Car Keyfobs - hows yours?

[Schumi]

So today at work we're having an argument about car key fobs.

My Porsche's sucks. It has two buttons- one to open the rear decklid and one to lock/unlock. I have a 2000 which doesn't have the front bonnet power latch, so no 3rd button.

I think the strange part is the lock/unlock. It has one button that does both. When I'm walking away from the car, I can never tell if I'm locking or unlocking. I frequently think I lock it, but actually unlock, or vice versa. I've taken to getting out of the car and hitting the button and then pulling on the handle to see if it locked just to be sure. The fob battery is dying which exasperates the problem.

Now I don't think it's that huge of a deal, but a guy I work with would seriously not buy a car if it had little irritations like this, and I wonder how normal that is....

How about you guys?

This is along the same lines as my heated seat argument and memory position argument.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Schumi

I work with would seriously not buy a car if it had little irritations like this

Wow, he needs to relax!

[1990C4S]

Lock should have a LOW VOLUME audible confirmation, or a parking light flash, or both. Not a cheesy Chrysler 'horn honk'.

I had a Ford with the keypad, which I initially thought was a gimmick. In the end I loved it.

These are minor annoyances you have to live with, not deal breakers. Underpowered, understeering, unreliable are deal-breakers, but a crappy key fob isn't. You can change the fob and go aftermarket if that's such a big deal to you.

[kanadary]

my 911 is too old to have a factory keyless system but i have an one button open/ close on my E36 vert but that car makes these annoying chirps when its locking or unlocking.. three to lock one to unlock. i don't know about porsche but our honda ody will self lock within 30 seconds if its been remotely unlocked but one one has opened the door. if that is the case with yours then it won't matter unless you're going to be so far away within 30 seconds that you won't see some breaking into it.

[Christien]

Little things like that piss people off - look at car advertising, it's usually about the little convenience factors, rather than the big things like long-term reliability. Porsche key fobs tend to die/break faster than most, but GM fobs are the worst for that. Ford fobs seem to last a long time, but the paint indicators wear off fast.

[island911]

Are you kidding me, Shumi? The Porsche key-fobs rock.

First, you know where the button is by feel. (unlike those w/ separate lock/unlock buttons). Secondly, if you do lock then unlock, the Porsche will (assuming you don't open a door w/in 30 seconds) re-lock the car. Third, you can set the lights or horn to tell you what just happened. - Lock = one flash . . . unLock = double flash.

Oh, and on my Cayenne, pressing the lock button twice will, lock, briefly unlock & turn off the interior monitoring and inclination sensing of the alarm. --useful if you have a dog in the car, or it's parked on a (rocking) ferry boat.

[GH85Carrera]

I drive cars from the 80s. Before key fobs were needed to lock and unlock a door. I HATE the urban crickets of noisy cars honking or chirping. My keys don't need a battery.

[daepp]

One very neat trick on my Lexus rolls all the windows down and opens the sunroof - excellent on hot days!

[pwd72s]

Once I learned how to use the darned thing, no probs with the Ford fob. I read an article in one of the car mags that it's the easiest to change a battery for...

(edit) I did learn to not put the fob in a front pocket when playing pool...leaning over the table, I pushed the panic button. Knew that because I was 2 steps from the tavern door, the car right outside that. If it had been a break-in attempt, the perp would still have been still visible. That is, unless he could travel 50 yards in 3 seconds.

[pete3799]

They make cars that automatically lock their doors?

[island911]

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

One very neat trick on my Lexus rolls all the windows down and opens the sunroof - excellent on hot days!

my wife's old MBz does that. ...or close all windows/sunroof on locking.

With the Porsche, it does those actions only with the key turn-hold, in the door lock.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by pete3799

They make cars that automatically lock their doors?

Yea, and I hear the new cars you have to get inside the car and press the brakes or the clutch just to start it. Not in my cars.

[gtc]

I hate all that annoying beeping and flashing gadgetry on new cars nowadays.


Now get off my lawn!

[Super_Dave_D]

Nissan/infiniti fobs are tough!! My fob went swimming for 30 minutes. Let it dry out and it worked like a charm!!!

[masraum]

The KF for my Miata has a lock button that has a bump on it so you can tell by feel that you're hitting the lock button. It's also got a trunk button, an unlock button, and a panic button. Any other car that I've ever had with remote locks has also had separate lock/unlock buttons.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I drive cars from the 80s. Before key fobs were needed to lock and unlock a door. I HATE the urban crickets of noisy cars honking or chirping. My keys don't need a battery.

Let me tell you, it's darn convenient. Remote door and trunk, you don't know what you're missing. Running to your car in the rain with an arm load of crap, hit the button before you get there and it's waiting for you. Pretty darn sweet.

Originally Posted by pete3799

They make cars that automatically lock their doors?

I've installed a couple of Viper alarms, this was about 10 years ago. They had an auto-lock feature. It's usually called passive locking. I tihnk it's for car insurance. If you can tell your insurance company that your car has a passive alarm, you get a discount.

[mossguy]

I have a 71 911. I can't find the buttons!

Best,
Tom

[Hugh R]

08 Camry has a fob and touch start button. With fob in my pocket, I touch the door handle and it unlocks the drivers side. It won't let me lock it in the trunk . Once started you can drive the car away without the fob in the car which is strange to me.

[Zeke]

Schumi, watch the lights. They tell you what mode you're in.

No show at Tesla yesterday? Or maybe you didn't hear. I should have notified you.

[Scuba Steve]

2000 Toyota. One button locks / another button unlocks. Third green button never did anything.