A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

Hopefully all of you are old enough to remember when cars/trucks had ignition switches.
Ignition switches all had an "Accessory" position where you could play the radio, etc. without starting the engine.
How do you do that with today's "push button" vehicles???

For my Nissan: To start the vehicle, you depress the brake pedal & then push the start button. For accessories, push the button without depressing the brake pedal.

We have a Toyota sienna and it functions the same way - press the button with foot on the brake to start the engine, press button without foot on the brake to get to the equivalent of "acc"

Even vehicles that still use a physical key do not function like the old manual ignition switches did - it's all control by wire. I have a 2017 F150 that still has an actual keyslot, but when you turn the key it's not an actual electrical circuit connection to the starter motor. Once the key gets turned past a certain point, it tells the computer that I want to start the engine and then sends all the appropriate signals to all the systems involved in starting the engine.

mickey wrote:Hopefully all of you are old enough to remember when cars/trucks had ignition switches.
Ignition switches all had an "Accessory" position where you could play the radio, etc. without starting the engine.
How do you do that with today's "push button" vehicles???

Push button without pushing brake

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Excellent question - thx for asking Mickey. My Scion still uses a key. I dread the day of the fob...

OMB wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 1:18 pm Excellent question - thx for asking Mickey. My Scion still uses a key. I dread the day of the fob...

I would love to never use a key again. My VW’s open and lock by touching the handle and start with a button. The fob never has to leave my pocket. WAY better than keys!

My wife has had fob's for years and I still prefer a key.

What got me started was I needed to set the clock in my truck, so I used the ACC position to do that.
Of course you never have to set the clocks in my Mazdas, but it got me wondering about the ACC position.
I've listened to a lot of tapes/CDs/radio waiting on my wife over the years.

A friend who drives a Jeep made several suggestions, none of which worked.

honyock wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 12:22 pm

mickey wrote:Hopefully all of you are old enough to remember when cars/trucks had ignition switches.
Ignition switches all had an "Accessory" position where you could play the radio, etc. without starting the engine.
How do you do that with today's "push button" vehicles???

Push button with pushing brake

Are you sure you don't mean the opposite? I was taught to always depress the brake when starting a car, and on every car I've driven over the last few years, I'm pretty sure that's what I've done, and it always starts, it doesn't go into accessory mode.

For example, Toyota says

How do I operate the push button start and accessory power in my vehicle?
To start the engine, make sure you have the Smart Key inside the vehicle and the shifter is in PARK. Then, hold the brake pedal down while you press the ENGINE START/STOP button.
...
If you want to use the audio system without starting the engine, leave your foot OFF the brake pedal and press the ENGINE START/STOP button once.

On the subject of fobs vs keys, I don't mind fobs but I dislike the "just approach the car to unlock it" approach. Perhaps I am paranoid, but I always test that car doors are locked after I get out...which you can't do with a proximity unlock, so I never feel quite sure whether the car is locked or not.

Typo thanks to autocorrect...

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

glasshand wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:28 pmI dislike the "just approach the car to unlock it" approach. Perhaps I am paranoid, but I always test that car doors are locked after I get out...which you can't do with a proximity unlock, so I never feel quite sure whether the car is locked or not.

Mine beeps when locking. You can also set it to fold the mirrors when locked which gives you a solid visible reference. Around here, it’s best to keep that feature off in the winter because electrically unfolding iced up mirrors is a great way to break something.

glasshand wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:28 pm

honyock wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 12:22 pm

mickey wrote:Hopefully all of you are old enough to remember when cars/trucks had ignition switches.
Ignition switches all had an "Accessory" position where you could play the radio, etc. without starting the engine.
How do you do that with today's "push button" vehicles???

Push button with pushing brake

Are you sure you don't mean the opposite? I was taught to always depress the brake when starting a car, and on every car I've driven over the last few years, I'm pretty sure that's what I've done, and it always starts, it doesn't go into accessory mode.

For example, Toyota says

How do I operate the push button start and accessory power in my vehicle?
To start the engine, make sure you have the Smart Key inside the vehicle and the shifter is in PARK. Then, hold the brake pedal down while you press the ENGINE START/STOP button.
...
If you want to use the audio system without starting the engine, leave your foot OFF the brake pedal and press the ENGINE START/STOP button once.

On the subject of fobs vs keys, I don't mind fobs but I dislike the "just approach the car to unlock it" approach. Perhaps I am paranoid, but I always test that car doors are locked after I get out...which you can't do with a proximity unlock, so I never feel quite sure whether the car is locked or not.

Does it give you an error message if you press the start button without pressing the brake/clutch(on the stick)?
My Mazdas give me the same error that I get trying to start it in gear.
I sorta like Mazda's way of locking/unlocking. If you have the fob in your pocket there is a button on the front door handles.

I bought a 2019 Ram Eco Diesel truck a few months back. No key fob, no bluetooth for the phone, no CD player no bell, and no whistles. I freaking love it. It's like I have recaptured my youth. You have to put the key into the slot and turn it to unlock the door or crank it up.

My wife has a late model Lexus that will blow cold air on your butt and drive itself. Nice car but I only drive it when I want to show off. Sometimes I like to feel uppity. Not my cup of tea as a routine.

The Lexus does that too Mickey. Just touch the handle with the fob in your pocket and it unlocks. Same for locking it but you just touch a spot on the top of the handle and walk away. What will they think of next? That's what the elders would say when I was growing up and a new contraption came along. That's what they called it too, a "contraption". Everything new was a contraption. Now I am doing it. I swear the older I get the further back in time I go.

On my Sonata, I just lightly touch the ignition button, and that does the trick.

Well, seems that pushing the button w/o pushing the brake/clutch is the official way to get a Mazda into the ACC mode.
BUT <--a big but, there are problems. Like the windows won't go up/down & sometimes you have to jump thru a bunch of hoops to get it to start
AFTER accessing the ACC mode. Seems (to me) they have problems whether they admit it or not.

Don't get me wrong, I am (overall) happier with my two Mazda's than with any vehicles I have ever owned!

mickey wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:59 pm Does it give you an error message if you press the start button without pressing the brake/clutch(on the stick)?
My Mazdas give me the same error that I get trying to start it in gear.
I sorta like Mazda's way of locking/unlocking. If you have the fob in your pocket there is a button on the front door handles.

I think sometimes I have seen a message like "Depress brake to start engine" but I can't be sure. I'll try it out on the rental we're getting this weekend. (Watch, this one will probably have an old-style key just to mess with me.)