Hacker News Reader

Comment by ianschmitz | Hacker News Reader

The key needs to be continuously present for the car to continue running. Unless I’m missing something in your story?

I don't think any car keyless ignition requires the key to be present to continue running. You don't want a car to shut off on the highway if someone drops the key behind a metal object or the battery dies.

If you start a car, and then take the key out of the vehicle, you will get a message like this: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jo6gzVfAElc/maxresdefault.jpg

You will be able to drive the vehicle until it is put into park or shut off, and you won't be able to drive it again until the key is present again.

This has stranded some people who have done the following:

* start the car

* get out for some reason

* leave the key by accident

* get back in the car and drive away

* park at their destination

* they are now stranded without a key

Even more surprising: fobs that don't work if the key is in the ignition.

My 1996 Mustang had a bad battery, so it would barely start. I took the remote fob off the key ring and left the car running, but locked it (using the physical door-lock button). When I came back later, the fob would not open the door.

WTF? Had to have another key brought from home.

Another good one: If you open the back door of a Mini Clubman (or the regular Cooper, most likely) and then accidentally drop your fob into the car and close the rear doors or hatch... the car will re-lock itself and you're fucked. This is great when it's a hot day and you just put a dog in the car, which is in the sun. Now you get to break a window. Yay German engineering.

My car beeps whenever the key is not detected in the cabin while the vehicle is running. It would be very hard to leave the key behind by accident.

My experience is the same. I suspect one would have to really not pay attention to manage to do this. e.g: stereo up, car already dinging for other reasons, absent minded driver, etc.

I have a push-button car made by Hyundai and one made by Nissan. Both can be turned on with the fob inside the vehicle. You can then leave the key behind and drive away.

The dashboard will immediately warn you that a key is not present (audio and visual icons), but both cars will not do anything to immobilize the car after the key has been left.

What model vehicle stalls if it can't find the key? That seems like a severe safety problem - you mean it would brake if the battery dies on the key dongle?

At least in the two Hyundai's I've owned with this type of system - an Ioniq hybrid and a Kona EV - it drives just fine once started even if you chuck the key out the window.

The car turning off is not at all the same as braking. It actually seems LESS safe to me to allow the car to move far beyond the key, because leaving the key behind (Thus stranding yourself) is more likely to occur than the battery dying.

Signal from the key just needed to start, not a keep-alive. Might depend on make/model. Chances are good an automaker doesn't want to shut off a car at speed just because the key misses a keep-alive ping.

The device is actually two sets of equipment. When the unsuspecting victim parks and locks the car, a thief standing not far away holds the first device, which is used to pick up and amplify the electronic signal as it is sent between the car and the key fob.

That signal is relayed to a second device, which tricks the car into thinking that the key fob is near the car. That disarms the security system, unlocks the door and authenticates the engine to start.

https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-mystery-car-steali...

My first experience with owning a car that had the wireless key surprised me. I had a Toyota Tacoma that needed to be moved. Someone more freely available jumped in and was able to start it because I was fairly close. They drove around the block well out of range and it never stopped running.

This was surprising to me. In a previous car, I had a remote start that would specifically kill the engine if you pressed the brake without the key in the right position. So the stopping the engine was something that I just assumed would happen as well. Unless there's a concern about just having the engine stop while actively being driven???

> Unless there's a concern about just having the engine stop while actively being driven???

The majority of cars depend on the engine to provide power assist on the brakes and steering. Without power assist the physical effort required to stop and steer goes up significantly. Suddenly having the control dynamics of a multi-ton chunk of metal change dramatically while at speed isn't something most people are capable of responding to correctly. Having the engine stop in the middle of a busy intersection is another way to have a bad time.

> I had a remote start that would specifically kill the engine if you pressed the brake without the key in the right position.

Being able to start the car remotely and being able to put the car in gear and drive without the key in the ignition are independent features.

AFAIK my '07 Mazda can drive away without the wireless key. It beeps to warn you when the key is getting out of range.

Sadly no. I've driven to a place with my wife, and then she drove off, with me having the keys in my pocket.

It'll keep running. Can you imagine if it stops detecting the keys because the coin-battery is dead and the car all of the sudden stalls?

Only when you stop the car and then try to start it you'll notice.

Not true for any car I’ve ever seen.

once it’s started and in drive the key isn’t needed.

Mine works this way, you get a warning that it’s going to shutdown in a few min without the key.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com