So now that I have a science question, who better to ask than Mudders and potential Mudders? Last week in Portland I drove a Nissan without a key (and yes, I bewilderedly asked the rental counter if there was perhaps something missing from my keychain). While I got a kick out of the new technology, I could envision one big potential problem: what happens if the battery in the car dies? Or for that matter, what about the battery in the keychain? I tried to investigate this dilemma on the internet, and a couple of the sites claimed this wasn't a problem -- but how? How can you open the car if the battery dies? How can the car tell if the key is inside the car versus sitting on the roof or dropped on the pavement? If you drove off and left the key behind, would the car stop?
Okay, scientists, I need some help here. Are keyless ignitions actually a good long-term idea?
Image from www.familytram.com
Just reading through and couldn't help but respond to this. I am sure you have long figured this out, but in the event the car battery dies, the key fob has a key that slides out. It's a good long-term idea, but losses some of basic benefits of using a good old fashion key. There are new security risks, with people being able to match the frequency of the key's signal and using it to open the car. Also, if the key is lost or broken, I am sure it costs much more to replace. If you can avoid these first two, or improve security and reduce costs, it makes for a great convenience when getting into and starting your car.
ReplyDeleteThanks for responding to this! I hadn't figured it out, actually, so it's good to learn more about the pros and cons. The keyless ignition was completely new to me and I was fascinated.
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