Report: Fed mulling standardizing keyless ignition systems

Five years ago, if you owned a vehicle with push button start, you probably owned a luxury vehicle or high-end sports car. For 2011, there are 189 vehicles with push start technology, including many vehicles that retail for less than $20,000. But while the technology has proliferated to nearly every vehicle segment, each automaker has its own keyless ignition mechanism.

Automotive News reports that the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) International isn't crazy about this, and it's looking to standardize keyless ignition systems. The move can be at least partially viewed as a reaction to unintended acceleration issues faced by Toyota. Some Toyota owners who reported reported the UA phenomenon were unable to turn off the vehicle because Toyota's programmers necessitate that the star/stop button must be pressed for three or more seconds to cut off power to the engine.

According to Automotive News, the SAE proposes that drivers should be able to stop the vehicle by pressing the button for .5 to two seconds, or by briefly pressing the button two or three times.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also reportedly added that it may propose a rule this year to standardize the systems, leading at least one automaker to consider waiting to redesign their systems until uniform standards can be agreed upon. Interestingly, a poll by AN revealed that while General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, Honda, Nissan, Chrysler and Hyundai planned to comply with the SAE standard – only Toyota says that it won't follow the guidelines until it learns if NHTSA will chime in with its own regulations, as well.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/r...ition-systems/

 

If keyed ignitions are standardized, then so should be keyless versions.

 

I'm all for it. I'd like to see all U.S.-market new vehicles have a START/STOP engine-button and proximity-fob. And standarizing the engine-off function to a half-second-push is also, IMO, a good idea.

Why the industry has not put START/STOP buttons on all new cars by now beats me. Even some new (and late-model) cars in the 30-40K range still use the old-fashioned side-column-mounted conventional key/ignition switches that date back to 1969-model GM cars. Subaru, for instance, should, IMO, have put the buttons on the new Legacy/Outbacks in 2010 and the new Foresters/Imprezas in 2008, but didn't....they stuck with the old-fashioned switches/keys.

 

standardizing would be good, but not REQUIRING it (which adds cost).

 

i think much better idea would be to educate drivers how to put car into Neutral.

As turning it off at 80mph is a lot more dangerous that simple flip up to neutral.

 

Agreed, most effective education process could start now because it will be years before existing inventory is out of service. And turning off the car is especially scary (operating vehicle without power brakes and power steering) given the level of incompetence so common with American drivers.

 

I like old school ignition systems. Am I only one to feel this way? Maybe I'm not used to push button system yet. For luxury cars I understand the need for it but I just don't see the need for it on economical cars.

 

I like the old school ignition system better as well. I hate having to press the brake pedal before starting the car. I know the latter is a safety feature

 

What ever happened to shifting to neutral for 'safety'?