With my BMW, the car can be set to change various settings based on the driver... whom is identified by the key fob used to unlock the car. So how does it know who's driving when I get in the drivers seat with the key in my jacket pocket the Mrs puts her handbag on the centre console (which would just result in it being elbowed into the back seat as I drive a manual)?

I'm curious as I don't have a wife (have a sports car instead) and didn't get the proximity key option (£300, tell him he's dreaming).

[CABC]

dirty doug said:

briefly as she had left them on the roof of the car which clearly is still in range.

On my 2 keyless cars the fob has to be inside the car, not just in range. And if it's in the boot it needs to be well inside or no start.

[TTmonkey]

craigjm said:

If you have ever had a car with it you will know that the above long winded scenario can’t happen because if you drove off and the key fell off the roof it would go out of range and the car would stop. It doesn’t just need the key in Range to start it. It needs the key in Range ALL the time. A second point is that it wouldn’t let them be locked in the boot either. If you put them in the boot and shut it then it reopens the boot so you can’t lock your keys in the boot. Do your research before creating scare stories.

The car would stop....

would it?

I know an alarm goes off, but I doubt it would turn the engine off.

[Yipper]

Defo buy it.

You get one of them cool little starter buttons

[GTIAlex]

Wouldn't like to own a daily car now that wasn't keyless.

Key stays in my work bag or pocket all day and dont have to worry about it.

Getting in families cars to move them around on the drive etc is a pain now having to fumble around putting the key in a slot. Nightmare.

[dirty doug]

craigjm said:

If you have ever had a car with it you will know that the above long winded scenario can’t happen because if you drove off and the key fell off the roof it would go out of range and the car would stop. It doesn’t just need the key in Range to start it. It needs the key in Range ALL the time. A second point is that it wouldn’t let them be locked in the boot either. If you put them in the boot and shut it then it reopens the boot so you can’t lock your keys in the boot. Do your research before creating scare stories.

No scare story I'm afraid. It happened some time back - I posted on here in the East Anglia forum hoping someone found the keys. I did find the keys the next day in a thousand pieces.

The car was a Nissan QQ 2015.

The car doesn't stop when the engine is running & the key goes out of range.

BUT it does sound a warning & flashes on the dash that the keys are gone.

If you stall it at the lights in rush hour somewhere down the road, you will make the local news

[Torquey]

craigjm said:

If you have ever had a car with it you will know that the above long winded scenario can’t happen because if you drove off and the key fell off the roof it would go out of range and the car would stop. It doesn’t just need the key in Range to start it. It needs the key in Range ALL the time. A second point is that it wouldn’t let them be locked in the boot either. If you put them in the boot and shut it then it reopens the boot so you can’t lock your keys in the boot. Do your research before creating scare stories.

The few cars I've driven would not stop. They haven't needed to be in range once started. They would continue driving but flash a light up on the dash.

[Rawwr]

I first had it on my Fiesta and have it currently on my Focus. Using a key just seems totally mental now.

[eybic]

TTmonkey said:

craigjm said:

If you have ever had a car with it you will know that the above long winded scenario can’t happen because if you drove off and the key fell off the roof it would go out of range and the car would stop. It doesn’t just need the key in Range to start it. It needs the key in Range ALL the time. A second point is that it wouldn’t let them be locked in the boot either. If you put them in the boot and shut it then it reopens the boot so you can’t lock your keys in the boot. Do your research before creating scare stories.

The car would stop....

would it?

I know an alarm goes off, but I doubt it would turn the engine off.

The car won't stop at all, it just won't let you restart it once you've turned it off. Do your research before trying to sound like a know it all.

[dirty doug]

found it

dirty doug said:

Hi thanks for looking.
My wife left her keys on the car roof in Trimley St Mary 28-1-16 approx 5.30pm near Gullivers Chip Shop & drove off.
The car is keyless & doesn't need the key in the ignition.
She is dopey & will be punished...

She thinks she heard them fall from the roof on the A14 Westbound between Trimley St Martin & Orwell bridge. Or maybe along Trimley St Martin/Mary High Road.
Again she is dopey & will be punished...

