Key fob stories

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • CHCRandy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Feb 16, 2013
    3,699
    113
    Hendricks County
    The other day the wife was at a garage sale and went to leave and her car doors would not unlock. Her phone was in the car so she told the lady what was going on and asked to use her phone to call me. Long story short the lady said it is probably the fob battery, so they switched batteries and it worked fine. Car isn't even a year old and only has 8,000 miles on it.

    Earlier today the wife was telling me about some guy who had a fob battery die while he was locked in his car and he couldn't get out. He wrote a note to his family explaining what happened, thinking he was gonna die....but later he got saved by someone. Guess he tried breaking windows and couldn't get them to break. I was Googling for the article and seen this happens often, especially to children.

    Might be wise to stick an extra battery or 2 in the glove box and maybe one on the frame in a box. Any of you ever had any instances where your fob failed at bad time?
     

    femurphy77

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 5, 2009
    20,268
    113
    S.E. of disorder
    Or maybe just pull the door handle on the inside and open the door. Or just put the key in the ignition, turn to on and roll the windows down, or start the car, drive to the dealer and let them rescue you? Hope he dosen't get trapped on an escalator when the power goes out.:rockwoot:
     

    CHCRandy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Feb 16, 2013
    3,699
    113
    Hendricks County
    Or maybe just pull the door handle on the inside and open the door. Or just put the key in the ignition, turn to on and roll the windows down, or start the car, drive to the dealer and let them rescue you? Hope he dosen't get trapped on an escalator when the power goes out.:rockwoot:

    lol, Not sure if you was joking or not. I am pretty sure he tried that. Dead fob=dead car, so it wont allow you to unlock doors, lower windows and with a fob like mine there is no key or even a key hole....the fob is the key. Don't know why he didn't just lay down on horn, but maybe they don't work either. There are many of people who die from this every year, hard to believe. This redneck don't like high tech, give me an old key and manual locks.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wo...ocked-in-Corvette-after-car-battery-dies.html
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,081
    77
    Southside Indy
    I was thinking the same as femurphy, but I forget that some cars are totally "keyless" now. That just seems like a bad, bad idea. It's the same reason I would never own a safe that depended on a digital or biometric lock. Keys work. Use 'em.
     

    WanderingSol07

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 7, 2017
    413
    28
    North Central
    I too have key-less ignition. But there is a key inside my fob to pull it out and unlock doors from the outside. If I'm inside the car the door handle always works as it is mechanical. As for starting the car, all the cars I've had in the past allow you to put the fob in the console or other compartment in a certain place so the car will start with the fob having a dead or even missing battery. People really need to read the manual to understand how their car works!
     

    CHCRandy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Feb 16, 2013
    3,699
    113
    Hendricks County
    I was thinking the same as femurphy, but I forget that some cars are totally "keyless" now. That just seems like a bad, bad idea. It's the same reason I would never own a safe that depended on a digital or biometric lock. Keys work. Use 'em.

    I was just doing some research on this and I guess there may be safety mechanisms that manufactures done thought of, but every car is different it appears. For example, Mazda will allow you to hit the start button on fob even without a battery in fob and start vehicle and they have emergency door opener hidden in them, but you have to read the owners manual to know this. My wifes Malibu, apparently you call onstar and they remotely open your vehicle, then the fob has a key hidden in it and somewhere in the car is a hidden keyhole under a cover...but again, you have to read the manual to know this. I am going to read it to find this emergency door unlocker feature.

    Who would ever think of this stuff? Is a car window really that hard to break with your hand now days? I remember in my younger days I punched a window on a Ford Mustang and shattered it...but I see videos of cops beating windows with flashlights and sticks and sometimes they don't break.
     

    terrehautian

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jan 6, 2012
    3,491
    84
    Where ever my GPS says I am
    As someone else said, even “keyless” cars have keys. Usually somewhere is a place place to start it with the key. Sometimes they hide it behind the start/stop button. On the drivers door, there might a cover that you pop off to manually unlock it.
     

    jkaetz

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jan 20, 2009
    1,953
    83
    Indianapolis
    I was just doing some research on this and I guess there may be safety mechanisms that manufactures done thought of, but every car is different it appears. For example, Mazda will allow you to hit the start button on fob even without a battery in fob and start vehicle and they have emergency door opener hidden in them, but you have to read the owners manual to know this. My wifes Malibu, apparently you call onstar and they remotely open your vehicle, then the fob has a key hidden in it and somewhere in the car is a hidden keyhole under a cover...but again, you have to read the manual to know this. I am going to read it to find this emergency door unlocker feature.

