Your Car’s Key Fob May Have Hidden Features

Here’s what these extras are and how you can find and use them

By Mike Monticello

Today’s new cars pack in more high-tech electronic features than ever before, and that includes in the key fob. The device has gone far beyond simply locking or unlocking doors, starting a car remotely, or making chirping sounds to help you find your car in a parking lot. Some have so many features built in that owners may not even be aware of them all.

“Manufacturers are tasking key fobs with a multitude of functions that make the car — and the key fob — more useful than ever,” says Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. “These features can be fantastic if the owner understands the sequence of key-fob button pushes to access them, but they can also be frustrating or even harmful if these features are triggered accidentally.”

Here are a few examples of hidden key-fob features, some of which could be on the device for your car.

Lower All Windows Instantly: One of the more common hidden functions on many of today’s key fobs is the ability to roll down all the windows and open the sunroof at the same time by pressing a single button. It’s handy, and it helps cool off the car on a hot summer day. It’s not often labeled on the fob, though, so the owner needs to know the button sequence.

On most cars that have the feature, it’s accomplished by pressing the unlock button on the key fob once, then pressing it again (within 10 seconds) and holding it down until all the windows are opened.

Remote Start: On most key fobs, the remote engine start button is labeled with a circular arrow (but often not the words “remote start”). Typically, the owner first hits the lock button, followed by a press of the remote-start button. On other remotes, drivers must press the circular arrow button twice (indicated by a “2x” or “x2”).

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Related Article: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Driving Cars