[alsaqr]

Few days ago wife's 2016 Ford Edge refused to start. Tried to jump start to no avail. Then i noticed a message in very small letters: "Key not detected" or something like that.

Got on the web and determined the battery in the key fob was dead. The other fob quit working a couple years ago. Went to Walgreens and got the batteries.

1. Opened up the fobs and found a small key inside. That key is used when the dead fob won't open the car door.
2. There's a very small thingy to the rear of the door handle that allows access to the key hole when removed
3 So you get into the car and the dead key fob won't work.
4. Not to worry, open the center console.
5. Lay the dead key fob on a small platform in the bottom front of the console.
6. If car won't start swap ends with the fob.
7. Start car.

Got the batteries changed in both fobs and they work.

What a hassle. Sure liked plain old car keys better.

 

[OldGnome]

My car has the same kind of key. I knew all of that before I drove away from the dealer with the car.

Except for locking the car, my key can stay in my pocket and I don't have to fish it out. I consider it a great technological advance.

 

[G66enigma]

Always figured replacement of batteries once or twice a year (depending) was a good habit to have. For fire alarms, for vehicle key fobs, etc.

My current vehicle also has a battery-powered key fob, with a separate manual key in case the fob dies. But I have yet to fully test the key-only approach. Perhaps later today. I'm assuming the key will work when I've left the fob in the house, but we'll see.

Yeah, generally speaking I much prefer the simpler, non-computerized days. I appreciate fuel-injection, automatic variable valve timing, timing chains instead of belts. But they're beginning to triple, quadruple, quintuple the prevalence and complexity of chips throughout vehicles these days. Can't imagine they're any more reliable than the old, tried-and-true vehicles. (Again, aside from having ditched carbs, distributors and points, etc.)

 

[OldGnome]

generally speaking I much prefer the simpler, non-computerized days.

I have made my living in various aspects of IT for more than 40 years. I absolutely do not prefer "the good old days."

 

[G66enigma]

My car has the same kind of key. I knew all of that before I drove away from the dealer with the car.

Except for locking the car, my key can stay in my pocket and I don't have to fish it out. I consider it a great technological advance.

My vehicle has adjustable settings (in the car's on-screen console) for the walk-away automatic locking, which doors to unlock when one button is pressed, lighting controls and other things. Useful to have them accessible, instead of having to have the dealer schedule an appointment to alter a dozen things I'd prefer changed.

Can't recall the last time I had the fob out of the pocket. Just get out slowly, walk away, and listen for the "chirp" to ensure things got locked up. Convenient. Of course, I've often wondered who's sitting somewhere in the parking lot with a "sniffer" device that deciphers all the locking codes these vehicles use. I would hope they're all up to snuff on the randomizing security coding, on-the-fly as the alarm system is activated, but you never know.

 

[G66enigma]

I have made my living in various aspects of IT for more than 40 years. I absolutely do not prefer "the good old days."

Ditto, here. Was just referring to the relative simplicity of many of vehicles' key features, as compared to today's almost wanton injection of computers into every component everywhere on a vehicle. Computer-controlled suspension, lighting, braking, transmissions, sensors galore for distance control, key fobs, you name it. In many ways, they're just another thing to go wrong. Despite the attractions of some of the stuff. (Which doesn't detract from the absolute utility of appropriately-implemented tech, in the right places.)

 

[OldGnome]

@G66enigma - that's more functionality than I have, and functionality I would love to have. I suspect your car is worth at least $10-15K more than mine.

 

[G66enigma]

@G66enigma - that's more functionality than I have, and functionality I would love to have. I suspect your car is worth at least $10-15K more than mine.

Haven't ever purchased a new car, and I suspect I never will. But, yeah, the latest is several years old but new enough to have incorporated many of the newfangled whiz-bang features that appear to be in every new car these days. Doesn't have the automatic distance-control as part of the cruise system, which would be nice. Does have the automatic emergency brake assist, to lessen damage/injury risk in a crash the car detects about to occur, though it'll be hair-raising if that puppy ever activates in the middle of normal driving.

Whether it's all worth it, or not, I'll get back to you in another 150Kmi. I figure that by then I'll know. Might well need a new AT, timing chain and balancer, and a couple other things by then. Assuming it hasn't rusted out (from the regional road salts), gotten stolen and taken out for a spin by joy riders, etc.

