Ingition switch quirk

[drecian]

Call me anal-attentive, but I just picked this up about my Yaris last nite:

On older cars, you turn the key to 'on' to let he coil charge/fule system pressureze etc, then turn it over to 'start', where you hold it with the engine cranking until the it fires and if you release it before then, the engine doesn't start. Here's where the Yaris is a little different. Last nite I found that from the 'on' key position, you can momentarily flick it to 'start' and let it spring back and the car will crank (for half a second or so) until it starts and runs, without you needing to hold the ky at the 'start' position.

Might make it easier/fun to wire it up to a big red 'start' button since you would only have to hit it once and the car will automatically crank for you.

Anyone know if all newer cars are like this?

:thumbup:

[eTiMaGo]

Yup, it's called the "crank hold" function. i guess it's to prevent people from over-cranking the engine, or not cranking enough, which certainly adds wear and tear on the components.

The problem now, when I drive another car without this function, I just flick the key and make a fool of myself :laugh:

[YarisTom73]

Yep, me too..now we have a conventional-starter handicap :laugh:

I was wondering about the start button also; I was thinking maybe where the useless utility plug on the console is, only perhaps it would be hit by accident all the time :iono:

[Jem_hadar]

Anyone know if all newer cars are like this?

:thumbup:

No, not all. Chryslers/Dodges atleast.

My parents own a 2007 Caravan... and have own an 88, 94, and 03 before that all in the voyager/caravan models.

plus my dad drives a jeep grand cherokee right now...


NONE of them auto crank! Drives me nuts bc I'm so used to it in my car..

I always forget to hold it and the car doesnt start. haha. happens EVER TIME...

i love hte feature. so naice.

[Capagotks]

my brothers ford fairmont ghia doent have it, but our old holden SV6 did. it caused a problem on the detuned versions because sometimes they dont start for a while, and in some cases have been known to take up to 20 seconds to start, which probably isnt the best...

[YarisTom73]

Fairmont Ghia? Ford product? Never seen one...

[eTiMaGo]

The UK and Australia have many of their own models of Fords you'll never see in the US :wink:

[Capagotks]

a look at my brothers car if your wondering what it is:

http://www.bseries.com.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?act=item&i=129

[YarisTom73]

Wow, that's really nice...much nicer than the crappy Fords we are stuck with on this side of the pond :barf:

[Capagotks]

you think thats nice? its an 03 model (BA), and after it they had a MKII then a new series called the BF, then a BF MKII, but it is the top of the line luxury and everything.

but! you guys in the US get the massive trucks like the F650 and hummer. you dont see too many big cars at all over here. i love intimidating cars..

[YarisTom73]

you think thats nice? its an 03 model (BA), and after it they had a MKII then a new series called the BF, then a BF MKII, but it is the top of the line luxury and everything.

but! you guys in the US get the massive trucks like the F650 and hummer. you dont see too many big cars at all over here. i love intimidating cars..

I'm a much bigger fan of small and zippy, rather than big and goofy. The trucks are nice if you run a farm of whatever, or the big SUVs if you have a family to tote around. Keep in mind, those vehicles like the Hummer only get a few miles to a gallon of gas, for example, the other day at the gas station there was a big Excursion in front of me, and his gas bill was $65...and he said it had some already in it! I'd rather my little Yaris sedan which is $25 to fill, with one bar, and goes a week too! :biggrin:

[CompanyXPaladin]

I'm with YarisTom73 on that one - my family has a GMC Vandura Starcraft Edition - it will seat seven people with luggage very comfortably for hours on end, but it only gets 11 mpg. O_O 24 gallon tank takes almost $100 to fill up each time. My room mate's truck is even worse - 2 24 gallon tanks at 7 mpg. Borrowing the damn thing for 3 days was the same as a car payment on my Yaris LB. I'll take the Yaris over anything bigger (everything else? lol) any day.

[Capagotks]

yeah, it is getting old and isnt the best on fuel. 16.something per 100km which is.......ummm.... 14 miles per gallon.not the worst, but hey, it aint my car (yet, hopefully)

[jdium]

Australia gets some bad ass cars. It's like Ford/Chevy don't understand what American's desire. When they finally decide to bring over the "GTO", aka, the Chevy that looks like a Camry but performs like a Vette...WTF?

[Edd]

If you've ever accidently "started" the car when it's already running, you will know the horrible noise as the starter motor gets spun over unwillingly. This is why cars auto crank, so people don't sit there revving the piss out of their starter motors.