LA Times on "keyless entry and ignition"

Quote: . . . Introduced less than a decade ago on luxury models, . . .

Luxury Models? Now THAT's a hoot. We've had SKS since '04. Yet our '06 Lexus STILL had a mechanical ket ... 75 year old technology. That still bugs me. So ... WHAT luxury car had them sooner than Gen II Prius' ??

.

 

I believe the starter button replaced the crank and it was on the floor before the ignition key was invented. The Ford Museum video said the Model T had a starter in 1919. Never let the facts get in the way of a good newspaper story.

 

Even the 54 Ford had one. Remember the cylindrical metal high/low beam headlamp switch on the floor? The 54 Ford starter was the same. -SOME- of them were mechanical in that when you stepped on it you shoved the starter gear onto the flywheel and the contact (on the end of the mechanical device) then fired up the starter motor.

Ah, the "good old days"!

 

I have driven Jeeps with floor starter buttons.

There is a reason that the starter buttons were put on the floor: Starting currents are very high, so you need a large switch mounted close to the starter. Modern starters use some sort of relay for this function, but in older cars the starter switch handled all of the current. This made for a big, stiff switch. Mounting the switch on the floor shortened the wiring run to the starter and also allowed the driver to use a foot to operate the big switch.

Many cars used to have floor headlight dimmer switches for the same reasons.

Tom

 

Corvettes have had them since the 2005 model year (which came out in 2004).

 

There you go ... still the same year as the (Gen II) prius ... which 1st hit the markets in late '03 I believe. I'd find it a streatch to call the vette a luxury car too. So what luxury car had 'em before the prius? I think some Lexus may have had 'em as early as the prius, but earlier? Maybe the author considers the Prius luxury!

 

For the price many people consider the Prius a luxury car.

 

Mercedes-Benz introduced the technology back in 2000 with their new S-Class. Toyota used the same set-up as Mercedes (heat sensor on the handle and black button to lock the doors. Infiniti started introducing the technology after Toyota with one major difference. The button on the door is use to lock and unlock the car; they also use a knob to start the car (they later started using a push button ignition). **Mercedes introduced the system with the push button ignition on the shifter.

 

Renault also introduce the technology for the 2000 model year! The system is called Reanult Card.

 

We need to start making people prove that they are competent to drive - and not just first time drivers. The roads are filled with people having no business behind the wheel of a car.

Tom

 

I have the V with ATP and frankly, I have not even played around with the Parking Assist. My feeling is that if you can't parallel park yourself, you have no business driving a car.

 

Man . . . what's WRONG with us! We'd pay for parking assist ... rather than an 89 cent set of metal curb feelers that simply grind against the concrete if you get too close.

 

+1

 

I miss the floor button for dimming the headlights


Whoops, did I just date myself?

 

"Click...Click" - car just went by the other way.

Tom