2009 Dodge Challenger R/T: Afraid of the Dark

Yup that's annoying. My 05 GMC lights up every single button, knob, and dial, including those on the steering wheel, except for the light on/off/panel dimmer. Seems kind of stupid.

Nope...Our stick R/T requires us to hold the button down. A quick tap will result in a brief little startup cough and that's it.

Actually, in the top picture you can see a slight reflection off of the starter button. There, I found it :)

@ badblackrt & mtakahashi

In the 370Z, you just press and release the button, whereupon the starter lights up the engine.

How about they dispense with the start botton affectation (and the resulting safety issues associated without being able to shut down the engine NOW in an unintended acceleration situation like that experienced by some Toyota owners) and go back to a key.

I agree. I don't see what is wrong with a simple key but I have never owned a vehicle with a start button so I don't know what the benefit is.

I think that ignition switches that require key insertion are silly, but I suppose it is a matter of personal preference.

I have a hard time believing that having to hold the start button is intended behavior, since it seems that a tap is all it takes with every other model out there. I have noticed on my 335i that if I release the brake before the engine is fully started, it will immediately stop cranking.

@bakerdanny: what happens when you panic and turn the key all the way back and now have a locked steering column? Neutral seems like a good answer, or maybe just hit the brakes? I agree that it is silly that you cannot turn off the car when it is moving, or when it is not in park, but I disagree with your rationale. :)

yeah on my Auto it just push and release.

But, push button start is way cool. There's something James Bond about jumping in your car and just "Pushing a Button!! Ha.. Ha..

Hey bankerdanny, no thanks. I like my start button just fine and would hate to go back to a stupid key...

@bankerdanny,

"How about they dispense with the start botton affectation (and the resulting safety issues associated without being able to shut down the engine NOW in an unintended acceleration situation like that experienced by some Toyota owners) and go back to a key."

Because keyed ignitions are outdated and unnecessarily mechanically complex. There is no reason to have keyed start anymore. None. As for the idiots who aren't capable of operating a button, they can read the manual or use common sense. I'm sure there was a similarly steep learning curve when the electric starter was invented and we did away with hand cranks. I can only imagine the carnage.

There's a point in time where we say "There's a better way to do this" and keyless start is one of those things.

The non-illuminated button is dumb. The first thing that lights up in my car is the start button, as soon as I unlock the doors. And it remains lit as you rummage around in the car - even after the interior lights turn off.

It's not illuminated because it comes off. There's a keyhole behind it, remember?

frazier500:
"It's not illuminated because it comes off. There's a keyhole behind it, remember?"

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner. Good memory.

But it needs fixed anyway, its a stupid design flaw to not illuminate the button associated with starting and stopping the car.

The Mazda 6s GT has one of the better "keyless" systems. The button is lighted. Just keep the fob in your pocket/purse. It's automatically detected. Put your foot on the break and tap the start button and you're off.

In the event of smart key failure, there is a blanked out slot on the steering column that can be removed to insert the key hidden in the fob.

"Because keyed ignitions are outdated and unnecessarily mechanically complex."

ROFL Come on Jay......complex? It is a completely proven technology. And what is the backup to push button start? ummmmmmm a key!

@bodyblue,

In 1996 Ford recalled 9 million vehicles (the largest recall in their history) for faulty ignition switches in the steering column that were causing fires while the cars were parked. I know it's older than dirt but the nature of the design is still prone to failure. They're better today but still require passive anti-theft devices because a key alone simply isn't secure.

The backup to keyless push-button start in many cars (e.g. BMW, Benz, and Nissan/Infiniti) if the remote battery dies is to just stick it into a slot in the dash. No key required.

@adamb1,

"In the event of smart key failure, there is a blanked out slot on the steering column that can be removed to insert the key hidden in the fob."

I dunno if that's a better system - to me the better ones don't require you to remove a hidden key or a hidden panel in the event of remote battery failure, but rather just insert the remote itself in a slot.

Um I assume the interior of the Challenger is like a refrigerator? When you open the door the light comes on? Then using this magical light source one can see the ignition switch! OMG! And if you drive your Challenger more than once or twice I am betting you will (call me crazy) remember the position of the ignition? Maybe MOPAR should light underneath the seat in case one drops something under there? How could they make a mistake like that? And I bet that spare tire gets scared of the dark also...............

On a slightly unrelated subject - For those of use that drive Chrysler products with keys, have you had issues with where the ignition is located? We recently got a Jeep Commander and I keep hitting the key with my knee and turning the car off as I'm going down the road. It looks like the ignition placement would be the same on Challengers that don't have the key-less go feature.

@bodyblue,

You could say the same about almost anything in the car, why light any of the controls? Just turn on the big 'ol dome light if you need to. Sure you'll find it eventually but the point is that not illuminating a critical control like the start button is just crude engineering.

FAIL!!!!!!!!!!

"The backup to keyless push-button start in many cars (e.g. BMW, Benz, and Nissan/Infiniti) if the remote battery dies is to just stick it into a slot in the dash. No key required"

What do you think happens on Keyless Go equipped cars? Pop out the button and insert the key into the slot. There is no mechanical key on Keyless-Go cars, except for the "valet" key in the remote which operates the glovebox lock and only mechanical door lock which is on the drivers door. The ignition relies only on the radio signal from the remote when it's inserted into the slot.

Keyless Go is now on the 300C, and your now able to open any door by pulling the handle, and open the truck by pressing a small button thats located on the far left side of third brake light.