[jughead42]

So I'm tooling around the internet looking for information about the Challenger and I find this video, perhaps its familiar to the forum:

I don't know that anybody cares what a bunch of tea drinkers think of their car, but I found what happened at 4:26 of the video to be a bit concerning. The guy driving the Challenger is sitting in a cafe with his car nearby. Another guy walks up to the car, and is able to open the door and start it without the key fob because the sensors are still picking up a signal from inside the restaurant. I've got a 2011 on order that has the keyless entry and start, and now I'm a bit nervous about the feature because of this. Is there a way to disable this, or am I just paranoid? What kind of range does the key fob have anyway, if I'm sitting in my living room is my car safely going to be locked in my driveway? :disgust:

 

[ScatMan]

The car was left unlocked. Who leaves a $$$$$ car unlocked ? Oh I know. An Englishman

 

[owenspackman]

this is Top Gear, being one of those 'tea drinkers' you refer to, i know the show very well. It's actually a great show if you can get past their tomfoolery.

A great deal of stuff on it is staged, so to be honest, i have been under the assumption this was also. I don't think you have anything too much to worry about, from what i understand if the car is running and the key fob removed, it won't go too far before the engine shuts down.

I'm off to have a cup of tea!

 

[jughead42]

OK, lets assume the car was locked. The sensors still would have picked up the signal from the key fob allowing the other guy to open the door anyway, am I right? Or do you need to be right next to the car for it to unlock the doors?

BTW, tea drinker not intended as insult, more of a colorful description.

 

[owenspackman]

The car was left unlocked. Who leaves a $$$$$ car unlocked ? Oh I know. An Englishman

ouch........

 

[Mr Monte]

I've got a 2011 on order that has the keyless entry and start, and now I'm a bit nervous about the feature because of this. Is there a way to disable this, or am I just paranoid? What kind of range does the key fob have anyway

I just tested mine & my keyfob is not detected even if its 6 inches away from the driver's door so either Dodge changed the range or it's the typical media creative story telling.

 

[owenspackman]

it's the typical media creative story telling.

exactly. If you watched their shows, as good as they are, you'll be able to tell (from their awful 'acting') a lot of the dramatic and 'over the top' things are staged.

 

[proximo]

I concur with a lot of the other guys here on the staged bit. If my fob is just outside the door (and sometimes even just inside the door), it won't register and not start the engine or accessories with the fob not detected message on the dash. It pretty much has to either be in the center console no further than the cup holders or in my pant pockets front side (not back -- tested not normal carry location). Granted I have not tested it being in the passenger seat .... but won't work from the rear seats.

 

[S/S Dodge]

our cars don't have a FOB. we use a FOBIK. the FOBIK has to be between the two LF antennas in order for the keylessGo to work. there is no way the factory keylessGo would start the car with the FOBIK outside the car, yet alone 100' away.

 

[velvet_elvis]

In that episode, they talk about how they had to purchase a Challenger from the dealer. Chances are, the second fob was still in the car.

 

[S/S Dodge]

.... but won't work from the rear seats.

exactly. since one LF antenna is behind the radio and the other LF antenna is centered on the rear seat's front body brace, the FOBIK would not between those antennas.

 

[Toxic11]

Hypothetical here.. I start the car and it's running and I walk away with the Fobik in my pocket. Someone gets in the car and leaves. Will the car continue to run and let them take it away? Or will it go xxx amount of distance and shut down?

 

[S/S Dodge]

it will stay running. it just won't restart again without the FOBIK inside the car.

 

[Root66]

It's actually a great show if you can get past their tomfoolery.

Sorry, I can't.

 

[Toxic11]

it will stay running. it just won't restart again without the FOBIK inside the car.

That kind of sucks though.. because it's possible in that scenario that they can get away with your car. Now I assume if I hit the panic button on the Fobik the car will shut down and the alarm will go off?

 

[faticaz2]

I asked the same question a while back regarding this from that episode. I got this in depth respond based on an experiment from a forum member . Check out this link!!

http://www.challengertalk.com/forums/f170/whats-max-distance-key-fob-needs-car-start-54892/

 

[S/S Dodge]

That kind of sucks though.. because it's possible in that scenario that they can get away with your car. Now I assume if I hit the panic button on the Fobik the car will shut down and the alarm will go off?

the panic button will not shut the car down and the alarm will not sound with it running. that video with the limey starting and driving off without the key is BS.

 

[Toxic11]

I asked the same question a while back regarding this from that episode. I got this in depth respond based on an experiment from a forum member . Check out this link!!

http://www.challengertalk.com/forums/f170/whats-max-distance-key-fob-needs-car-start-54892/

Great read! So basically if I remote start my 11 SRT the doors auto lock. So no one can open them since I am not near the car, now, assuming I started the car remotely and then pressed the unlock button twice (express window down) they could then get in the car.. But without the Fobik they can not take the car out of park anyway.

Good to know!

 

[BrUiRcNeR]

First thing, one of the reasons I love Top Gear IS the tomfoolery!!

I tested some concerns i had with the keyless go at work a couple months back just to see what i could do vs. could not do.

FYI I autostarted the car with my wife sitting in the passenger seat, when she opened the door, the alarm went off :rofl:.

 

[jughead42]

Tomfoolery is one thing, but misrepresenting the function of a car you're supposedly reviewing is horse crap. If what happened in the video could actually happen, then its the sort of thing that would make me think twice about buying a car with that function. I have no problem with using a key to have peace of mind. Glad to hear its not the problem portrayed in the video however, my car went to JB status ship to body vendor and my dealer is only a couple miles from that vendor. Pretty soon I'll be tooling around in my Challenger and its nice to know some pinhead can't take off with it if I stop to take a whiz at the side of the road.