When it comes to diagnosing ignition issues in your vehicle, one important step is testing the ignition switch. The ignition switch is a crucial component that allows your car to start and run smoothly. If there are any problems with the ignition switch, it can cause a variety of issues such as difficulty starting the engine or even complete failure to start.
To test the ignition switch, you will need a multimeter. Start by locating the ignition switch, which is usually found near the steering column. Once you have located it, turn the key to the "on" position and use the multimeter to check for continuity between the different terminals on the switch. If there is no continuity between any of the terminals, this indicates that the ignition switch is faulty and needs to be replaced.
Another way to test the ignition switch is by checking for power at different points in the electrical system while turning the key. You can use a test light or voltmeter for this method. If there is power at certain points but not others, this could also indicate a problem with the ignition switch.
In conclusion, testing the ignition switch is an important step in diagnosing any ignition issues in your vehicle. By following these simple steps and using a multimeter or test light, you can quickly determine if the ignition switch is functioning properly or if it needs to be replaced. Remember that proper maintenance of your vehicle's ignition system is essential for keeping your car running smoothly and efficiently.
When it comes to diagnosing ignition issues in your vehicle, one of the first things you should check is the spark plugs. These small but crucial components play a big role in ensuring that your engine starts and runs smoothly.
Inspecting the spark plugs is a relatively simple process that can give you valuable insight into the health of your ignition system. Start by removing each spark plug one at a time and examining its condition. Look for signs of wear, such as eroded electrodes or built-up deposits. This can indicate issues such as misfiring or poor fuel combustion.
In addition to visual inspection, you can also perform a spark test to ensure that each plug is firing properly. Simply reconnect the plug to its wire, ground the electrode against a metal surface, and crank the engine. You should see a strong, blue spark jump across the electrodes. If the spark is weak or nonexistent, it may be time to replace that particular plug.
By regularly inspecting your spark plugs and addressing any issues promptly, you can help prevent more serious ignition problems down the line. So next time you're experiencing rough idling or difficulty starting your engine, don't forget to check those little but mighty spark plugs!
When diagnosing ignition issues in a vehicle, one important step is to check the battery connections. The battery is essential for providing power to the ignition system, so if there are any issues with the connections, it can lead to starting problems or even complete engine failure.
To check the battery connections, start by visually inspecting them for any signs of corrosion or looseness. Corrosion can cause poor conductivity and weaken the connection between the battery and the ignition system. If you notice any buildup on the terminals, they should be cleaned with a wire brush or terminal cleaner.
Next, make sure that the cables are securely attached to the battery terminals. Loose connections can lead to intermittent power supply to the ignition system, which can result in difficulty starting the vehicle. Tighten any loose connections using a wrench or pliers to ensure a secure fit.
It's also important to check for any fraying or damage to the battery cables. Damaged cables can prevent proper power flow from the battery to the ignition system, causing starting issues. If you notice any damage, it's best to replace the cables with new ones to ensure optimal performance.
By taking these steps to check the battery connections when diagnosing ignition issues, you can help identify and address potential problems before they escalate into more serious issues. Keeping your battery connections clean and secure is key to maintaining a reliable ignition system and ensuring smooth operation of your vehicle.
When it comes to diagnosing ignition issues, one of the key components to evaluate is the starter motor. The starter motor plays a crucial role in initiating the engine's combustion process by turning the flywheel and cranking the engine. If the starter motor is malfunctioning, it can lead to a host of problems such as difficulty starting the engine, clicking noises when attempting to start the car, or even complete failure to start.
To evaluate the starter motor, there are several steps you can take. First, visually inspect the motor for any signs of damage or wear. Look for frayed wires, loose connections, or any other obvious issues that may be affecting its performance. Next, check the voltage going to the starter motor using a multimeter. A reading that falls below or above the recommended range could indicate a problem with either the battery or wiring.
Another important test to perform is a voltage drop test on the starter circuit. This will help determine if there are any excessive resistance points in the circuit that may be causing a weak connection between the battery and starter motor. Additionally, testing the current draw of the starter motor can provide valuable information about its overall health and functionality.
