Imagine The Walking Dead started in 50 years from now. The way things are going now, picture this scenario:
>A survivor is walking down a lonesome road.
>They arive at a small resort and there’s a car covered in dust and dirt in the parking lot.
>They approach the car and check whether it still has some bio fuel left in the tank.
>Still plenty.
>They look around spotting a decayed body close by.
>They search the body and are lucky to find a ‘keyless’ key belonging to the car.
>There are no door handles and the battery inside the key corroded away.
>They break the glass and open the door from the inside.
>Finally inside, there’s still no way to start the engine without the key.
>They have an idea.
>The digital wrist watch on the body should have the same battery as the key.
>After a bit of tinkering with some tools they get the key working again.
>They press the ignition button.
>The displays light up but the engine remains quiet.
>The displays show error messages:
ERROR CODE: ND47089
Tire pressure sensor subscription expired
Please schuedule service or enter payment information
Engine start failed
>MFW
Keyless start using too much an issue. You can start card with dead key transponders. This new phenomenon of subscription will be an issue though.
Imagine dragging a Stellantis vehicle and using the satnav. You stop at an intersection to get your bearings and the screen same you to extend your warranty.
https://www.theautopian.com/jeep-says-the-repeated-full-screen-pop-up-ads-are-a-glitch-and-not-just-a-nightmare/
It still amazes me the number of people who think if the battery in their key dies they cannot get into or start their car. It will probably get to be that way some day because people don’t demand more from automakers. But right now these fobs include physical keys for the door. Read the manual how to get to the key and lock before you’re locked out of the vehicle.
You can also put the dead key by the start button or some other designated place in the car to start it with RFID.
These are the kinds of things you want to have figured out in the first few days of car ownership. See also how to open your Tesla from the inside when the battery is dead. That’s a life or death situation in some circumstances.
Mustang Mach E dead 12 volt battery.
To get into the car, you need to remove a small cover on the bumper. That exposes terminals you can connect a battery to which pops the hood. From there, you can open the hood and remove the terminal cover/trim over the 12v battery. Jump/charge that battery and now you can pop the door open and start the car.
Not the best design decisions. Compounded by Ford stopping the traction battery from passively charging the 12v system if the main battery falls below 50%. A software patch allows the 12v system to charge when the car is off down to 25% SoC on the traction battery.
Not the new EVs, they don’t have keys
I wouldn’t go for those.
Yeah I’ve had mixed success with that on my Honda. I keep spare keyfob batteries around now.
Check in your manual to make sure where you’re supposed to put the key
But in an apocalypse type of situation, you’ll find a car that has been sitting there for years or even decades. The battery will self discharge over time, and once that hits zero, the car won’t even wake up, let alone move.
This is why EVs still have a regular car or motorcycle battery to run the electronics.
Yes, you can jump an EV to start it (check your manuals first please!) but not to charge the traction battery.
Sorry, I had diverted from the apocalypse scenario.