Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Definitely the mechanical key and ignition switch.
I would never want to drive a car with a computerized ignition activation, that can disobey my command to shut down (even at speed when I think it's necessary) or ignore my command to keep running (ditto).
Who on Earth would drive a car that can overrule its driver like that???
Chances are your mechanical key works the same way. You turning the key just sends a signal to the computer to start the car. It’s the same thing as wireless keys but with one extra step.
It’s like when people wanted analog gauges over digital because they thought they could trust it more, not realizing their analog gauges were still using a digital signal.
Good point. I'm not sure if that's true for all cars with keyless ignitions. I know my mom's 2015 Mazda6 transponder battery warns you when it's getting low and that a physical key can slide out of the transponder, but I'm not sure if that's true for all other makes. It's very important to know the ins and outs of your car, especially as technology and design changes. These are very tangental but I just think these circumstances would not have risen back when cars were consistently more mechanical, sometimes I think these changes do more harm than good:
The end of this article speculates that the occupants on the recent Tesla Model S wreck in Ft. Lauderdale were alive after the crash and were trapped inside the burning car because the electronic doors were not functioning. Tesla Crash
I suppose you could cite all the GM accidents and injuries related to their detent spring defects in their keyed ignition systems. I still feel safer in a vehicle that allows me more control and it's always good to have an intuitive plan B. I should also say that the Corvette instance was a freak occurrence (anecdotal) and that it's not happening en masse, but they could have designed something better and safer.
The guy getting caught in the Vette was a cautionary tale to read your owner’s manual. There’s a mechanical backup to get out of the Vette. He could have also popped the targa off. I think he was in a panic.
I remember once I stuffed a bunch of large boxes in a 2000 Explorer. Then the mechanical handle broke inside the hatch door. The boxes were too big to come out the side doors. Thank god Explorers still has the separate hinged hatch door glass, so I pull loose the inside trim panel and fix the handle from the inside, otherwise I would have had boxes in the back forever.
Since no one else has, I will go on the record saying I don’t care one way or the other. It is at most a few seconds of my life per day either way, why should it matter? Whatever you have you will get used to, as we are all creatures of habit.
The day when I am too lazy to put a key into a hole and turn it, take away my license forever. These keyless things are just a new gimmick, and more to go wrong.
The day when I am too lazy to put a key into a hole and turn it, take away my license forever. These keyless things are just a new gimmick, and more to go wrong.
There’s actually less moving parts in a keyless setup.
Unless you’re still starting a car with a hand crank, everything else is a “gimmick”, you’ve just finally reached an age where new stuff scares you.
People will come up with a variety of excuses, but it all boils down to the fact that keyless is different than they're used to. A lot of people have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future.
You ain’t lying. They should rename this the Luddite forum. I’m surprised they even figured out how to use the computer to get on this website.
I think my favorite feature is having remote start. Letting my car warm up in the winter or cool off in the summer is great.
What I don't like about no longer having a physical key, is that I can't simply the turn the engine off while keeping the radio on. Pushing the button only cycles forward so everything gets turned off. But it's just a minor nuisance.
The day when I am too lazy to put a key into a hole and turn it, take away my license forever. These keyless things are just a new gimmick, and more to go wrong.
I agree 100%.
A lot of "tech" these days wasn't designed to improve upon something that actually needed improvement, it was designed to further enable laziness.
I just purchased a used Prius C with a keyed ignition. It shares the garage with a Camry XLE with keyless ignition.
I almost prefer the keyed ignition. You don't have to worry about where you set your key. It's where it SHOULD be - in the ignition!
In my last Camry (also a smart key), I replaced the batteries in that thing every four months. Quite a nuisance.
As to theft deterrence, I don't know which is better.
I never leave the keys in the ignition, not even in the garage. As for the fob, there is something wrong if you're replacing batteries every four months. I have had key fobs for numerous vehicles over the years and they normally need replacing every three or four years.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
r.e. battery