By thoroughly evaluating the starter motor as part of your ignition issue diagnosis, you can pinpoint any potential problems early on and prevent more serious issues from arising down the line. Remember that proper maintenance and regular inspections are key to keeping your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently.
A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable enclosure used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal (such as steel) or formed out of plastic through blow molding. Bank teller safes typically are secured to the counter, have a slit opening for dropping valuables into the safe without opening it, and a time-delay combination lock to foil thieves. One significant distinction between types of safes is whether the safe is secured to a wall or structure or if it can be moved around.
The first known safe dates back to the 13th century BC and was found in the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses II. It was made of wood and consisted of a locking system resembling the modern pin tumbler lock.[1]
In the 16th century, blacksmiths in southern Germany, Austria, and France first forged cash boxes in sheet iron. These sheet-iron money chests served as the models for mass-produced cash boxes in the 19th century.[2]
In the 17th century, in northern Europe, iron safes were sometimes made in the shape of a barrel, with a padlock on top.[3]
In 1835, English inventors Charles and Jeremiah Chubb in Wolverhampton, England, received a patent for a burglar-resisting safe and began a production of safes.[4] The Chubb brothers had produced locks since 1818. Chubb Locks was an independent company until 2000 when it was sold to Assa Abloy.
On November 2, 1886, inventor Henry Brown patented a "receptacle for storing and preserving papers". The container was fire retardant and accident resistant as it was made from forged metal. The box was able to be safely secured with a lock and key and also able to maintain organization by offering different slots to organize important papers.[5][6]
Specifications for safes include some or all of the following parameters:
It is often possible to open a safe without access to the key or knowledge of the combination; this activity is known as safe-cracking and is a popular theme in heist films.
A diversion safe, or hidden safe, is a safe that is made from an otherwise ordinary object such as a book, a candle, a can, or wall outlet. Valuables are placed in these hidden safes, which are themselves placed inconspicuously (for example, a book would be placed on a book shelf).
Fire-resistant record protection equipment consists of self-contained devices that incorporate insulated bodies, doors, drawers or lids, or non-rated multi-drawer devices housing individually rated containers that contain one or more inner compartments for storage of records. These devices are intended to provide protection to one or more types of records as evidenced by the assigned Class rating or ratings; Class 350 for paper, Class 150 for microfilm, microfiche other and photographic film and Class 125 for magnetic media and hard drives. Enclosures of this type are typically rated to protect contents for 1⁄2, 1, 2, or 4 hours; they will not protect indefinitely. They may also be rated for their resistance to impact should the safe fall a specified distance onto a hard surface, or have debris fall upon it during a fire.[7]
Burglary-resistant safes are rated as to their resistance to various types of tools and the duration of the attack.
Safes can contain hardware that automatically dispenses cash or validates bills as part of an automated cash handling system.
For larger volumes of heat-sensitive materials, a modular room-sized vault is much more economical than purchasing and storing many fire rated safes. Typically these room-sized vaults are utilized by corporations, government agencies and off-site storage service firms. Fireproof vaults are rated up to Class 125-4 Hour for large data storage applications. These vaults utilize ceramic fiber, a high temperature industrial insulating material, as the core of their modular panel system. All components of the vault, not just the walls and roof panels, must be Class 125 rated to achieve that overall rating for the vault. This includes the door assembly (a double door is needed since there is no single Class 125 vault door available), cable penetrations, coolant line penetrations (for split HVAC systems), and air duct penetrations.
There are also Class 150 applications (such as microfilm) and Class 350 vaults for protecting valuable paper documents. Like the data-rated (Class 125) structures, these vault systems employ ceramic fiber insulation and components rated to meet or exceed the required level of protection.
In recent years room-sized Class 125 vaults have been installed to protect entire data centers. As data storage technologies migrate from tape-based storage methods to hard drives, this trend is likely to continue.[8]
A fire-resistant safe is a type of safe that is designed to protect its contents from high temperatures or actual fire. Fire resistant safes are usually rated by the amount of time they can withstand the extreme temperatures a fire produces, while not exceeding a set internal temperature, e.g., less than 350 °F (177 °C). Models are typically available between half-hour and four-hour durations.