There should be a Morrisons Match & More Fob attached similar to the pic along with a Nissan Key Fob as the picture. Also on the keyring should be 2 Yale style keys & various other bits of tat my Wife keeps on there...
Not too much of a surprise but she is dopey & will be punished...

If you find these I would be very grateful & will pay a reward of £50.
My wife will be even more grateful as I will stop her punishment...

Edited by dirty doug on Friday 29th January 09:45

Edited by dirty doug on Friday 29th January 09:46

[Krikkit]

dirty doug said:

craigjm said:

If you have ever had a car with it you will know that the above long winded scenario can’t happen because if you drove off and the key fell off the roof it would go out of range and the car would stop. It doesn’t just need the key in Range to start it. It needs the key in Range ALL the time. A second point is that it wouldn’t let them be locked in the boot either. If you put them in the boot and shut it then it reopens the boot so you can’t lock your keys in the boot. Do your research before creating scare stories.

No scare story I'm afraid. It happened some time back - I posted on here in the East Anglia forum hoping someone found the keys. I did find the keys the next day in a thousand pieces.

The car was a Nissan QQ 2015.

The car doesn't stop when the engine is running & the key goes out of range.

BUT it does sound a warning & flashes on the dash that the keys are gone.

If you stall it at the lights in rush hour somewhere down the road, you will make the local news

So why didn't you stop once the bong went off, knowing the keys had now gone out of range?

[Ninja59]

craigjm said:

If you have ever had a car with it you will know that the above long winded scenario can’t happen because if you drove off and the key fell off the roof it would go out of range and the car would stop. It doesn’t just need the key in Range to start it. It needs the key in Range ALL the time. A second point is that it wouldn’t let them be locked in the boot either. If you put them in the boot and shut it then it reopens the boot so you can’t lock your keys in the boot. Do your research before creating scare stories.

Not true, I can not think of one keyless start (or entry) car that will stop the car if the key is not in range (at least the three big German makers do not).

Yes they require the key to be in "range" at all times (and to start), the problem is (and the reason why the keyless relay trick works) is that none of them will stop the engine if the key is not in range (even stop/start will work perfectly). The only thing they do is flag various warnings that the key is not present and only once the engine off button is pushed will the car not restart again.

The range for actually starting said car is usually very very small (for instance BMW's need it in range of the steering wheel column), even simply having the key in the door pocket for example with the door open would be too far.

For me the risks of keyless entry (less so keyless start) are the security issues are just excessive. Keyless start is less risky, but still greater risk than just an old fashioned key (sadly I am not aware of many using a key at all these days). The issue is down really to lack of police being available, the nature of the gangs now involved and the fact that car makers (and suppliers) of which really there is not that many now mean really the underlying tech from said suppliers can leave vast security holes to be exploited (made worse or better depending on the manufacturers own implementation and requirements).

Edited by Ninja59 on Monday 20th November 16:30

[Hol]

Non biased view over here!!!!





Okay, So I deliberately didn't get it on my Audi because of the publicised theft risk and to be honest, a better diff and better seats seemed a better place to spend the cash.

The wife's old SLK didn't have it, as that was supplied from stock.


But, the wife now has a loaded up Kia Sportage AWD thingy (she got stranded in the snow in the SLK ) and that has it as standard.

At first, I never twigged it was there and always used the fob. But now I leave the car/house key in my pocket and as I approach the drivers door, the mirrors unfold, the handles light up an there's a little push button that unlocks the door, so I can pull on the handle to enter.

Getting out, you have to press the ignition button BEFORE opening the door, otherwise the car does an impression of a robot sat on a cattle prod and you tend to swear a lot.


Being a KIA, nobody is ever going to nick it.
But, I still wouldn't want it on a sports car.

[dirty doug]

Krikkit said:

So why didn't you stop once the bong went off, knowing the keys had now gone out of range?

Wife was driving & was yakking away. I wasn't in the car.

Wife looks at dash rarely if at all...

[CABC]

Krikkit said:

So why didn't you stop once the bong went off, knowing the keys had now gone out of range?

Dropped wife off with key in her bag. The warning bong didn't register as the car bongs all the time so it never registered as serious. When dropping someone off I get bongs for door open, wonder open and good knows other useless info. Not ergonomic really.