Turning Off engine by accident

[laiyenha]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed or not but I couldn't find it.
So my wife was driving slowly into the garage when my little one reached from behind and pressed the Start/Stop button - and it Turned Off the engine! I thought the transmission has to be in Park or Neutral for the button to turn the engine off. I have heard of other vehicles that the driver can force the engine off during Drive by holding the button for several seconds; but in our Genesis, one quick touch is all it takes.
I have verified that the button does turn off the engine while the car is moving slowly With or Without the brakes applied (I'm too chicken to do it while driving fast).I thought that could be dangerous as one might accidentally touch it while on highway. Is my car normal?

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed or not but I couldn't find it.
So my wife was driving slowly into the garage when my little one reached from behind and pressed the Start/Stop button - and it Turned Off the engine! I thought the transmission has to be in Park or Neutral for the button to turn the engine off. I have heard of other vehicles that the driver can force the engine off during Drive by holding the button for several seconds; but in our Genesis, one quick touch is all it takes.
I have verified that the button does turn off the engine while the car is moving slowly With or Without the brakes applied (I'm too chicken to do it while driving fast).I thought that could be dangerous as one might accidentally touch it while on highway. Is my car normal?

Are you sure it wasn't 2 quick touches? Pretty sure the manual says that'll do it, OR holding the button in for 3 seconds.

Though it's confusing how the little one escaped the car seat, and how he could then even reach the button.

 

[rwlewis]

The Service Manual (hmaservice.com) seems to provide a bit of confusing info on this.

In text, it indicates that the ignition can be turned off with a quick press when the car is at standstill. There is no definition of "standstill". Also in the text is the procedure for emergency shutoff with 3 pushes in two seconds or a long push.

There is also a diagram showing the possible paths between the various ignition states depending on gear selection and brake pedal push status. In the diagram, there is NO path to the off state with the gear selector in D or R, but then there is a note on the diagram indicating that 3 presses in 2 seconds or one long press (3 seconds) will stop the engine.

So, IMO, it is unclear whether your case is a normal condition without some experimentation or clarification from Hyundai. I will not be experimenting with this on my car....

 

[laiyenha]

Yeah, he already unhooked seatbelt and perched on the elbow rest to reach the button while my wife was inching the car into the garage - and he got a huge scolding after that.
Regarding the possibility of double tapping the button - No, because I tested it myself a bunch of times just to confirm what my wife saw. Just one tap & it's off - try it yourself (but make sure the driveway or road is clear) and you have to quickly nudge the shifter to neutral in order to restart; otherwise you have to stop completely - put to Park - then restart.

 

[laiyenha]

The Service Manual (hmaservice.com) seems to provide a bit of confusing info on this.

In text, it indicates that the ignition can be turned off with a quick press when the car is at standstill. There is no definition of "standstill". Also in the text is the procedure for emergency shutoff with 3 pushes in two seconds or a long push.

There is also a diagram showing the possible paths between the various ignition states depending on gear selection and brake pedal push status. In the diagram, there is NO path to the off state with the gear selector in D or R, but then there is a note on the diagram indicating that 3 presses in 2 seconds or one long press (3 seconds) will stop the engine.

So, IMO, it is unclear whether your case is a normal condition without some experimentation or clarification from Hyundai. I will not be experimenting with this on my car....

I think I need to let Hyundai check the car out because I have tested on 2 conditions, both resulted in engine Off with ONE push:
- In Drive with my foot slightly on the brakes & car slowly moving forward
- In Drive with my foot Not touching brakes & car coasting forward.

 

[037]

I can confirm that hitting the stop/start button does turn off the engine. I missed the mute button on my radar detector once while in motion.

 

[Seattle Genesis]

Does this action lock the steering wheel? This could really be an accident waiting to happen.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Just read the manual. The emergency OFF button works by 1 push of 2 seconds OR 3 pushes within 3 seconds. This is by design, possibly even mandated by law. Remember the runaway Lexus?
And...
The car can be restarted by shifting to neutral and pushing the button. You do not have to apply the brake.

 

[037]

Does this action lock the steering wheel? This could really be an accident waiting to happen.

one button push is all it takes (I haven't read the manual but that would make no difference in the real world).

No, steering does not lock, but the power steering goes bye bye. If I had to guess, so do power brakes. I restarted the car almost immediately so I didn't really test the crash and burn scenario, I was mid-lane change after pulling out from parking. I guess it would have been worse with any sort of speed.

 

[037]

Just read the manual. The emergency OFF button works by 1 push of 2 seconds OR 3 pushes within 3 seconds. This is by design, possibly even mandated by law. Remember the runaway Lexus?
And...
The car can be restarted by shifting to neutral and pushing the button. You do not have to apply the brake.

well, my push was less than a second, so I guess the manual needs adjusting or programming corrected.

I drive a 2012.

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[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

well, my push was less than a second, so I guess the manual needs adjusting or programming corrected.

I drive a 2012.

I'm in a 2011 4.6. Does your manual say something different?

Did you have to shift to neutral to restart?