In the UK, the BS EN-1047 standard is set aside for data and document safes to determine their ability to withstand prolonged intense heat and impact damage.
These conditions are maintained for the duration of the test. This is usually at least 30 minutes but can extend to many hours depending on grade. Both kinds of safe are also tested for impact by dropping from a set height onto a solid surface and then tested for fire survivability once again.[9]
In the United States, both the writing of standards for fire-resistance and the actual testing of safes is performed by Underwriters Laboratories.
An in-floor safe installed in a concrete floor is very resistant to fire. However, not all floor safes are watertight; they may fill with water from fire hoses. Contents can be protected against water damage by appropriate packaging.
Reinforced, fireproof cabinets are also used for dangerous chemicals or flammable goods.
Wall safes are designed to provide hidden protection for documents and miscellaneous valuables. Adjustable depth allows the maximization of usable space when installed in different wall thicknesses. Some wall safes have pry-resistant recessed doors with concealed hinges. A painting or other wall decoration may be hung over a wall safe to hide it.
Small safes may be fixed to a wall to prevent the entire safe being removed, without concealment. Very small secure enclosures known as key safes, opened by entering a combination, are attached to the wall of a building to store the keys allowing access, so that they are available only to a person knowing the combination, typically for holiday lets, carers, or emergency use.[10][11]
Safe-cracking is opening a safe without a combination or key. There are many methods of safe-cracking ranging from brute force methods to guessing the combination. The easiest method that can be used on many safes is "safe bouncing", which involves hitting the safe on top; this may cause the locking pin to budge, opening the safe[citation needed].
Physicist Richard Feynman gained a reputation for safe-cracking while working on the Manhattan Project during the Second World War. He did this for recreation, describing his experiences and methods in detail in his book Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!. He made the point that the secure storage he successfully opened clandestinely (to which he would have been given access if he asked) contained contents far more important than any thief had ever accessed, all the secrets of the wartime atomic bomb project.[12]
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) testing certifications are known to be some of the most rigorous and most respected in the world.[13] UL provides numerous ratings, the most common security and fire ratings as discussed below. UL ratings are the typical rating standards used for safes within the United States. They are only matched by B.T.U/VDMA certifications (Germany).[14]
UL provides a variety of fire rating classifications, 125, 150, and 350 representing the maximum internal temperature in degrees Fahrenheit the safe may not exceed during the test. The classifications come in durations from
1⁄2-hour to 4 hours in length. The safe is exposed to gradually higher temperatures depending on the duration of the test. The most common standards being the 350 one hour (1,700 degrees) and 350 two hour (1,850 degrees) ratings as the temperature paper chars is approximately 451 degrees Fahrenheit.[15]
UL standards are one of the principal North American protection standards.[16] The resistance time limit specifies "tools on the safe" time without access to contents.[17] The test might take hours to run and can be repeated as many times as the UL staff feel necessary to ensure that all prospective avenues of attack have been thoroughly explored.
This is the entry level security rating offered by Underwriters Laboratories and it has its own standard: (UL 1037).[18] The standard originally had one level, now known as RSC Level I. The standard was expanded in 2016 providing a greater range of security options.[19] This standard also involves a drop test for products weighing not more than 750 pounds, simulating attempting to gain entry by dropping the safe.[20]
Safes at this level are typically, but not exclusively, used for commercial applications such as jewelers and coin dealers. These ratings are granted to combination locked safes that successfully resist when attacked by two technicians with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills and pressure applying devices or mechanisms. In addition to those requirements, the safe must weigh at least 750 pounds or come with instructions for anchoring, and have body walls of material equivalent to at least 1" open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 psi. The UL Standard for tool-resistant safes and above are governed by UL Standard 687.[21][22]
Depending on the usage, the European Committee for Standardization has published different European standards for safes. Testing and certification according to these standards should be done by an accredited certification body, e.g. European Certification Body.[24]
For fire-resistant safes the EN 1047-1 (fire resistance standard similar to the fire resistance safe standard of UL) and EN 15659 (for light fire storage units) were published.[27]
Locksmithing is the work of creating and bypassing locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies by country, ranging from no formal education to a training certificate awarded by an employer, or a full diploma from an engineering college, along with time spent as an apprentice.
