Got a bit of a shock earlier - got out of the car with the engine running on the drive and popped in the garage to get something, with key in pocket. Thought about it so I tried an experiment - wandered off down the road with the key in my pocket, got about 3 or 4 houses down before chickening-out - engine was still running!

So to me this is a bit of a security issue - I would have thought that it would "lose sight" of the key and shut down.

Thoughts anyone?

That would be incredibly dangerous if you were accelerating onto a motorway and had dropped your key fob in the Welcome Break car park.

Keyless cars do not automatically shut down ever with the key out of range.  They will just fail to start again after the engine is next switched off.

 

47 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

That would be incredibly dangerous if you were accelerating onto a motorway and had dropped your key fob in the Welcome Break car park.

Keyless cars do not automatically shut down ever with the key out of range.  They will just fail to start again after the engine is next switched off.

 

Yes you are correct Tom. Me and the Mrs have travelled to my workplace with the keys in my pocket and I got out of the car  and gone into work and the Mrs has driven home without the keys and not realised till she has got home.

She can switch the car off as normal and then lock it with the Ford pass app on her phone and then find the spare keys in the safe to use for herself during the day.

Sometimes she walk to the carpark and unlock the car with her phone and wait for me to finish at work if we are going anywhere afterwards.

1 hour ago, RMurphy195 said:

Got a bit of a shock earlier - got out of the car with the engine running on the drive and popped in the garage to get something, with key in pocket. Thought about it so I tried an experiment - wandered off down the road with the key in my pocket, got about 3 or 4 houses down before chickening-out - engine was still running!

So to me this is a bit of a security issue - I would have thought that it would "lose sight" of the key and shut down.

Thoughts anyone?

It is enough to get a meter away of your car and the key won't be detected. On the dashboard it says that if you want to restart the car you'll need the key in range but the car won't shutdown. 

5 hours ago, Wino said:

Yes you are correct Tom. Me and the Mrs have travelled to my workplace with the keys in my pocket and I got out of the car  and gone into work and the Mrs has driven home without the keys and not realised till she has got home.

She can switch the car off as normal and then lock it with the Ford pass app on her phone and then find the spare keys in the safe to use for herself during the day.

Sometimes she walk to the carpark and unlock the car with her phone and wait for me to finish at work if we are going anywhere afterwards.

Obviously different to a Mk3, where I get a clear dashboard warning "Key not in car". (I prefer that, TBH).

11 minutes ago, alanfp said:

Obviously different to a Mk3, where I get a clear dashboard warning "Key not in car". (I prefer that, TBH).

It might be the same in the Mk4 for all I know.

Thanks all for your replies. I can see Toms point about what happens if you drive off leaving the key behind but it is a bit scary under some circumstances e.g. if I'm working on the car but thinking about it its the same as having a key in the ignition, except with the advantage that a tealeaf wouldn't be able to restart the car later.

Will be doing some experiements tomorrow re. how near you have to be to actually start the car!

Thanks agin - Richard.

2 hours ago, RMurphy195 said:

Will be doing some experiements tomorrow re. how near you have to be to actually start the car!

Key has to be inside the car for the ignition to work.

 

For what it's worth, I was showing my car off to a friend, he was in the drivers seat, and I was stood next to the car with the door open. The fob was in my pocket and I invited him to start the car, but it wouldn't start. I took the key out and put it on the centre console, and he tried again and this time it started.

11 hours ago, unofix said:

Key has to be inside the car for the ignition to work.

 

Confirmed, thanks, via practical experiement, and put my wife's mind to rest at the same time (and mine!). As Archie says.

Not checked the Focus, but my 2003 Micra wouldn't start even with the keys in the boot, they had to be in the front section of the car to work.

I know the focus will start with them on the passenger seat, as that where I put them. 😄

On 2/9/2022 at 4:36 PM, Mark-UK said:

Not checked the Focus, but my 2003 Micra wouldn't start even with the keys in the boot, they had to be in the front section of the car to work.

I know the focus will start with them on the passenger seat, as that where I put them. 😄

Handy for someone to whip open the door, nick the keys and run off with them (or do the "Handbag Snatch" that some women fell victim to - smash the passenger door window while the car is stationary at traffic lights, nick the bag and run off!)