 

[yellow3.8track]

Sometimes cars/trucks just die. Even in the "old" days when folks didn't depend on the computer and the manufacturer to take care of them all the time (you know, back in the days of the manual transmissions, no back up alarms, no back up cameras, no anti-lock brakes, etc., etc.) sometimes an engine would shut off. My 83 Z28 shut off one day. My son's 85 Fiero ran out of gas one day when the fuel ga. was still showing almost 1/2 tank of gas. My 86 IROC didn't like Mobil brand gas and would shut off every time I let up on the gas pedal if I ran more than a tank or two before filling up with something else (tested this one two different times because I just couldn't believe switching brands of gas would result in the engine not being able to run unless it was being run harder.)

I'd say this would be worse these days since the engine/car is so much more dependant on electricity than in the past (cars used to get by with 45 amp alternators or less, now most of them are somewhere north of 100 amps to handle all the new elecctrical needs.

Be aware of what your car is doing (you can feel problems through vibration in the pedal, the seat of your pants, the steering wheel, sounds, smells, etc.

I've never had my coupe shut down on the highway but I've done it a couple times on start up by double tapping the button by accident.

I doubt the manufacturers would make shutting down the engine too complicated. An emergency shut down has to be pretty simple as most folks never read the owner's manual in detail, never practice complicated operations, and when the SHTF can't remember what to do since they didn't practice it in the first place (under stress there is less thinking and more reaction and reaction comes from lots of practice.

 

[037]

I'm in a 2011 4.6. Does your manual say something different?

Did you have to shift to neutral to restart?

I read the manual but don't remember the shutting the engine while driving part, I would assume if you're going to do it on purpose to do it in neutral.

Accidentally you're probably going to be in drive like I was. Yes, I did shift to neutral before restarting the car, but I was guessing.

To be fair, I was going less than 5mph, I hope the same doesn't actually happen at high speeds (haven't tested and not the first in line to try).

 

[037]

Sometimes cars/trucks just die. Even in the "old" days when folks didn't depend on the computer and the manufacturer to take care of them all the time (you know, back in the days of the manual transmissions, no back up alarms, no back up cameras, no anti-lock brakes, etc., etc.) sometimes an engine would shut off. My 83 Z28 shut off one day. My son's 85 Fiero ran out of gas one day when the fuel ga. was still showing almost 1/2 tank of gas. My 86 IROC didn't like Mobil brand gas and would shut off every time I let up on the gas pedal if I ran more than a tank or two before filling up with something else (tested this one two different times because I just couldn't believe switching brands of gas would result in the engine not being able to run unless it was being run harder.)

I'd say this would be worse these days since the engine/car is so much more dependant on electricity than in the past (cars used to get by with 45 amp alternators or less, now most of them are somewhere north of 100 amps to handle all the new elecctrical needs.

Be aware of what your car is doing (you can feel problems through vibration in the pedal, the seat of your pants, the steering wheel, sounds, smells, etc.

I've never had my coupe shut down on the highway but I've done it a couple times on start up by double tapping the button by accident.

I doubt the manufacturers would make shutting down the engine too complicated. An emergency shut down has to be pretty simple as most folks never read the owner's manual in detail, never practice complicated operations, and when the SHTF can't remember what to do since they didn't practice it in the first place (under stress there is less thinking and more reaction and reaction comes from lots of practice.

my Bonneville would shut engine off with 1/4 of tank left if I made sudden turns. First time it did it on a 15mph turn I was going 30 into. Immediate loss of power steering and power brakes. 2 hands and both feet and the car wasn't about to stop anytime soon. Fun times.

 

[scottdk]

my Bonneville would shut engine off with 1/4 of tank left if I made sudden turns. First time it did it on a 15mph turn I was going 30 into. Immediate loss of power steering and power brakes. 2 hands and both feet and the car wasn't about to stop anytime soon. Fun times.

What year bonerville did you have?

 

[dg_moore]

I was the happiest kid in my high school when my father - never known for coolness, at least to me - brought home a new 1957 Bonneville. Gas was 25 cents a gallon, the roads were smooth, and the car was faaaaast. Great days.

 

[037]

What year bonerville did you have?

93 SSE. Best feature? Heads up display!!!

 

[PMCErnie]

The '12 LaCrosse has a heads up display option, but I wouldn't by that car anywhew.

 

[scottdk]

93 SSE. Best feature? Heads up display!!!

Ha! My 1st car was a 1988 Bonneville LE. My dad bought it new in '87, then I bought it from him when I was 17. Favorite feature? It didn't have any!

 

[037]

Ha! My 1st car was a 1988 Bonneville LE. My dad bought it new in '87, then I bought it from him when I was 17. Favorite feature? It didn't have any!

mine was fully loaded, 8 way power seats on both sides, heads up display, hell it even had an air compressor in the trunk!

Tinted brake lights stock? hell yeah

BBS looking rims? Of course! That car was a great cruiser, very shitty handler.

Load it up with 5 people and it's as if half the brakes stopped working (eventually the rear one's failed, luckily just off the stop light).