A lock is a mechanism that secures buildings, rooms, cabinets, objects, or other storage facilities. A "smith" is a metalworker who shapes metal pieces, often using a forge or mould, into useful objects or to be part of a more complex structure. Thus locksmithing, as its name implies, is the assembly and designing of locks and their respective keys by hand. Most locksmiths use both automatic and manual cutting tools to mold keys, with many of these tools being powered by batteries or mains electricity.
Locks have been constructed for over 2500 years, initially out of wood and later out of metal.[1] Historically, locksmiths would make the entire lock, working for hours hand cutting screws and doing much file-work. Lock designs became significantly more complicated in the 18th century, and locksmiths often specialized in repairing or designing locks.
Although replacing lost keys for automobiles and homes, as well as rekeying locks for security purposes, remains an important part of locksmithing, a 1976 US Government publication noted that modern locksmiths are primarily involved in installing high-quality lock-sets and managing keying and key control systems.
Most locksmiths also provide electronic lock services, such as programming smart keys for transponder-equipped vehicles and implementing access control systems to protect individuals and assets for large institutions.[2] Many also specialise in other areas such as:
In Australia, prospective locksmiths are required to take a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) course in locksmithing, completion of which leads to issuance of a Level 3 Australian Qualifications Framework certificate, and complete an apprenticeship. They must also pass a criminal records check certifying that they are not currently wanted by the police. Apprenticeships can last one to four years. Course requirements are variable: there is a minimal requirements version that requires fewer total training units, and a fuller version that teaches more advanced skills, but takes more time to complete. Apprenticeship and course availability vary by state or territory.[3]
In Ireland, licensing for locksmiths was introduced in 2016,[4] with locksmiths having to obtain a Private Security Authority license. The Irish Locksmith Organisation has 50 members with ongoing training to ensure all members are up-to-date with knowledge and skills.
In the UK, there is no current government regulation for locksmithing, so effectively anyone can trade and operate as a locksmith with no skill or knowledge of the industry.[5]
Fifteen states in the United States require licensure for locksmiths. Nassau County and New York City in New York State, and Hillsborough County and Miami-Dade County in Florida have their own licensing laws.[6] State and local laws are described in the table below. 15 states require locksmith licensing: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia
Locksmiths may be commercial (working out of a storefront), mobile (working out of a vehicle), institutional (employed by an institution) or investigatory (forensic locksmiths) or may specialize in one aspect of the skill, such as an automotive lock specialist, a master key system specialist or a safe technician.[2] Many locksmiths also work as security consultants, but not all security consultants possess locksmithing skills. Locksmiths are frequently certified in specific skill areas or to a level of skill within the trade. This is separate from certificates of completion of training courses. In determining skill levels, certifications from manufacturers or locksmith associations are usually more valid criteria than certificates of completion. Some locksmiths decide to call themselves "Master Locksmiths" whether they are fully trained or not, and some training certificates appear quite authoritative.
The majority of locksmiths also work on any existing door hardware, not just locking mechanisms. This includes door closers, door hinges, electric strikes, frame repairs and other door hardware.
The issue of full disclosure was first raised in the context of locksmithing, in a 19th-century controversy regarding whether weaknesses in lock systems should be kept secret in the locksmithing community, or revealed to the public.
According to A. C. Hobbs:
A commercial, and in some respects a social doubt has been started within the last year or two, whether or not it is right to discuss so openly the security or insecurity of locks. Many well-meaning persons suppose that the discussion respecting the means for baffling the supposed safety of locks offers a premium for dishonesty, by showing others how to be dishonest. This is a fallacy. Rogues are very keen in their profession, and know already much more than we can teach them respecting their several kinds of roguery. Rogues knew a good deal about lock-picking long before locksmiths discussed it among themselves, as they have lately done. If a lock, let it have been made in whatever country, or by whatever maker, is not so inviolable as it has hitherto been deemed to be, surely it is to the interest of honest persons to know this fact, because the dishonest are tolerably certain to apply the knowledge practically; and the spread of the knowledge is necessary to give fair play to those who might suffer by ignorance. It cannot be too earnestly urged that an acquaintance with real facts will, in the end, be better for all parties. Some time ago, when the reading public was alarmed at being told how London milk is adulterated, timid persons deprecated the exposure, on the plea that it would give instructions in the art of adulterating milk; a vain fear, milkmen knew all about it before, whether they practised it or not; and the exposure only taught purchasers the necessity of a little scrutiny and caution, leaving them to obey this necessity or not, as they pleased.
