Driving without the Key
Thread Starter
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 1,385
From: Austin, TX
Driving without the Key
Had an interesting experience and wanted to share and kind of warn other members.
My wife had the key fob in her purse. I dropped her off at the store front and drove off to find a parking spot. I am sure my wife would have heard the beeps as she stepped away from the RX, but I did not pay attention or even noticed if there was a message in the display. I drove off looking for a shade and parked the RX and then shut it off. I would say the farthest spot I drove from where my wife would be about 300 yrds.
When my wife came out of the store she waved at me to come pick her up. Well the RX would not start as the the key was not being detected. She had to walk in the sun to get to the RX.
Q: Does RX shut off after certain distance/time once the key is removed?
Caution: Just be careful as potentially one can be stranded. With key in ignition, you are guaranteed to start when ever.
Salim
My wife had the key fob in her purse. I dropped her off at the store front and drove off to find a parking spot. I am sure my wife would have heard the beeps as she stepped away from the RX, but I did not pay attention or even noticed if there was a message in the display. I drove off looking for a shade and parked the RX and then shut it off. I would say the farthest spot I drove from where my wife would be about 300 yrds.
When my wife came out of the store she waved at me to come pick her up. Well the RX would not start as the the key was not being detected. She had to walk in the sun to get to the RX.
Q: Does RX shut off after certain distance/time once the key is removed?
Caution: Just be careful as potentially one can be stranded. With key in ignition, you are guaranteed to start when ever.
Salim
Racer
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,817
Likes: 229
From: wa
It's any model with Start button and key fob. They will move until Start button is pressed again or till run out of gas. I raised that question at toyotanation years ago, as it seemed as potential theft hazard to me. Personally, having two hybrids, rolling to park in the city, where there is lots of noises, beeps included and ICE not running, vehicle is perfectly silent when parked. Missing 3 gentle beeps is rather easy and I did it sever la times.
Someone told me that on newer models, they introduced a time stamp or something, to prevent this. That you can drive for say 3 minutes without key in the car detected, then it shuts down. Source to say this was rather not formal, so I am not sure how true it is.
This is what modern thieves use to steal cars. A transponder that picks key fob signal and sends it to a baddie receiver by the vehicle. Then vehicle opens and is driven away to a chop shop or else.
Someone told me that on newer models, they introduced a time stamp or something, to prevent this. That you can drive for say 3 minutes without key in the car detected, then it shuts down. Source to say this was rather not formal, so I am not sure how true it is.
This is what modern thieves use to steal cars. A transponder that picks key fob signal and sends it to a baddie receiver by the vehicle. Then vehicle opens and is driven away to a chop shop or else.
Thread Starter
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 1,385
From: Austin, TX
I just drove and 300 yds was roughly the max distance from the key-fob. Others have explained that the distance does not matter.Salim
Thread Starter
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 1,385
From: Austin, TX
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Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2018
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From: Victoria, Australia
Yep this is true for all the vehicles equipped with remote key for push button start.
You can continue to drive everywhere without the key on your body, just as long as you have fuel. But you won't be able to restart the car again, if you turn it off with the push button for engine start/stop.
So imagine a car hijack situation - the car jacker drives off with your car, leaving you by the roadside. They can drive to Timbuktu but the second they stop the vehicle, it's all over. Of course, with a hybrid, they can drive to a fuel station and fill up the car and keep going without switching off the ignition - the engine will automatically stop at the gas pump unless the traction battery needs charging at that very moment.
You can continue to drive everywhere without the key on your body, just as long as you have fuel. But you won't be able to restart the car again, if you turn it off with the push button for engine start/stop.
So imagine a car hijack situation - the car jacker drives off with your car, leaving you by the roadside. They can drive to Timbuktu but the second they stop the vehicle, it's all over. Of course, with a hybrid, they can drive to a fuel station and fill up the car and keep going without switching off the ignition - the engine will automatically stop at the gas pump unless the traction battery needs charging at that very moment.
Pole Position
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 215
Likes: 32
From: Ohio
This is why keyless push start systems feels unnatural. You can forget to bring your keys with you, start your car in the morning, drive to work, and then get stranded at the end of the day.
Also doesn't help that it's easy for the keys to get left in the vehicle or lost somewhere in the vehicle.
Also doesn't help that it's easy for the keys to get left in the vehicle or lost somewhere in the vehicle.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 13,243
Likes: 1,874
From: WA
To add to what others have said, it will continually run until shut off. The reason as I understand it is that if your fob battery were to go dead or for whatever other reason stop communicating with the car while you are driving, it would be hazardous for the car to just turn off while you are driving along, leaving you stranded in the middle of the road.
I had a rental Ford Explorer once and while playing through the menus and options I found a setting in that car where you could leave it like that or you could set it to turn off after a certain period of time without communication. I thought that was a good idea.
I had a rental Ford Explorer once and while playing through the menus and options I found a setting in that car where you could leave it like that or you could set it to turn off after a certain period of time without communication. I thought that was a good idea.
Thread Starter
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 1,385
From: Austin, TX
The only thing you can not do is "start the engine'.
So as long as you do not shut off and keep filling gas, you can go perpetually keep running.
There is no distance from the key that is checked any the system.
Salim
So as long as you do not shut off and keep filling gas, you can go perpetually keep running.
There is no distance from the key that is checked any the system.
Salim
Advanced
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 557
Likes: 53
From: Ontario
"The only thing you can not do is "start the engine'."
ya, that's right. So don't drop your wife off at the store if she has the fob in her purse and then go get gas because you can't start it again and it's a long walk of shame 'til you get to her. NO. not me.
Happened to a 'friend of mine'. And my,err, his wife couldn't understand the anger and frustration.
Happened to a 'friend of mine'. And my,err, his wife couldn't understand the anger and frustration.