GM (and some others) make a good Key-Fob.
 

One thing I will say for the standard key/ignition fobs for current GM products is that, IMO, they are some of the best in the industry.....though I also have to admit that previous ones I have had from Lexus, Subaru, and Toyota are not far behind in being idiot-proof either.

Being human, we all sometimes make mistakes or forget things. That is a given, and I'm not starting this thread as a platform for poking fun at the times it inevitably happens (or at me).....if I did that, we could laugh all day long at both ourselves and others. I just wanted to show how well-sealed the fobs are made these days. The auto-manufacturers seem to know that people are going to go about their daily lives while sometimes forgetting to take them out of their pockets when they should.

That is what occasionally happens with me, maybe once a year or so, especially at our outdoor condo swimming pool during the summer months when it is open. When I am at the large indoor Olympic-size pool at the County Recreation Center where I also swim regularly and/or in bad weather, we keep our clothes and gear in lockers, so it is not a factor. But, at our outdoor pool, I occasionally forget to take my fob/keys or pool-pass out of my pocket....and they end up, of course, taking a nice chlorinated water-bath with me, at water temperatures varying anywhere from the low-seventies to the low-nineties, depending on the weather and amount of sun.

Once again (yep) that happened with me today at the condo pool. As some light showers moved in, and I got out of the pool (the guards don't actually shut the pool down, though, unless there is thunder or lightning in the vicinity), I felt something lumpy in my right front pocket of my swim-trunks. I knew instantly what I had done again (your body's natural buoyancy apparently helps prevent you from feeling it in the water). So, walking back home to my town house (just a short three-minute walk), I went past my parked car and tried all the functions. Everything still worked perfectly......doors, trunk, headlight-flash, trunk-opening, etc..... The fob-casing, and even the buttons were so well-sealed that nothing leaked or seeped past them to short out or corrode the battery or sensors, even with underwater pressure. (I'm also glad, of course, that the fob and keys didn't fall out of my pocket underwater and end up in the pool's filters LOL):D.

Yes, the fobs from the other manufacturers I mentioned (from experience) also seemed equally waterproof...but the ones I have had from GM are, IMO, clearly the best so far. The GM fobs for both my Buick Verano and Lacrosse have real polished metal-chrome trim for the key-ring attachments, not just flat or chromed-plastic like wth other manufacturers...this gives them a heavy, solid feel.

And I contrast this, of course, with the two 60s-vintage Buicks I owned while in college.....which, of course, not only did not use modern fobs, but, unlike rival Ford products, were the typical (for the time) had GM's policy of using one key for the doors/trunk and another one for the ignition. One key was rounded-end; the other square. Ford keys, back then, could not only be used in both the ignition and doors/trunk, but were double-sided, so you didn't have to insert them with the serrated-edge pointing up or down.


This is the fob to my LaCrosse:


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...7099e8fed7.jpg


..............and this is what GM keys looked like decades ago:


https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/...5wl/s-l225.jpg

One question, Why would you put your key fob in your swim trunks when you live in walking distance of the pool?

I sometimes need my keys (which are on the ring) for other reasons, like checking my mailbox. In our condo development, each mailbox has a separate lock. I also take stuff in and out to my car, and need the fob to get in and out (I keep the car locked up). I'm also single, live alone, and, though in a generally safe neighborhood, am not in the habit of going out for significant periods of time (say, more than just a few minutes) leaving my house unlocked.

Isn't this the benefit of the removable hard key? Just slip off the fob, and take the hard key and the rest of your keys with you, and leave the bulk behind?

Yes, that's a possibility, but it involves several extra steps, and you have to pry off caps on the door locks first. It's designed primarily for emergencies, when the electronics or fob-battery fails, and you have to jimmy the door open manually...not for use as everyday hardware to replace the fob itself.

Maybe I misunderstood--I thought the scenario was that you were walking from your condo to your pool? Hence, no need for the fob? "Short 3 minute walk"?

The problem I have with some of the nicer key fobs is that they get too bulky for something that just stays in my pocket. I've had two Audi's both of which came with very nice black and chrome (stainless steel maybe) fobs with the Audi rings etc. Attractive but a bit bulky. Our BMW has a smaller kind of plain fob that is better for carrying around.

Usually that's the case, but not always. Sometimes I need the fob for access to my car (birds often hit it, for example, and I keep a closed container of water, sponges, and a couple of towels in the trunk for quick-cleaning/drying of the spots) and I don't feel like prying everything else off of the key ring. My car is parked in a condo-space, and though it is a short walk to it, my knees, though reasonably good for short periods, are not as strong as they once were...so I try not to make endless unnecessary trips.

Anyhow, for whatever reason, sometimes I need the fob on the way to the pool and/or back....and a couple of times, I've just been forgetful and left it in my trunk-pocket when I got in the pool. Fortunately, whoever makes those fobs does a darn good job.....I have never had one fail on me yet, even when attacked by water and chlorine.

Agreed. My 328's fob is too big and bulky; but the X1 loaner fob I've had is a great shape/size.

I like how GM among some others has been making switchblade-style keys for a while, rather than sticking the key at the end of the fob. My wife's Nissan key is like this, and if I am wearing certain pairs of pants, that key stabs me in the leg every time I climb stairs.

It's interesting the spectrum of quality that exists with keys...

Not all GM fobs are alike. The one for my Buick Verano (presumably designed by Opel, who designed most of the car) has a VW-style switchblade-key that swings out at the touch of a button. The one for my Lacrosse uses a different kind of button (harder to push), and it releases a separate metal key that you simply pull all the way out of the fob manually. Both, BTW, survived the chlorine/water bath superbly, and continued to operate normally.

Try wrapping a small, tight rubber band around the fob and see if that helps prevent the swing-key from snapping out. You can take the rubber band off when and if you need the swing-out key.

I probably explained it wrong... My wife's key is NOT a switch blade key, and I wish it was. :D

I like the switchblade key for my F-150, although it could be a little tighter.

My Fusion had the integrated key/fob but it wasn't a switchblade. I agree that those keys are uncomfortable in the pocket. Too big.

GM was one of the later companies to switch to an integrated fob. I remember seeing keys for 2010+ vehicles that had a separate fob from the key.