A commercial, and in some respects a social doubt has been started within the last year or two, whether or not it is right to discuss so openly the security or insecurity of locks. Many well-meaning persons suppose that the discussion respecting the means for baffling the supposed safety of locks offers a premium for dishonesty, by showing others how to be dishonest. This is a fallacy. Rogues are very keen in their profession, and know already much more than we can teach them respecting their several kinds of roguery.
Rogues knew a good deal about lock-picking long before locksmiths discussed it among themselves, as they have lately done. If a lock, let it have been made in whatever country, or by whatever maker, is not so inviolable as it has hitherto been deemed to be, surely it is to the interest of honest persons to know this fact, because the dishonest are tolerably certain to apply the knowledge practically; and the spread of the knowledge is necessary to give fair play to those who might suffer by ignorance.
It cannot be too earnestly urged that an acquaintance with real facts will, in the end, be better for all parties. Some time ago, when the reading public was alarmed at being told how London milk is adulterated, timid persons deprecated the exposure, on the plea that it would give instructions in the art of adulterating milk; a vain fear, milkmen knew all about it before, whether they practised it or not; and the exposure only taught purchasers the necessity of a little scrutiny and caution, leaving them to obey this necessity or not, as they pleased.
The term door security or door security gate may refer to any of a range of measures used to strengthen doors against door breaching, ram-raiding and lock picking, and prevent crimes such as burglary and home invasions. Door security is used in commercial and government buildings, as well as in residential settings.
Some strengthened doors function as fire doors to prevent or inhibit the spread of fire.
Alarms — designed to warn of burglaries.
The following are the types of doors typically used in residential applications: solid wood door, panel doors (hollow and solid core), metal skinned wood-edged doors and metal edge-wrapped doors, and Fiberglass doors (strongest of the residential type). Typically, door frames are solid wood. Residential doors also frequently contain wood.
Steel doors with Multi locking system are recommended by construction professionals as important equipment in your security checklist. This type of door often comes with a wooden finish to maintain a natural aesthetic in their external appearance.
Security tests by Consumer Reports Magazine in the 1990s found that many residential doors fail or delaminate when force is applied to them. Solid wood doors withstood more force than the very common metal skinned wood-edged doors used in newer construction. A broad range door manufacturer, Premdor (now Masonite) once stated in one of its 1990s brochures entitled "Premdor Entry Systems" page 6 that "The results of tests were overwhelming, Steel edged doors outperform wood-edged doors by a ratio of 7 to 1. When you consider the practically two-thirds of all illegal entries were made through doors... One hit of 100 lb [lbf] strike force broke the wood-edged stile and opened the door. To actually open the steel-edged door required 7 strikes of 100 lb pressure [force]." Most door manufactures offer a number of different types of doors with varying levels of strength.
Consumer Reports Magazine also reported in its test results that door frames often split with little force applied and lower quality deadbolts simply failed when force was applied to the door.
The Chula Vista Residential Burglary Reduction Project which studied over 1,000 incidents found that "methods found to have relatively low effectiveness included: sliding glass door braces, such as wooden dowels, as opposed to sliding door channel or pin locks; deadbolts installed in the front door only; and outdoor lights on dusk-to-dawn timers".[2]
The Chula Vista Residential Burglary-Reduction Project yielded the following findings: "From victim interviews, we learned that in 87% of the break-ins that occurred when intruders defeated locked doors with tools such as screwdrivers or crowbars, the burglars targeted "the one door that had no deadbolt lock ... not one burglar attempted to break a double-pane window during the course of successful or attempted burglary."[2]
A smart key is a vehicular passive entry system developed by Siemens in 1995 and introduced by Mercedes-Benz under the name "Keyless-Go" in 1998 on the W220 S-Class,[1] after the design patent was filed by Daimler-Benz on May 17, 1997.[2]
Numerous manufacturers subsequently developed similar passive systems that unlock a vehicle on approach — while the key remains pocketed by the user.
