# Keyless cars and carbon monoxide poisoning



## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

If you die from CO in a car with a key, it's suicide. But if its keyless, it is accidental and the car makers fault ?

Sounds like a lawyer looking for deep pockets.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I drove a keyless Chrysler 300 for a month once, when my van was totaled, while parked in my drive way. It was a nice car, but i don't recall having any difficulty shutting the car off when I parked it. Not sure what to make of this problem. Anyone who owns a keyless car have any insights?


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Are the engines that quiet that the driver doesn't know that it's running?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

My wife's altima is keyless. I don't drive it often but between the dash being lit up and I think it dings when you open the door - seems like it would be difficult to unknowingly leave it running. All you do is put it in park, hit the start button and the dash says 'goodbye' when you are ready to get out.


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## polarzak (Dec 1, 2008)

Bigplanz said:


> I drove a keyless Chrysler 300 for a month once, when my van was totaled, while parked in my drive way. It was a nice car, but i don't recall having any difficulty shutting the car off when I parked it. Not sure what to make of this problem. Anyone who owns a keyless car have any insights?



When I bought my first 300 in 2013 it was brand new and I was new to keyless. I left it running outside my office from 7:30am to 9:30 am on day. Good I forgot something in the car. A few weeks later I left it running while I was in Wlamart for 15 minutes or so. That was the only two times I did it and it was back in 13 when I only had the new car for a few weeks. My wife now drives it, and has been since I bought my new 17. She has never left it running, (smarter tham me I guess) and I have not left the 17 running.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Can't people hear the engine running?


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## KHouse75 (May 14, 2008)

I have keyless push button start in my Challenger. I've never once forgotten to turn it off in the 7 years I've owned it. It does have a manual 6 speed so in order to actually leave it running without stalling the engine, I'd have to put it in neutral and set the parking brake.


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

I work on them. They pretty much announce to take the key or ding ding ding when the door is opened and the dash is throwing messages up. But I can see doing it in a noisy environment but in your garage would be kinda quiet unless the kids are making a racket. But being an auto tech I'm 'intune' with the vehicle. It's just a different habit to get use to.:vs_cool:


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

> But being an auto tech I'm 'intune' with the vehicle.


. 
I can say the same since I was once a mechanic. They didn't call them techs then. Most people are in a daze.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Yes, it's that quiet. I don't have that problem when leaving the car; it will alarm, but sometimes I forget to turn it off while I'm sitting there. Prius, don't laugh.:wink2:


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Prius is a hybrid which means it's basically electric but a Chrysler 300 is a gas engine. I can understand not hearing a Prius but not a Chrysler 300. If you left a Prius run all night, there wouldn't be any carbon monoxide, right?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I've heard of folks with the hybrid cars forgetting to turn them off because in electric mode there was no engine noise but by the next morning it would be switched over to gas.


My wife's car is quiet but between the dash being lit up and the door ding - I couldn't imagine getting out of the car and leaving it running.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Guap0_ said:


> Prius is a hybrid which means it's basically electric but a Chrysler 300 is a gas engine. I can understand not hearing a Prius but not a Chrysler 300. If you left a Prius run all night, there wouldn't be any carbon monoxide, right?


I'm no expert but it uses gas, which means combustion which produces CO? The electric storage runs out when idling too long.

(That was written by someone who blew their first engine by not putting in oil  I'm learning.)


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

> The electric storage runs out when idling too long.


By the time the a Prius runs too long, the driver would have already left the garage which is the point of the thread. So while a Prius engine may not be heard by the owner while running on electric, a Chrysler which is strictly a gas engine should be heard unless the driver is in a daze.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Maybe a time out limit. 15 minutes with no switches, braking or other driver input, and the car shuts off?


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

So many people are even forgetting their kids in the car, I'd guess forgetting to shut the car off wouldn't be much of a stretch for them. 

Too many people run around with their nose stuck to their smartphone 24 hours a day including behind the wheel, isn't any wonder. Spending their time focused on messaging, likes and tweets. Anything but the task at hand, just going mindlessly about their day. It's almost like we're creating zombies. 

It's causing actual physical problems with eyes, neck and back issues. Just saw another news story that pedestrian accidents are soaring due to electronic devices as well. People are walking into traffic and into objects because they don't pay any attention. I know it seems like every time anybody pulls into the driveway they spend several minutes sitting in the car playing with their phone before they get out. It drives me nuts! My grown kids do it, my mom, sister, even my wife seems to be doing it now.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Bigplanz said:


> Maybe a time out limit. 15 minutes with no switches, braking or other driver input, and the car shuts off?


The Prius does turn off the electrical portion after awhile, before the battery is dead, but I think that's only electrical. I guess I never idled it until gas out.


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## polarzak (Dec 1, 2008)

Brainbucket said:


> I work on them. They pretty much announce to take the key or ding ding ding when the door is opened and the dash is throwing messages up. But I can see doing it in a noisy environment but in your garage would be kinda quiet unless the kids are making a racket. But being an auto tech I'm 'intune' with the vehicle. It's just a different habit to get use to.:vs_cool:


Neither of my 2 Chrysler 300 vehicles "announce" anything when I get out with the car running. That said, the passenger, if there is one, will hear a ding ding "announcement" that the fob has left the vehicle, once the driver door closes. That "announcement" doesn't help if the driver has left the car already and cannot hear it. The mind gets used to not having to turn a key off fairly quickly, however takes a little longer to get used to having to push a button to turn it off. Noise or lack there off, is not the issue. While I am not a licensed auto tech, I probably have much more experience in vehicle repair and maintenance, than most people, so am definitely "intune". Agreed, a different habit.


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## polarzak (Dec 1, 2008)

iamrfixit said:


> I know it seems like every time anybody pulls into the driveway they spend several minutes sitting in the car playing with their phone before they get out.


They are probably just catching up in a safe environment, rather than while driving. I prefer my wife and grown kids play with their phones in the driveway. They are safely home, and can sit in their vehicles until the cows come home.


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