What's the reason for inserting the smart key in the dash?

[train21reb]

Why would you ever do this? If you have it in your pocket or even just in your hand, why would you go to the trouble of putting it in the dash below the DVD changer?

 

[homeofstone]

If the battery goes dead in the fob you can insert it in the dash and start the car. It does not charge it up but the car can connect to it when its in the dash even if the fob battery is dead.

 

[train21reb]

If the battery goes dead in the fob you can insert it in the dash and start the car. It does not charge it up but the car can connect to it when its in the dash even if the fob battery is dead.

Ahhh, that makes sense.

Makes me wonder if my wife's Toyota Highlander has this feature. It's gonna suck if we find out (the hard way) it doesn't.

 

[yellow3.8track]

That was one of the first things the salesman showed me. Press the round silver button on the side of the key and pull the door key out of it to get in. Then, after putting the door key back into the smart key open that door up in the console/dash and insert the smart key to start the car.

I've never tried it but the battery in the smart key still works just fine.

 

[cmunic8r99]

Ahhh, that makes sense.

Makes me wonder if my wife's Toyota Highlander has this feature. It's gonna suck if we find out (the hard way) it doesn't.

Pull the battery from the fob and try it?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

 

[pilotdane]

I've been curious about that as well. I always assumed that spot was just dumb pocket and a waste of console space but if it can read a fob that has a dead battery I guess that's a useful little pocket then.

 

[homeofstone]

If the battery goes dead in the fob you can insert it in the dash and start the car. It does not charge it up but the car can connect to it when its in the dash even if the fob battery is dead.

This info is in the manual, section 5 page 10.

 

[DennisL]

The service write-up person at the dealer said I should plug in each fob about once a month to keep it synched with the car's computer. Sounds like hooey to me. That was their excuse for weird window behavior (couldn't close them) after they replaced the steering column control.

 

[PMCErnie]

Go to You Tube and search for "KIA push button start." The basics are there.