Who Showed, Who Didn’t
The 2024 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) was notable as much for who still didn’t show up as for what we found on the show floor.
Since the pandemic shut down the show for two years, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have yet to reappear. And while Mazda and Mitsubishi made appearances in ’22 and ’23, there were a no show this year. And from Fiat Chrysler — or Stellantis — only Jeep showed up with its outdoor test climb.
The value of industry trade shows was questioned in the wake of the pandemic. They are expensive to put on, requiring the movement of large numbers of people and vehicles and booth materials. There’s no 
evidence of Mercedes and BMW suffering from ignoring this and other trade shows.
Further evidence of a cut back in show attendance were the tiny booths set up by both Volvo and Audi. Barely room for a few car. For the second year in row, Hyundai took advantage of available floor space to make its own test track. The EV track (right) remained on the first level.
EVs in the Limelight
Elsewhere, EVs remain a focus of the show, clearly an attempt to acquaint the buying public with the shift to electric driving. Volkswagen’s ID Buzz (left) made and appearance. Polestar was at the show for the first time and brought its 2, 3, and 4 models. The Polestar 4 (right) won’t be available to order for another few months with deliveries expected in 2025.
Porsche featured all four of its available electric line: the Tacan, Macan, Cayenne and Panamera (left), all open and available to crawl through. As always with Porsche, the styling is impeccable.
Acura brought its first EV, the ZDX (right), but kept it locked tight. Seems a bit short sighted if you’re hoping to generate interest.
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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
From what we’ve discovered only Mercedes and some vehicles made by the Volkswagen Group offers the option to close everything again using the lock button. The Honda we have here does not.
For a fob carried in a pocket, preventing this may be a simple as turning the fob over on the key ring. The buttons will face the other way, if like me, your keys rest in the pocket the same way each time.
So lets set some parameters. Our first thought is to look for Troubleshooting chapter. So, result #1 is that not a single one of these 25 manufacturers have a chapter with this title. Only 3, Mazda (right), Toyota and Lexus, even use the word Trouble. Emergency, Roadside or Breakdown are most likely to be found, and this is a pretty short hurdle. VW raises the hurdle, with a Do It Yourself chapter that includes flat tires and dead batteries, etc. that tend to be found in the Breakdown chapters from other manufacturers.
So, back to the our troubleshooting-like chapters. Once inside, only Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus and Subaru got this right! Setting aside for a moment the fact that the owner’s manual is most likely inside the car and the driver locked outside, at least if the driver manages to get the car open, he or she will be able to get started.
Subaru (right), Lexus and Toyota chapters point directly to pages with solutions to issues with the electronic keys. Again, it may not be obvious to the driver that the key fob is the problem, but these manufacturers come the closest to nailing the problem. Titling the sections using something like what to do if the car does not respond to the electronic key would come closest to replicating exactly what the driver is experiencing.
There are several methods for starting a Honda or Acura vehicle. To start a Honda and the newest Acura models lacking a slot, touch the “H” in the Honda logo or the “A” in the Acura logo on the remote control to the Start / Stop button until the small indicator light in the button begins to flash. For the next 30 seconds, the vehicle can be started using the Start / Stop button normally. You can also simply press the Start / Stop button with the remote control itself, while stepping on the brake of course.
exactly the same.
In earlier Acura models (newest models are above), there is a slot for the remote control (key fob) to the left and below the Start / Stop button. Insert the remote and use the Start / Stop button to start the vehicle as normal.
In the oldest keyless start Acura models, there is a cover on the ignition switch that must be removed. This will allow the use of the mechanical key built into the key fob. To remove the ignition switch cover, slip the built-in key into the parallel slot underneath the cover. Push the key in while pull it towards you at the same time and the cover will come off. Once the cover is removed, the mechanical key can be inserted and turned to start the vehicle.
Note: If you have made an attempt to start the vehicle without success, there may be residual pressure in the brake system and a new warning light may appear (left) or text message to Step on the Brake. Press the brake pedal very, very hard when trying to start the vehicle again to be sure that the release switch behind the pedal is engaged. Or wait a few minutes and try again.
If you’ve ever walked out to your car and found all the windows open, this is the subject. Keyless start vehicles made by BMW and Mini, Honda and Acura, Ford and Lincoln, Maserati, Mercedes, Toyota and Lexus and Volkswagen Group, include what is called a convenience feature, which opens all the windows for ventilation when the unlock button is pressed and held. The sunroof will be open as well if there is one and the car unlocked.
In this case, you might try using a device like a carabiner or snap hook. It can be hooked to a strap and still actually be closed into the bag. But it won’t work its way to the bottom. The devices come in many different sizes and colors so you can be a stylish as you’d like and they can be found online or at most hardware stores.
New Honda and Acura EVs Require New Dashboard Symbols for a Very Surprising Reason
The introduction of the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX electric vehicles in 2024 required us to add several new dashboard symbols to the manufacturer’s respective pages. Well, actually, new old symbols.
This is because we already had the symbols in play — on pages for General Motors
(GM) models!
What’s happened is that Honda and GM jointly developed the EVs, a collaboration that began in 2013, which was focused on hydrogen fuel. That shifted as EVs rose to prominence and in essence, GM‘s drivetrain and control systems won out. And the proof is in the owner’s manuals!
The cover pages of the Honda and Acura models are properly identified. Then comes page one…
Tables of Contents
Below in order are the table of contents for a Chevrolet Malibu (left) and the Honda Pilot (right). And then below left is the TOC for the Honda Prologue.
The majority of the additions are of course related to the fact that the vehicles are fully electric. So all of the resulting indicators and warnings related to the high voltage system are found.
Remember that auto manufacturers are given great leeway in the way they present warning symbols and indicators. Only a few are identical from one manufacturer to another. Most of the time symbols end up looking similar but differ enough for us to address here on this site. Hence the fact that we host over 1,000 of them here!
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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.
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