Hidden feature in your car fob lets you personalise your motor – does yours have it?
A MOTORS expert has revealed that your key fob may allow you to personalise your motor to your own driving preferences.
Your car key fob may be able to do a lot more than just open or lock car doors or start the engine, those in the know have said.
Sam Abuelsamid, senior analyst at the automotive research firm Navigant, has revealed that with some manufacturers drivers can personalise their fob.
He told Consumer Reports: “If there are multiple users of a vehicle in a household, each [driver] can have their own fob, and once they set things like seat and mirror positions, the car will automatically adjust those as you approach the vehicle.”
Sam added that this feature could also be used as a safety feature for inexperienced drivers.
He added: “For homes with young drivers, this can be used to limit certain functionality, such as top speed and preventing the disabling of driver assist features.”
Drivers are advised to check with their manufacturer to see if their key fob has this function but BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Land Rover, Volvo and Ford all have this feature on their more up-market models.
That’s not the only function your key fob may be hiding though.
A common hidden feature on many key fobs is the ability to roll down all the windows and open the sunroof all at once by pressing just one button.
That means on a hot day, you can quickly cool the car down without having to mess about with various buttons.
You will need to know the key sequence though.
On most cars, which have this feature, all you need to do is press the unlock button on the key fob once and then press it again – within 10 seconds – and hold it down until all the windows are open.
If your key fob has a button with a circular arrow on it you can probably start your car’s engine remotely.
With most key fobs that have this feature, the owner first has to hit the lock button, followed by pressing the remote start button – the circular arrow key.
On some remotes though, you have to press the circular arrow button twice.
Although on some new BMWs to operate the remote start function, drivers can get the engine going by pressing the lock button on the key fob three times within one second.
Most cars nowadays automatically fold in the side mirrors when you lock a car although there are still some models where this is optional and can be operated by the key fob.
On newer Chevrolet and GMC pick-ups, the driver has to hold the key fob lock button full a full second to make the mirrors fold in.
This can be particularly handy to prevent scrapes and damage if you’re packed on a narrow city street.
Many key fobs also have a mechanical key hidden inside the key fob.
This is useful so an owner can still unlock the driver’s door when the car’s battery is dead or the battery operating the key fob has run out of juice.
In most cases, the key is accessed by simply pushing a button on the key fob and pulling the key out, although on some remotes this is not always obvious.
Some car models have an obvious key slot on the door handle, while on others, it’s hidden behind the door handle, which is visible when you pull the door handle out.
Although with others, you may need to remove a plastic cap next to the door handle to show the key slot underneath.
On Tesla Model S and Model X cars, there is also a summon function, which moves the car in and out of tight parking spots while the driver just stands outside the car.
However, to be able to use this function, owners have to first enable the system using the vehicle’s central screen. This only needs to be done once.
To then activate Summon, press the button in the centre of the fob until the hazard lights start to flash.
If you want the car to move forwards, press the button on the front of the fob.
To stop it going further, press the same button again.
To move the car backwards, press the button on the back of the fob and to stop it going backwards, just press the same button again.
Elsewhere, a driving instructor has claimed a 20mph speed limit is causing chaos on the roads.
A major car manufacturer has slashed its production of EVs after demand for electric cars falls.
A driver who bought a car on Facebook Marketplace has been left £4,000 out of pocket.