    Who would ever think of this stuff? Is a car window really that hard to break with your hand now days? I remember in my younger days I punched a window on a Ford Mustang and shattered it...but I see videos of cops beating windows with flashlights and sticks and sometimes they don't break.
    Yes and no, the key is to use something pointy. Blunt objects will not do the job, that includes your hand, fist, foot, etc... Use something pointy though and it will shatter relatively easily.


    I had a rental chevy cruze that wouldn't acknowledge the keyfob. Of course this was as we were headed back to the airport for our flight. The trick with it was to drop it in one of the cup holders. I believe all the keyless cars have a passive RFID option in case the battery dies. As you said, you have to read the manual to know where/how to use it.
     

    BehindBlueI's

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    29   0   0
    Oct 3, 2012
    25,890
    113
    lol, Not sure if you was joking or not. I am pretty sure he tried that. Dead fob=dead car, so it wont allow you to unlock doors, lower windows and with a fob like mine there is no key or even a key hole....the fob is the key. Don't know why he didn't just lay down on horn, but maybe they don't work either. There are many of people who die from this every year, hard to believe. This redneck don't like high tech, give me an old key and manual locks.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wo...ocked-in-Corvette-after-car-battery-dies.html


    From the article you linked to:

    A low battery or a low key fob battery can cause the locks to lock up. But there is a manual release on the driver's side that allows occupants to bypass the battery, according to owners' manuals. Rogers apparently was unaware of the of the release.

    :dunno:
     

    Double T

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    15   0   1
    Aug 5, 2011
    5,955
    84
    Huntington
    Yep, my 2017 fxdls is entirely keyless. My fob died and the bike wouldn't turn over. Had to do some digging, but it will start without a fob. I've now started carrying an extra battery, and changes the battery twice a year.
     

    MrsGungho

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Nov 18, 2008
    74,615
    99
    East Side
    Yep, my 2017 fxdls is entirely keyless. My fob died and the bike wouldn't turn over. Had to do some digging, but it will start without a fob. I've now started carrying an extra battery, and changes the battery twice a year.


    just like your smoke detectors, if it is important, change it fall and spring.

    I don't use a key fob, car isn't new enough to have a keyless ignition and I like it that way
     

    Bennettjh

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Jul 8, 2012
    10,435
    113
    Columbus
    My Harley has a fob. I'm a real stickler about changing the battery in my fob and the spare in the safe.

    As far as vehicles, all too old to have fobs. Keys and lock cylinders are pretty reliable.
     

    actaeon277

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Nov 20, 2011
    92,864
    113
    Merrillville
    My Harley has a fob. I'm a real stickler about changing the battery in my fob and the spare in the safe.

    As far as vehicles, all too old to have fobs. Keys and lock cylinders are pretty reliable.

    They also have a very limited amount of combinations.
    I've seen someone open someone else's car door quite a few years back.l
     

    CHCRandy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Feb 16, 2013
    3,699
    113
    Hendricks County
    From the article you linked to:



    :dunno:

    I seen that as well, that's what got me to researching if all cars had override mechanisms. Then I was amazed how many die from this even with the overrides. I can't even imagine the sadness of losing someone to this and know they just didn't think to read the owners manual.

    BTW....We read our owners manual earlier and sure enough, the override is between the seats under the armrest, there is a little square notch...I often wondered what the hell it was for. You stick the fob there and car will run. I guess you get onstar to unlock your doors if fob locks you out as well. Now how many people would know this stuff exists to even read the owners manual. Guess if you were trapped and thought you were gonna die, reading the manual is the last thing a lot of people would do.

    Still have not figured out where or what the key inside the Malibu fob is for or goes into. Guess I will learn that another day.
     

    MCgrease08

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    37   0   0
    Mar 14, 2013
    14,374
    149
    Earth
    I can't image purchasing any type of car (new or old) and not reading the owner's manual.

    I also can't imagine even considering trying to pouch out a window with my bare hand.
     

    actaeon277

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Nov 20, 2011
    92,864
    113
    Merrillville
    I can't image purchasing any type of car (new or old) and not reading the owner's manual.

    I also can't imagine even considering trying to pouch out a window with my bare hand.

    B5-0305-4.jpg
     
    Top Bottom