This has been mentioned before, but not in very much depth.
I want to be able to get in my car, push a start button, and drive off. Easy. Sexy. Elegant.
So all I need is an RFID tag in my pocket to tell the car, “it’s okay, when you feel someone press the start button go ahead and start.” Simple enough, conceptually.
But I’ve spent hours scouring the internet for a kit that can handle this moronic task, and have come up with nothing. Is there *nobody *that makes this as an aftermarket kit? I can’t believe it. I hate digging through my pockets for the keys. I hate reaching around the steering wheel to look for the stupid little ignition slot - especially when I’m drunk (I’m kidding). I hate the keys as they dangle there so unceremoniously, all day long as I drive back and forth. Turn the key to start. Turn the key to stop. Pull it out and find a pocket for it. Damn.
Any tips on a kit that can solve my problems? Yeah, I hate keys categorically. I’m serious - I know most of you won’t understand what the problem is, but let me tell you, what a worthless, unsightly, hole-causing, anamorphous uncomfortable poking lump they make in my pocket. Don’t even get me started - I would pit keys, but it’s not worth the trouble. I fart in their general direction. I despise them. Someone please free me from my keys!
I should add, I don’t hate keys enough to buy a new car. That would be dumb.
Hah! I was about to suggest buying a Lexus. Maybe if you looked into the Lexus finger-print ID ignition system or the, I think it’s the Honda Accord, that has a programmable Voice-Activation system for starting, stopping, HVAC, Radio, Seats and other voice commands.
I know those are High-End features for new cars, but that at least tells you the technology ‘does’ exist, but as for finding it after-market or pre-installed 3rd party, you might want to check in local Car Customs shops in your area. I know I have one here in South-Central Pennsylvania called Creative Cartunes and they specialize in things like that.
If you have LD, give them a call and ask about it. If you do business, tell them the guy with the Red Firebird sent yah; depending on who you get on the phone, they may or may not know who I am. xD
What is your car’s year, make and model? Also are you using a keyless entry? Because there are tons of remote starters that use a button on your keyfob. If you’re unlocking your car as you approach, you can start it at the same time. Then just keep the keys in the glove box “just in case”
Actually, this is not the case. Cars with Remote Ignition need the keys placed into the ignition prior to shifting out of park (remote igntion is not available for standard vehicles) or else the fuel pump shuts off and the car won’t run until the PASSkey is put in the ignition.
Otherwise, it’s not hard to pick up a frequency range-finder and jack your keyless entry/ingition code and steal your car.
Let’s just say I have a vintage sports car. It didn’t come with any kind of remote, which should only make this simpler.
I don’t want to make it *impossible *to steal, either, I just want to be able to protect it from the large majority of thieves. Which is simple, really. An immobilizer with RFID would do the trick, but all I can find is RFID systems where you have to fish the tag out of your pocket… and put it within a couple inches of the receiver before you can start the car! Arrgh! Worthless…
It seems RFID tags have no batteries. They must therefore work on induction, and yeah, that’s only feasible at very short ranges. Okay, must look elsewhere. Maybe this problem isn’t so simple as it first seemed… but I will solve it!
Vintage Sportscar and you want to make that serious of an electrical modification? Realize, there’s about a dozen relays and computer passthroughs you’d be bipassing, scratching or modifying to something like this and it will definately cost you more than the aggrivation is work.
Unlike computers, cars don’t have an all-purpose ‘port’ where you can jack in a newfangled whatever. You’re looking at a serious conversion of your starter, ignition block, maybe a whole new fuse system to support the additional circuitry and an on-board computer modified to allow such an ignition to take place. Even on older cars, the computer systems had a slight sense of security.
I have a '92 Firebird and mine is outfitted with a PASSkey ignition system and a VIPER auto-arming security console. All but the Viper was factory installed; but all we had to do with the Viper was swap out the computer console undearneath the steering column and swap a few wires around.
Bottom line; what you’re looking for is next to impossible unless you’re an eccentric with money to burn.
Do you think it’s that difficult to replace the hardware switch (keyhole) with an electronic switch (like RFID)? I doubt it… I mean, there are many auto immobilizer systems that will work for any car and do the same thing - only problem I have is that you still have to fish the thing out of your pocket and put it in a special place, so it’s just as much trouble as a hard key.
Many, if not most, such systems employ a rolling code scheme so your “frequency range-finder” (whatever the heck that is supposed to be) would be useless.
If you could solve all the other problems, just mount the sensor in the center console area, a few inches from where your pocket (and key) would be when you are sitting in the driver’s seat.
Back in the '50’s the old Chevy’s, why you could pull the key out of the ignition without locking it.
That being said,
With a remote entry, or better yet a keypad on the door for enrty, just break off the key in the ignition. Away you go,
The anti-theft tags at the store certainly work within a considerable distance and through clothing. Those are mostly RFID.
As far as using it for an immobilizer, it’s possible, but the more secure system you want, the more information would have to be transferred – the more information the stronger the signal would have to be – the stronger the signal has to be (a) the closer the tag has to be to the reader OR (b) the more power the reader would have to use to transmit. Since RFIDs pretty much obey the inverse fourth power rule (since it’s inverse square back and forth) you see how this can get problematic (but not impossible).
It wouldn’t be too expensive of a design so I’m surprised nobody has done it so far – perhaps the FCC approval for a medium-range device would be too much of a hassle to make this worthwhile.
They are starting to use RFID in libraries, yes, but it isn’t widespread, partly because the systems are expensive and there isn’t enough of a benefit to justify the cost, in most cases and partly because of a lack of standards in data transmission formats. Most electronics stores I’ve been in use the magnetic security tags–those little white rectangular tags, about 1.5" x .3". I don’t recall ever seeing RFID tags used in any retail stores I’ve been in, actually. Which is not to say they aren’t, but it’s apparently not common.