The smart key allows the driver to keep the key fob pocketed when unlocking, locking and starting the vehicle. The key is identified via one of several antennas in the car's bodywork and an ISM band radio pulse generator in the key housing. Depending on the system, the vehicle is automatically unlocked when a button or sensor on the door handle or trunk release is pressed. Vehicles with a smart-key system have a mechanical backup, usually in the form of a spare key blade supplied with the vehicle. Some manufacturers hide the backup lock behind a cover for styling.
Vehicles with a smart-key system can disengage the immobilizer and activate the ignition without inserting a key in the ignition, provided the driver has the key inside the car. On most vehicles, this is done by pressing a starter button or twisting an ignition switch.
When leaving a vehicle that is equipped with a smart-key system, the vehicle is locked by either pressing a button on a door handle, touching a capacitive area on a door handle, or simply walking away from the vehicle. The method of locking varies across models.
Some vehicles automatically adjust settings based on the smart key used to unlock the car. User preferences such as seat positions, steering wheel position, exterior mirror settings, climate control (e.g. temperature) settings, and stereo presets are popular adjustments. Some models, such as the Ford Escape, even have settings to prevent the vehicle from exceeding a maximum speed if it has been started with a certain key.
In 2005, the UK motor insurance research expert Thatcham introduced a standard for keyless entry, requiring the device to be inoperable at a distance of more than 10 cm from the vehicle.[citation needed] In an independent test, the Nissan Micra's system was found to be the most secure, while certain BMW and Mercedes keys failed, being theoretically capable of allowing cars to be driven away while their owners were refueling.[3] Despite these security vulnerabilities, auto theft rates have decreased 7 percent between 2009 and 2010, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau credits smart keys for this decrease.[4][5]
SmartKeys were developed by Siemens in the mid-1990s and introduced by Mercedes-Benz in 1997 to replace the infrared security system introduced in 1989. Daimler-Benz filed the first patents for SmartKey on February 28, 1997, in German patent offices, with multifunction switchblade key variants following on May 17, 1997.[6][7][8][9] The device entailed a plastic key to be used in place of the traditional metal key. Electronics that control locking systems and the ignitions made it possible to replace the traditional key with a sophisticated computerized "Key". It is considered a step up from remote keyless entry. The SmartKey adopts the remote control buttons from keyless entry, and incorporates them into the SmartKey fob.
Once inside a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, the SmartKey fob, unlike keyless entry fobs, is placed in the ignition slot where a starter computer verifies the rolling code. Verified in milliseconds, it can then be turned as a traditional key to start the engine. The device was designed with the cooperation of Siemens Automotive and Huf exclusively for Mercedes-Benz, but many luxury manufacturers have implemented similar technology based on the same idea.[citation needed] In addition to the SmartKey, Mercedes-Benz now integrates as an option Keyless Go; this feature allows the driver to keep the SmartKey in their pocket, yet giving them the ability to open the doors, trunk as well as starting the car without ever removing it from their pocket.
The SmartKey's electronics are embedded in a hollow, triangular piece of plastic, wide at the top, narrow at the bottom, squared-off at the tip with a half-inch-long insert piece. The side of the SmartKey also hides a traditional Mercedes-Benz key that can be pulled out from a release at the top. The metal key is used for valet purposes such as locking the glove compartment and/or trunk before the SmartKey is turned over to a parking attendant. Once locked manually, the trunk cannot be opened with the SmartKey or interior buttons. The key fob utilizes a radio-frequency transponder to communicate with the door locks, but it uses infrared to communicate with the engine immobilizer system. The original SmartKeys had a limited frequency and could have only been used in line-of-sight for safety purposes. The driver can also point the smart key at the front driver side door while pushing and holding the unlock button on the SmartKey and the windows and the sunroof will open in order to ventilate the cabin. Similarly, if the same procedure is completed while holding the lock button, the windows and sunroof will close. In cars equipped with the Active Ventilated Seats, the summer opening feature will activate seat ventilation in addition to opening the windows and sunroof.[citation needed]
Display Key is a type of smart key developed by BMW that includes a small LCD color touchscreen on it. It performs the standard functions that a key fob would normally do such as locking, unlocking & keyless start, but because of the screen the user can also perform a number of the features from BMW's app. One of which includes commanding the car to self park from the key if your car has self parking capability. The key is currently available for the 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series, 8 Series, X3, X4, X5, X6, and X7. The key is rechargeable and will last about 3 weeks. It can be charged via a micro USB port on the side or wirelessly on the center console.
