Question about leaving car unlock and keyless start system

Unfortunately Saturday night I forgot to lock my car when I got home and to my luck somebody decided to get in and steal my gps (I know, I should know better not to leave that in the car). My question is since the car was not lock which means that the alarm and the anti theft was probably not on either, does anybody know whats the range of the push start system so that somebody can steal the car if is not lock and the alarm is not on? I think that after you turn it on you dont really need the key to drive the car away, is that correct? Or would it shut down after x distance?

The CX-5 was parked in my driveway so the key was really not that far away.

I only have the base Touring so I dont have the advance keyless entry.

you have to be in the interior of the car for it to start. I've turned the accessory mode on from the passenger seat before but anything more than that and it won't work.

I was curious when we first got ours because I wondered with the smart key cars if while you were gassing it up someone could jump in the car and start it and drive away with the key in your pocket.

And a cool feature, if you leave a key in the car and lock it with the other key, the one that is left in the car will be ignored by the start button until you press a button on that key. That way if you stash a key in the car at some point for some reason or the person with you has their stuff left in the car and just happens to have a key in with their stuff nobody will be able to start the car just by getting in

there was an old Top Gear episode where they came over the the US and at one point Clarkson got in Hammond's Dodge while Hammond was inside a restaurant and claimed that the car started based on his key being just inside the building. I haven't tried it with a Dodge but still think that was a setup as if the car would start like that then any time you were anywhere within 20 feet of it someone could get in and start the car and drive away.

I've been able to start the car with the keys in the cargo box on the roof. It won't do it every time but the keys were hanging in the lock just above the rear door on the passenger side. The keys need to be close to or inside the car to start it.

I have the basic keyless start as well.

The advanced key system has extra antenna that can detect the key nearby the car to activiate the button unlock on the handle so it might start with the key nearby the car...

I have never tried it but I don’t think the key needs to be inside the car to get it started. Like GAXBM said I think the key just needs to be nearby the car. The question is what’s the min distance the key needs to be from the car to be able to start it. I guess I will try to see if it works when I get home later in the day.

I'd guess having the key high up like above the door would make it more likely to catch the signal. It is pretty easy to test, just set the key on something near the car and get in and try hitting the button. I tried that with mine and it flashed the light on the dash that it didn't have a signal from the key.

The advanced keyless does show a bit stronger range on starting the car.

ummm you know if you go through the settings on the touch screen you can make the car automatically lock the doors? might want to turn that on in case this ever happens again.

HandA said:

I'd guess having the key high up like above the door would make it more likely to catch the signal. It is pretty easy to test, just set the key on something near the car and get in and try hitting the button. I tried that with mine and it flashed the light on the dash that it didn't have a signal from the key.

The advanced keyless does show a bit stronger range on starting the car.

Click to expand...

Thanks!! That answered my question. (thumb)

plemieux said:

ummm you know if you go through the settings on the touch screen you can make the car automatically lock the doors? might want to turn that on in case this ever happens again.

Click to expand...

I remember seeing a setting for options on locking the doors after the car is started. Like locking the doors automatically after the car starts or after the car is out of P. I will check again to see if there is an option for after you turn off the car.

Yesterday when getting gas I had the window down and reached in with the key in my pocket and when I pushed the button the red key flashed on the dash indicating that the key wasn't within range. I then held the key up at window level so the metal door wasn't blocking the signal and it switched to accessory mode.

I guess the next test would be to have someone sit in the car and hold the key up and walk slowly away and see when it doesn't detect it any longer.

Trevor
http://Mazda.HandA.com/cx5.html