 

[Gatoragn]

I have made my living in various aspects of IT for more than 40 years. I absolutely do not prefer "the good old days."

Some of the old timers in my childhood plowed their farms with a mule. They told me since I got to sit on a tractor while plowing I was living in the good old days.

 

[freefall]

I prefer cars that unlock and start with a key that's a plain piece of metal, a transmission that I shift the gears in, windows that I manually crank up and down.
A couple years ago I saw a one ton 68 Dodge with 26k miles on it. I should have bought it, but thought it was too nice for the way I'd treat it.
Bad decision.

 

[Clifffalling]

Yep, what a pain! I carry spare batteries in the vehicle and have some at home. Replacing them is part of my new year routine. Along with batteries in all my safes, scanning and saving all documents and photos, videos to a thumb drive for the year.
This is the world we live in.
I do love that on hot or cold days i can remote start the vehicle, and i love that that i can keep it running, knowing that if i get out to get a slurpee, 99.999% of people will not be able to steal the car. I can lock it while running, and it won't shift into drive without the fob in the vehicle.

 

[rn-cindy]

I like some of the new stuff.. I can start my new truck with my phone.... I guess until something goes screwy ..

 

[OldGnome]

Things can go down twisted with a physical key, too. I rented a car at the Amsterdam airport and was staying in a hotel 90 minutes from the airport. I went out to load the car for the drive to the airport. The key broke in the trunk lock..... a good thing I am always headed to the airport with a large enough time buffer to allow for bad things to happen. The car rental company picked me up and took me to the airport.

 

[ellis36]

My car has the same kind of key. I knew all of that before I drove away from the dealer with the car.

Except for locking the car, my key can stay in my pocket and I don't have to fish it out. I consider it a great technological advance.

Me, too!

What amazes me is that I cannot lock my car if the key is in the car (even laying on the seat just inside the door) but standing just outside
the door with the key in my hand or pocket...touch the handle in just the right place and it locks just fine.
It "knows" if the key is inside or outside the vehicle.

ellis

 

[Clifffalling]

It "knows" if the key is inside or outside the vehicle.

"Good morning Dave..." 😁

 

[JakeE]

Big brother at its finest

 

[OldGnome]

Big brother at its finest

I disagree. It's one thing for a device to work (or not) because of proximity. It's another entirely for the government to be watching one's every move.

 

[Southernguns]

We have a new Toyota (insert any brand name) and it has a camera and radar unit in the front logo, a camera in front of the rear view mirror on the windshield, and the back up camera and it is recording driving data all the time. There is a sticker on the mirror in fine print and it is in the owner's manual stating that this data can possibly be used for or against the driver if there is an incident. It turns on the headlights at the right time, turns on and off the bright lights by itself, turns the lights off by itself, and a lot more stuff. BIG brother is everywhere. I guess they did all of this because they finally figured out most people really can't drive a car.

You can let go of the wheel at 70 mph and the car will keep itself between the lines until it tells you to hold on to the wheel again. If you don't, it will slow down. New cars are more electronic than not. The coolant pump is electric and sends the right amount of coolant to the part of the engine that needs it only when it needs it, the oil pump is electric, the oil pressure drops to almost nothing when not needed, it's raised when needed, and it uses 0w-16 oil in it and doesn't consume oil at all. It has a 2.5 liter non-turbo engine that will run like a spotted ape while getting 34mpg in town. The engine shuts down at 133mph and it will do it....somebody said.... I just hope it does all of this as long as other Toyota's I've owned. I have a 2000 Tacoma that drives like new. And then there are guns.....

 

[ellis36]

Sounds like my 2018 Toyota Avalon. It's acceleration from rolling 20MPH to 100 is amazing. And you have to pull your foot out or it would just keep winding.

ellis

 

[austin92]

I like some of the new stuff.. I can start my new truck with my phone.... I guess until something goes screwy ..

Wth do you drive?! Lol

My only disappointment when I bought my mustang gt new in 2019 was I couldn’t get remote start with a manual and I wasn’t buying an auto. I was very specific about what I wanted though, they searched the surrounding 300 dealerships and found one that met my criteria lol. The car is stripped of all the smart and luxury options, only wanted the performance pack 1, racing stripes, and active exhaust