AAA Moves to Help Drivers Avoid Mistakes with Smart Keys

Feel Smart?

Avoid Mistakes with Smart Keys. AAA did a terrific article we found on Cars.com on so-called Smart Keys that we think is a must read for every driver (see the link at the end of this item). In it, the company notes that the Smart Key (AKA Advanced Key, Intelligent Key, etc.) “has brought with it new opportunities for motorists to feel stupid”, with such incidents as walking away from the car with it still running or the ignition still on, or managing to lock the key in the car.

It is interesting how easily the idea of a driver feeling stupid rolls off so casually. Regardless, we’d like to add an item or two.

First, AAA’s recommendations regarding Smart Keys:

1. Familiarize yourself with the keys’ capabilities and know what to do in an emergency.
2. Become comfortable with smart-key features in a safe environment.
3. To avoid keyless-entry or smart-key failure, replace the battery every two years or when recommended by the manufacturer or in-car battery warning system.
4. Don’t expose fobs or smart keys to harsh elements, especially water.
5. Get a spare key and store it in a safe location for emergency use only.

All true. And we would add the following.

1. Replace the batteries in all the SPARE keys when replacing the battery in the primary key. The battery in any spare key will also become depleted over time making it nearly useless as a replacement.
2. Do not use the manual door lock when exiting the car. Using it overrides the Smart Key system in some models and if the key is left inside, you will be locked out.

AAA noted that lock out incidents have not gone down with the advent of smart key technology. They helped 4 million drivers alone in 2012. This could be due to some confusion over what constitutes ‘locked.’

Locked or Unlocked?

With a Smart Key in hand (or pocket, purse, etc), only a touch is needed to open or ‘unlock’ a vehicle. This is true of the trunk as well. Service departments handle any number of calls from drivers who have closed the trunk with the keys inside thinking they are now locked in. They are not. A simple touch on the pad or sensor will open the trunk because the key can be sensed from inside. Thus the trunk isn’t actually locked, it is closed. It is true however, that once the key is removed from the car’s location, no one else will be able to open the trunk or any door, and the vehicle is now ‘locked’ with no further action taken.

However, a manual lock exists inside the passenger compartment that overrides the Smart Key system. We have all been sitting inside our cars and locked the doors because of some activity nearby that made us uncomfortable, and many drivers routinely lock the car when driving. All the doors are then locked and cannot be opened from the outside whether a Smart Key is detected or not.

Thus tripping the manual lock when exiting the car also overrides the Smart Key system. The unlock button on the Key Fob will be needed to get back in. But if the keys have been left inside, you are now officially locked out.

Any driver in the habit of tripping the manual lock will at some point leave the key inside. Carrying a spare mechanical key will get you back in, but they are pricey.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.