What happened to flush door handles?

[Kchrpm]

Typically when you have a dead battery it's just not enough to start the car, not so dead that absolutely nothing works. Even then, there is typically a mechanical backup to unlock the car from the inside or outside. The day-to-day functionality and convenience is improved, in exchange for having to remember what the mechanical workaround is when something goes wrong once in a while.

It does make me shake my head, though, when people think they are permanently stuck inside their cars because they won't read the instruction manual, even if it's in the car they're currently stuck in, to figure out there's a simple lever to pull to unlock or open the door.

Nissan didn't originate it AFAIK, but they were one of the first to put it in inexpensive cars.

Edit: it looks like the pop out flush door handles on the Tesla Model S are actually mechanical, you press them in a little and then they pop out for you to pull on them. The automatic pop out is an option you can order and turn on as part of a tech package.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I always thought it had something to do with crash safety. Lets say you've just been in a big enough accident to twist the unibody slightly and your doors are stuck...the first responders would be able to pull harder on the newer style grab handles than they'd be able to pull on the older flush-mount style.

Sounds reasonable, but they also have the jaws of life that can just cut up a car! I kinda doubt rescuers need to rely on door handles to open things... plus, if it were really a safety issue, wouldn't this change happen much sooner? As far as I can tell, Honda Fit just switched door handles with its current generation. Fit is a relatively new car, right? So if safety is really an issue, why do they stick with flush door handles in their previous 2 generations?

Anyway, something is driving this design change. Flush door handles are nearly extinct in pretty much all car models.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Was it Nissan who came up with a "proximity key" (probably not their name for it)? I remember someone telling me all he had to do was have the key in his pocket and his car doors would unlock as he approached. Then he would just press a Start button in the car and never have to remove the key from his pocket.

How are you going to get in the car and pop the hood when with a dead battery?

Car companies: just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Not sure about other makes and models, but wife's '14 Santa Fe Sport has a hidden key inside the 'remote'. So it can be used to unlock doors. Under normal circumstances, the 'remote' doesn't need to leave our pocket or purse. As we approach, it wouldn't automatically unlock unless we push a button on the door handle. I guess it could be made to unlock automatically, it's just that Hyundai didn't want to do it that way? I say this because there are LED lights in the door handle that will illuminate as you approach. So the car knows you're near by... but Hyundai leaves the decision to lock or unlock by the use of a button on the external door handle. So users have the choice.

Anyway, regardless how each automaker makes it, I'm sure they won't so dumb that a dead battery would render a car completely irretrievable!

[Kchrpm]

Sounds reasonable, but they also have the jaws of life that can just cut up a car!

Do ambulances have those? I always figured they were only on fire trucks or the like, so it took longer to get them to an accident scene.

I have no real knowledge, though, I'm just going by their cursory use in movies and television

[George]

LED lights in the door handle?



Needless tomfoolery.

[thesameguy]

My '79 Cougar had lit door handles & locks. It was amazing. Just lift the handle and the whole thing would illuminate. Back in the day when we put keys into locks it was a huge convenience. Today, I'm baffled as to why they *don't* put an LED in the fobs. Who can tell one button from another in the dark?

[21Kid]

Today, I'm baffled as to why they *don't* put an LED in the fobs. Who can tell one button from another in the dark?

Indeed. Or on the steering wheel controls. I've had a few rentals that didn't illuminate the steering wheel controls. How the hell am I supposed to know what does what in the dark!?! Especially when some of them are to change the speed on cruise control.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I rarely mess with cruise control on rentals because I'm just not familiar enough with it and don't want to take my eyes off the road for too long..., but I thought most newer models have them illuminated. At least our '14 Santa Fe has it. I don't think our '07 TSX has it nor does the S2000. But I think that's because they're early 2000 model vehicles so steering controls are probably like after thoughts or add-ons.

Regarding lighting up the remote, I suppose it's just to save juice. Com'on, if you don't know your remote by now, you ain't never ever know it... oooooooooo

I never bother looking at my S2000 remote when I use it. Plus, when should your remote light up? When you press the light on button? Gee, how will you find it in the dark? If light turns on whenever you press a button, like I said, I don't usually need to look at it to know which button to press. Further, buttons could continuously get pressed accidentally in pockets... so personally I think current remote design with no light and with longer battery life makes more sense.

But what do I know, I also think flush door handles make more sense for aerodynamic reasons.