Is Convenience Higher On The Totem Pole Than Safety? Push Button Starters And Their Dangers

Previous generation Mercedes E-class i think.

I also think its the Prev E Class.

Only thing im 100% sure of is that it is a Merc.

Could also be a CLS..but yes generally it is surely a previous generation Mercedes of some kind..

Another dumb blond.

These things are dumb. That just means a burglar will come and take my car away with the press of a button.

they only work when in the presence of a key fob...

@Joe

I think Htay is referring to the example in the story where early push-button start General Motors vehicles were being stolen incredibly easily.

Lexus vehicles won't let you lock the doors if the keys are still in the car. I wonder if this convenience translates into not letting the engine start when the keys aren't in the car. Now, I don't want cancer or anything, but hopefully, such convenience doesn't get fooled by opened doors. ...so... dang, it can get really complicated. Still I like push button starts. They're just cool! and convenient.

hehe... remember what Jezza did with Hamster's Challenger in the second Top Gear American special?

Buttons allow for Remote Starting of Vehicle { A lot more manufacturers are incorporating this feature }

Buttons also Probably* require Less Maintenance than the Regular Key/Barrel setup {Less Mechanical Parts}

The times when i drive a vehicle with Keyless Go tech, It is so easy. As you approach the vehicle the vehicle knows when the Authorized person {FOB Holder} is within 3 feet of the Vehicle so will unlock which ever door is required without need of pressing the Unlock button on fob { Just leave it in your pocket or Handbag }.
When you do get inside there is no need to fish out the FOB, just step on the Brake Pedal and push the Start Button and you are Ready to Roll. To stop you just push the Button again when in Park and it Switches of the Engine. Step out and Touch a Special Area on the Door handles and the vehicle locks itself.

Only a really Stupid Person { Or Lexus Owner } could forget the engine was running when they exit the vehicle as usually Gauge Cluster Lights would still be on as well as AC going and other hints so you have to be really trying to do something stupid like exit your vehicle and lock it without knowing the engine is still running.

Another good thing about Push Button Systems is that on Really Cold / Really Hot Days if i am going to run into a Starbucks for a few mins i can Deliberately leave the engine running and still lock the vehicle with just a touch of the door handles so when i return the vehicle maintains the interior temp i left it in.

So i hope i have gone some way to convince you that it is not some gimmick.

I feel it really makes life easier for Drivers.

BTW:

The Lexus Comments was not meant as an insult to Lexus Drivers, if anything i am amazed at the Absolute Silence most Lexus Vehicles Exhibit at Tickover {Idle}.

So can Understand if 1 or 2 people forget to push the Button. {Only in a Lexus can this action be forgiven}.

@I95: Im a fan of the push button tech too. I rented a Nissan Altima with this feature and I wish I could have took it with me when I turned the car in. You also can tap a pad on the trunk if you are standing next to it and that opens too. My next vehicle MUST have this feature. Only an idiot would make a chore out of using the function correctly. (IMO)

204e60...you obviously don't have this wonderful option. While it isn't necessarily easier to start the car, it sure does make things better when you have stuff in your hands or throw your keys in a gym bag/purse. Try it for a while, I'm sure you'll change your mind. I'm sure you were the same person who thought Caller ID was stupid

Here's the bottom line;

If you can't read your manual just enough to figure out how to properly start and stop your vehicle, you should not be driving!!

The keyless vehicles I've seen also have the mechanical start option so I don't see what the noise is about. If you're too stupid to push a button properly, just start it the old fashioned way by turning the key and you're off and away. (after all that has always worked.. and when it doesn't you just don't go anywhere..which is perfect for other motorists!)

The new BMW 7 Series does not provide the option for Manual Key Ignition Start.

Acura TL does not have a manual option either, if the battery in the fob fails you put the fob in the slot, but still no key. The TL also does not allow the trunk to lock if the key is inside. In addition on idle Acura's are pretty quite also, Lexus are quiet I agree in the inside but not outside, especially the GS IMHO.

Some people are resistant to change and to anything new. There's nothing wrong with keyless systems; they're well thought out, in most cases, and it's a true convenience....

If you want your car to heat up, or cool off, you fire it up, step out, hit the exterior lock tab and head back inside while it idles safely.

If youre in a toyota equipped with it that's speeding out of control on its own and you want to shut the engine off and coast, hold the start/stop button for 2-3 seconds.

"Lexus vehicles won't let you lock the doors if the keys are still in the car."

Really? That's not a useful feature if you are in a shitty neighborhood/country. I like to be able to lock car jackers out.

It makes sense.

If the Keys are in the Ignition and you are trying to push the Door Lock button with the door open it will assume you forgot the keys are still in the Ignition and refuse to lock. { You can bypass this by winding the window down, closing the door and then reaching in and pushing the door lock button}

With the Keyless system the same rules apply. If the FOB is in the vehicle and you are trying to lock it from outside using the Door Handle touchpad it will assume you forgot the FOB inside ad refuse to lock { These Systems are designed to be as Idiot Proof as Possible }

Think about it, if it allows you to lock it with the FOB still inside, then anybody can walk up and authorize the vehicle to unlock by simply pulling on the door handle as the vehicle will detect the FOB within the parameters of the Vehicle Sensor Zone.

What I was thinking was if you can't lock the doors while you are inside the vehicle with your key fob, anyone can walk up to you and car jack you just by opening the door.

It's pretty simple; fob inside the car, can't lock from the outside using the touchpad, but someone sitting in the car with the fob present can do so using the switch. If the car is running, and fob is on your person and youre outside the vehicle, you can lock it using the exterior touchpad. Most systems will warn you in some way that you've left the engine running, if you step out with the fob on you.

ah ok, I mis-read, I thought it wouldn't allow any locking if the fob is inside.

I agree that the Lexus Push button needs a few feature up dates. Although you can't start the car with out the key inside, you can drive the Lexus without the key being in the car. That is a problem also there is no way to warm the car and have the doors locked. It really needs a remote starter function to get rid of this problem.