March 26, 2013 at 6:35 am
Toby Harman (3/25/2013)
Just on the key thing, a number of manufacturers are going the "smart-key" route, and they are very nice to use. Not fumbling for keys etc. and proximity detection for door opening is nice....
There is something really really wrong with the pricing structure of 2-300 for replacment keys, when smart chips are cheap enough to put into credit cards (and secure enough to protect bank accounts).
There is a huge increase in points of failure (and these components DO fail) in these 'convenience' features along with the fact that many cars don't give you a mechanical over-ride to these wiz-bang systems. The current systems are designed to be a cash cow for dealerships, and to help lock out independent mechanics.
There is another issue too. The argument that 'there are plenty of configuration options'. Typically this is sales BS because there is little practical benefit to many of the 'choices', it just inflates the numbers to make the system sound sophisticated. A good system, that is a well designed system, should have legitimate need for only a limited number of configurations. A dictionary full of options is your first indication that this product was not thought out, so they threw everything on the wall
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-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
March 26, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Also, both the smart keys I have also include a detachable manual key as well, for those moments when you need a genuine key.
The argument over what a "properly thought out" system entails is a religious debate, and I'll leave that for better theologians than I!
March 26, 2013 at 5:28 pm
My Prius has a detachable key, but it's only for the door.
Also, if the battery is dead, then you can't unlock the rear hatch, which is where the battery is. A few things not thought out.
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March 27, 2013 at 6:17 am
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (3/26/2013)
My Prius has a detachable key, but it's only for the door.....
Not just the Prius, many (if not most) cars are like this now.
There was an interesting incident (Miami, I believe) where authorities discovered a 'pirate' radio transmitter. Turns out that over the previous months, quite a few cars had to be towed from the nearby parking lot because the touchless keys did not work (and there was no mechanical override), often resulting in the (quite expensive) replacement of the computer. Apparently the poorly designed transmitter was interfering with the encryption handshake from the keys.
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-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
March 27, 2013 at 7:51 am
When it comes to control systems its worth asking if a complex electronic system is actually required.
At one point Renault used an electronic hand-brake in one of their models. When it went wrong the driver had to use the manual override in the boot/trunk. So you are standing on a hill with a failed electronic hand-brake having to pull a manual override in the back of the car. Guess what can go wrong:crazy:
March 27, 2013 at 8:43 am
I think electronic systems can add a lot, better control/monitoring, more efficiency. Better reactions in many cases than drivers themselves.
However some of the systems need manual backups. Steering can't disappear with a software glitch. Nor can brakes. In the cases of power loss, I need a way to get the car moved. The Prius won't even shift into neutral without power. That's a problem.
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