truck push-button start? careful where you set your 'key'

[hedge]

I recently bought a new truck, a 2017 Ford F350. It has push-button start and detects the key.

When parked I was in the habit of setting the key on the kitchen cabinet near the sink, as it turns out this is close enough for the truck to detect it. Someone could have got in and just driven it away.

I've had to find a place in the back cupboard where the truck won't detect it.

Glad I thought of trying it, thought it may be something others hadn't considered.

[jim1521]

jfkmk wrote:
Doesn't have to start it if someone can get in and use the garage door opener (assuming you have one) to get into your house.

Had our vehicles broken into about a month ago. We were in this situation (garage door openers inside the vehicles). Fortunately they didn't try to enter the house.

However, I have now removed and reprogrammed all the garage door openers and have added these to our key rings. They work great, and the range is as long or longer than our regular garage door openers:

[jim1521]

Seeing this thread, I just did a test with my 2016 Nissan Titan XD.

In order to remotely start the truck, I have to first lock the doors with the remote, then press and hold the remote start button for 5 seconds. After this, I then need to unlock the door and push the start button.

I was able to remotely lock and start the truck from upstairs. I was about 100' away when I did this.

I then went downstairs to confirm that the truck was running, and that the doors were all locked.

I then removed the actual key from my key fob, and left the key fob in the garage - about 30' away. I was able to manually unlock the door with the key. When I pushed the start button the truck automatically shut off. I had to go retrieve the key fob from the garage before the truck would start.

I then re-did the test, but this time I placed the key fob 5' in front of the grille of the truck. Same results. As soon as I pushed the start button the engine shut off.

So at least in the case of the Nissan, the key fob has to be in VERY close proximity (i.e. inside the cab) for the engine to start.

[jfkmk]

Doesn't have to start it if someone can get in and use the garage door opener (assuming you have one) to get into your house.

[K_Charles]

If we leave on fob in my wifes ford, the other fob won't lock the doors.

[hedge]

good point, I didn't actually try starting it. I think they key has to be in the cabin for that... I'll have to give it a try. It did open the door though.

[wnjj]

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28305348

[GordonThree]

Was it close enough to unlock the doors, or actually unlock the ignition? It's been a long time, but my 2011 Dodge would unlock from quite a distance out, but would not actually start until the key was inside the vehicle. Ford is maybe different?