Keyless Go (also: Keyless Entry / Go; Passive Entry / Go) is Mercedes' term for an automotive technology which allows a driver to lock and unlock a vehicle without using the corresponding SmartKey buttons.[10] Once a driver enters a vehicle with an equipped Keyless Go SmartKey or Keyless Go wallet-size card, they have the ability to start and stop the engine, without inserting the SmartKey. A transponder built within the SmartKey allows the vehicle to identify a driver. An additional safety feature is integrated into the vehicle, making it impossible to lock a SmartKey with Keyless Go inside a vehicle.
The system works by having a series of LF (low frequency 125 kHz) transmitting antennas both inside and outside the vehicle. The external antennas are located in the door handles. When the vehicle is triggered, either by pulling the handle or touching the handle, an LF signal is transmitted from the antennas to the key. The key becomes activated if it is sufficiently close and it transmits its ID back to the vehicle via RF (Radio frequency >300 MHz) to a receiver located in the vehicle. If the key has the correct ID, the PASE module unlocks the vehicle.
The hardware blocks of a Keyless Entry / Go Electronic control unit ECU are based on its functionality:
The smart key determines if it is inside or outside the vehicle by measuring the strength of the LF fields. In order to start the vehicle, the smart key must be inside the vehicle.
It is important that the vehicle can't be started when the user and therefore the smart key is outside the vehicle. This is especially important at fueling stations where the user is very close to the vehicle. The internal LF field is allowed to overshoot by a maximum of 10 cm to help minimise this risk. Maximum overshoot is usually found on the side windows where there is very little attenuation of the signal.
A second scenario exists under the name "relay station attack" (RSA). The RSA is based on the idea of reducing the long physical distance between the car and the regular car owner's SmartKey. Two relay stations will be needed for this: The first relay station is located nearby the car and the second is close to the SmartKey. So on first view, the Keyless Entry / Go ECU and the SmartKey could communicate together. A third person at the car could pull the door handle and the door would open. However, in every Keyless Entry / Go system provisions exist to avoid a successful two-way communication via RSA. Some of the most known are:
Furthermore, Keyless Entry / Go communicates with other Control Units within the same vehicle. Depending on the electric car architecture, the following are some Control Systems that can be enabled or disabled:
Another possibility is using a motion sensor within the key fob.[11][12]
Dead spots are a result of the maximum overshoot requirement from above. The power delivered to the internal LF antennas has to be tuned to provide the best performance i.e. minimum dead spots and maximum average overshoot. Dead spots are usually near the extremities of the vehicle e.g. the rear parcel shelf.
If the battery in the smart key becomes depleted, it is necessary for there to be a backup method of opening and starting the vehicle. Opening is achieved by an emergency (fully mechanical) key blade usually hidden in the smart key. On many cars emergency starting is achieved by use of an inductive coupling. The user either has to put the key in a slot or hold it near a special area on the cockpit, where there is an inductive coil hidden behind which transfers energy to a matching coil in the dead key fob using inductive charging.
Slots have proven to be problematic, as they can go wrong and the key becomes locked in and cannot be removed. Another problem with the slot is it can't compensate for a fob battery below certain operating threshold. Most smart key batteries are temperature sensitive causing the fob to become intermittent, fully functional, or inoperative all in the same day.
A Keyless Entry / Go system should be able to detect and handle most of the following cases:
A test by ADAC revealed that 20 car models with Keyless Go could be entered and driven away without the key.[13][14][15][16] In 2014, 6,000 cars (about 17 per day) were stolen using keyless entry in London.[17]