Do push to start cars have keys

Q: Do keyless cars have keys?

A remote keyless entry car kit doesnt rely on a physical button in order to get into your vehicle. But instead it has a sensor that detects your remote keyless key fob within a certain range of your vehicle. It then unlocks once you touch the door handle, but only while the key is nearby.

At the turn of the century, high-end car manufacturers began producing cars that lacked a crucial component: a key. This was added to boost car sales. Similar to many other features that were first introduced in posh cars, keyless push-button starts have over time filtered down to more affordable models as they continue to grow in popularity.

Índice Show

Advantages of keyless push button start features
The downsides of having keyless push button starts
Recent cars that still offer physical keys
What Is a Push Button Start Key Fob?
Dangers of Push Button Start Key Fobs
How to Choose a Push Start Button Kit
How to Use Your Push Button Start
Do keyless cars have keys?
Do you need a key for a push start?
Why does my keyless car have a key?

Going by statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, back in 2002, only 5000 vehicles were manufactured with keyless starts. According to a 2013 report by Ward’s Auto, this figure jumped to 4.4 million, and the numbers keep on rising.

According to NHTSA, despite the growing popularity of the keyless push-button start feature on most cars, some vehicles and models still have the physical car key as a way to start the vehicle. But why is this?

If you don’t have one yet, you might be wondering if you need it for your next vehicle and if there are any downsides to a keyless ignition. Read along to discover more.

Car keys | Getty Images

Advantages of keyless push button start features

According to Edmunds, the top pros of a keyless system are convenience and security. The feature makes it harder to steal vehicles because the thief would need your key fob. With this keyless entry feature, you get to experience comfort like never before. Just with the press of a button, you can unlock all your doors. What is more, you are not required to insert your key to start the ignition. Again, by just pressing a button, you can automatically start or stop your car.

Keyless push-button starts also offer increased safety. These modern keys have an authentication ID, which is read by your vehicle’s computer, and only with the correct authentication will your car unlock to start. With the increase in car thefts, this is an efficient way to reduce such incidences.

The downsides of having keyless push button starts

While there are many advantages to this revolutionary feature, a keyless push-button start comes with a few disadvantages.

First, considering today’s exceptionally quiet engines, using keyless ignition increases your chances of forgetting to turn off your motor once you leave your car. As Car and Driver reports, since 2006, there have been more than a dozen reports of people who have lost their lives from carbon monoxide poisoning after they unknowingly left their cars running in an enclosed garage in the house.

Forgetting to turn off your car can also make it easier for thieves to access your vehicle and steal valuable items. According to AAA, it is easy for drivers to leave their engine running when distracted by children or a phone call. Therefore, they should know what their vehicle’s gauge cluster looks like when off and when on.

Furthermore, cars with keyless ignitions are more prone to hacking. This is because the push-button start depends on the car’s electrical system, making it more vulnerable to hacking and bug failures. This is expensive to fix. While the process is more complicated than smashing through the car’s windows, determined cybercriminals, equipped with the right tools, can access the radio system from a keyless fob and use it to open and start the car.

Recent cars that still offer physical keys

Toyota recently launched the Toyota Corolla Cross. This latest model is equipped with up-to-date technology like Amazon Alexa, a seven-inch screen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. However, contrary to the modern technological updates, a physical key is included, which seems odd.

Among many other reasons, having a keyed system serves as a cost-cutting measure for the Toyota Corolla Cross’ base trim. As Edmunds reported in 2014, replacing a keyed ignition with a push-button start costs somewhere between $75 and 125. This seems inexpensive until the figure is multiplied by millions of cars sold.

RELATED: What Does the ‘Brake Hold’ Button Do in a Car?

Push button starts are innovative features that are making the ignition key almost obsolete. However, not every vehicle comes with a push button start as standard equipment. The push button start helps you turn on your vehicle automatically, without having to turn an ignition key.

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What Is a Push Button Start Key Fob?

A push button start key fob is a button that allows drivers to start their engine by pressing it. That said, you won't be able to turn on your car if you don't apply your vehicle's brakes. Likewise, your push button start won't stop your engine if you don't put your gear in park.

Push-button starts are only available on keyless ignition systems. Mercedes Benz was the first automobile brand to create keyless ignition systems on a large scale. Today, other premium car brands like Rolls Royce, Acura, and Lexus make their branded keyless fobs.

Although keyless fobs are now quite popular, they are yet to dominate the market. Many affordable vehicle brands still use manual keys. Nevertheless, elderly drivers and arthritis patients are starting to prefer keyless ignition systems because of the difficulty they experience when trying to grip a car key.

The push button start is unique to each car. Each key fob has a signal that links it to the ignition of the vehicle. As such, your car's ignition will only come on when you press the push button start of your original key fob. To activate your car's engine with your push-button start on your key fob, you must press the button within a few feet of where your vehicle is parked.

The benefits of push button start key fobs include:

Push-button start key fobs protect your vehicle against theft. By ensuring that the ignition doesn't start until it receives a signal from its paired key fob, a keyless ignition system bars entry from car burglars.
Push-button start fobs reduce the chances of car accidents. If you use a keyless ignition system, your engine won't start until you put your foot on your brake and press the push button start key fob. Such vehicles are less likely to work without their drivers' input.
Some keyless ignition systems prevent drivers from locking their key fobs inside the car. These systems have alarms that set off whenever drivers abandon their key fobs in the trunk or inside the vehicle. Car brands with such alarm systems are Toyota, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Mazda, Ford, Honda, Nissan, and GM.
Keyless ignition systems allow you to start your engine even when your key fob's battery is dead. The easiest way to unlock your car in such cases is to contact your manufacturer through their emergency service center. You can reach out to your carmaker via a phone call or on the brand's mobile app.
Some premium brands even provide roadside assistance services to customers where they send a technician to unlock your vehicle for you. If you are lucky, your carmaker may even hide a substitute mechanical key inside your key fob. You can insert the substitute key into your vehicle's emergency port to open the car.

Dangers of Push Button Start Key Fobs

Here are some disadvantages of push button start key fobs:

Since most new vehicle models have noiseless engines, you can easily forget to switch off your engine when using a keyless ignition system. Drivers who use mechanical keys rarely face this problem because they can see the key inserted in the ignition system. However, users of push button start key fobs may leave their car without switching it off because the key fob is probably tucked into their pockets.
A few drivers have sustained injuries because they forgot to put the gear in park before getting out of the vehicle. If you leave your car while it is in gear, your vehicle may spring forward, pull you, and launch itself into an obstacle or another vehicle.
It is easier to hack push button start key fobs than conventional keys. Tech-savvy car thieves can use artificial intelligence systems to pick the unique signal from the key fob and use it to unlock or even activate a vehicle's engine.

How to Choose a Push Start Button Kit

Here are things to consider when buying a push start button kit/remote start kit:

Operating range: It is important to consider the operating range of the kit as it determines the distance from which you can start your car remotely.
Mobile compatibility: Some push button start kits offer smartphone connectivity. This feature increases the utility of the device and allows you to lock, unlock, start, and switch off your car.
Manual cutoff switch: For added protection, some remote start devices come with a manual cutoff switch that allows you to shut off the car engine remotely. This is a useful feature, especially if your car is stolen.
Number of key fobs: You also have to consider the number of remote key fobs that come with the device. Most vendors include just one, but you may need more. So, remember this before settling for a product.

How to Use Your Push Button Start

Disclaimer: The guidelines in this article are general and not meant to replace instructions for your specific vehicle. Please consult your owner's manual or repair guide before attempting repairs.

Take the steps below to switch on your vehicle's engine with the push button start:

Step on your vehicle's brake and hold it.
Press the push button start on your key fob, and hold the button until your engine starts.

To turn off your car's engine, follow these steps:

Put your vehicle in the park gear.
Press and hold the push button start, and keep doing so until your engine goes off.

Hearst Autos Research, produced independently of the Car and Driver editorial staff, provides articles about cars and the automotive industry to help readers make informed purchasing choices.

Do keyless cars have keys?

A remote keyless entry car kit doesn't rely on a physical button in order to get into your vehicle. But instead it has a sensor that detects your remote keyless key fob within a certain range of your vehicle. It then unlocks once you touch the door handle, but only while the key is nearby.

Do you need a key for a push start?

The only real difference between a push-button start system and a conventional keyed ignition is that you don't need a key to close the circuit on the ignition. The button does that. Pushing the button does the same thing that turning the key does.

Why does my keyless car have a key?

Mechanical Key: Owners of cars with push-button start systems might not be aware that a mechanical key resides inside the key fob. This is so that owners can still unlock the driver's door in cases when the car's battery or the key fob's battery runs out of juice, or the fob malfunctions.