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:
- Familiarize yourself with the keys’ capabilities and know what to do in an emergency.
- Become comfortable with smart-key features in a safe environment.
- 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.
- Don’t expose fobs or smart keys to harsh elements, especially water.
- Get a spare key and store it in a safe location for emergency use only.
All true. And we would add the following.
- 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.
- 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.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
A Tale of Four Drivers – And the Car Dealers That Failed Them
Four Drivers
Car dealers found themselves on the wrong side of three customers who contacted us over the last week or so. They, plus a fourth who skipped his dealer, have something to teach those of us in the auto industry.
Our first case involved a dying key fob. Fortunately, her car continued to start but the locks had begun to misbehave. She’s a personal friend and relayed the problem in casual conversation. I recommended a new battery for the fob, and as she was bringing the car in for a recall the next day, she would note the problem. When she dropped off the car, she asked to have the fob’s battery replaced.
They took care of the recall and failed to replace the battery, so back to the dealer she went. Its truly small consolation – they had the car! – but she did get the battery for free.
Our next two revolve around instrument panels. Not traditional warning lights, but rather messaging that has become so prevalent over the last several years. In each case, these drivers contacted their dealers asking what they were seeing.
Service personnel had no idea. So they took to the web and found us.
The first car, a Smart Pulse, had begun a daily countdown past a missed service interval, which to an untrained eye looked rather intimidating. Add to this that the dealer didn’t know what the countdown meant, and the result was a very anxious driver. An example is shown to the right, has a wrench and a -3 (days). Its a bit difficult to see, but it took only a few minutes in the vehicles owner’s manual to decipher the answer.
Our second instrument panel from a Fiat had also begun displaying information that the car’s owner had not previously seen. In this case, the driver had accidentally changed the display herself. The panel was now showing average miles to the gallon, mpg, which was in lower case. The “g” in the font used really looked like a “9”. She sent a photo shown to the right. Again, a few minutes in the owner’s manual turned up the answer.
Number 4
Our fourth driver didn’t actually have a problem, but when I relayed the stories, he laughed and said he would have called AAA! He spends that money every year, and by gosh they would be his first choice.
So what do we take from these incidents?
The first and best lesson is that only one of these drivers, the Smart owner, consulted their owner’s manuals. And he did not dig deep enough or understand what he read (he didn’t say). The first three started all made calls to their dealer. The fourth would have gone to AAA. Every new system added by auto manufacturers is backed up by an equally new entry in the manual and it is assumed that this is where a driver will turn. And understand.
They don’t…
Manufacturers are in a continual struggle to bring their customers up to speed on their vehicles, and from our perspective continue to fail. Showing a new owner a feature will never replace experiencing it for the first, second or third time. In our examples here, changeable instrument panel displays are a good idea on paper but less so in practice.
For all the training and experience, service personnel are only human. And in these incidents, their failings are left in full display. And at first blush, they may not take the time to problem solve. I say at first blush because they are not identified and do not have the opportunity to tell their side.
Which is the second lesson. Manufacturers also continue to struggle to keep their own personnel up to speed. Our largest concern in these examples is the failure to replace a key fob battery. We are moving inexorably towards all cars being equipped with push button start capability, and a non-working key fob is in our minds a safety concern. It will likely take a lawsuit from a stranded motorist to drive this point home. Every service person across the industry must make sure that their customers have new key fob batteries once a year.
And third, while a manual was available, the Internet was chosen for a search for an answer instead! This is where drivers increasingly turn for help.
We, and others like us, are happy to help.
In the meantime, automakers surely want to simplify their products. Add all the features you want, but with an eye towards making them simple to use, experience and understand.
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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.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY