An Ignition Topic/Question

[Iman74]

I was curious if the problems in previous vehicles (foreign and domestic) still have the same problem today, and that is the weight on your keychain through the years will render your ignition non-functional. It actually happened me only once in the many vehicles I owned: 84 Blazer. It's believed, at least back then, the more you have on your keychain, better the chances are in having that problem. Since I have to keep multiple keys with me, and I like to keep things together I do the following:
I have a small carabiner, with a cloth attachment that has a key ring, this holds everything but my car keys.
On my car keys I have the following:
Car Key
Alligator clip that can be found in any hardware store for the purpose to clip onto the other keyring, or/and the loops on my pants.
Speedpass
AAA card
Remote

Do you think that is too much?

 

[Mark86]

Wow. I have never heard about that in my life! I don't think it is too much. The AAA card and Speed Pass weigh near nothing. On my keys, I have a little metal Toyota steering wheel keychain, LED keychain flashlight, one of those flash drives, and the remote.

 

[boston_kevin]

that's not enough weight to make a difference

This used to be, and still is a problem for some people. They have to have 30 keys on the key ring and the weight of the key ring in the ignition slot, over time, will actually wear down the pins that make each lock work. Once these are worn, you have to replace the ignition switch. GM, ford, and Jeep were especially prone to this in the past.

 

[Hitman]

This used to be more of a problem on the older vehicles than it is today. Most cars don't even have the ignition slot on the steering column anymore.

I wouldn't be too concerned with weight on the key chain on any new vehicle-- the engineers have improved the design to cope with the expected weight. There was an article about this in one of the engineering trade magazines that I read.

 

[bryancos]

Maybe manufacturers will some day use features like GM has in the new Caddy. The '05 Cadillac STS has a keyless ignition system with push button start... But the key fob has to be in close proximity to the vehicle for it to be driven. You can start the vehicle from up to 200ft away and the doors will unlock as you approach the vehicle even if its in your pocket or purse. Pretty slick...