I guess it's time for "This question is going to make me feel like an Idiot"

Okay, so I understand my 09 Pk5 has an antitheft system. How does it function? If someone drives away while I have the SKS in my pocket will it just die after a certain distance? Is it turned off if I start the car and walk away? If I get too far will it automatically shut down? Will it shut down if I am away for a certain amount of time?

 

Well, Damn! I don't have time, or a third arm, to lock the door while out on a delivery. As a rule if I am at a single family home and can see the car I don't bother shutting down and locking, but if I have to go into an apartment complex or otherwise can't see my car I will do a full shutdown and lock. I'm going to have to do some experimenting with it, see what happens when I am away from the car with it on, and press the panic button or the lock button on the fob.

 

In my years as a driver no one has actually tried to take my car, but then again I've never had such a great car as this so I may be a little paranoid. Being partially disabled I'm already slow, so full shutdown and restart will make me that much slower. That's why I was hoping the SKS and alarm features were more sophisticated.

 

Fob button placement isn't a problem, it's similar to the fob from my 05 Corolla. 10 to 15 seconds may not seem like a lot to you but multiplied by the 30 to 35 deliveries I do daily add up eventually.

 

Okay, I think I should clarify things a tiny bit here. Let me draw in your minds eye a typical delivery run. I am at the shop, I collect my three orders from the computer and pack them up, making sure I have all sides and 2 liters of pop ready to go. I carry the bags out, set the bag in my right hand on top of the car above the passenger side front door, slide my right hand behind the door handle, wait for the beep and unlock, and open the door. I place the bags in my left hand on the seat, the pop on the floor, then put the bag on the roof on top of the ones already in the seat, close the door. I then walk around the car, get in, foot on brake and hit power. While the car is powering up I put my seat belt on. When the car shows ready, I reverse out and head to my first delivery. Once there, I hit [P], grab the top bag(s) along with any extras or pop, get out, walk to front door, do the transaction, walk back to car, put the bags in the back seat behind the drivers seat, get in and put seat belt back on, flip it into [D] and head off to next. Repeat. If a delivery is at an apartment building or the customer wants the order delivered to back door or garage or something, I will power down the car, get out with the order, close door then hit the lock on the fob, then go do the delivery, return, go to open the door, realize I forgot to unlock both fronts and rears, hit unlock again and place bags in back seat behind drivers seat. Hit power, do seat belt, ,hit [D] and head back to shop or next delivery.

I am forgetful, you should know this right away. If I don't have a system for it I forget it. The above description is the system I use for all of my deliveries and have been using for years. Since I am old and forgetful, when I get a new car I have to develop the system to include the new car and do it enough to make it so I can't forget something. A part of all this is that being older, overweight, and partially disabled, I am already slow, so every extra step takes more time my job doesn't like. I'm the guy you don't want to be stuck behind when you are late for an appointment, I generally try to stay within a few miles of the speed limit, another reason I am a slower driver.

I'm not too overly concerned with someone stealing the car, except for a couple of areas I typically work in, so walking 20 to 30 feet away leaving it powered on isn't much of concern. Basically what it boils down to is finding out what the anti-theft system does and doesn't do.

When I said I had hoped for the SKS system to be more sophisticated I meant that the ability to kill the power in the car to prevent it from getting too far from the fob in my pocket, say 100 yards.