Any reason to carry the key around?

[jejb]

I do not know on the 18's, MY 19 1500 has no key ref tailgate, all electronic. I had an extra key made and I ALWAYS carry on a small ring in my pocket with change. WHY, because U can lock yer FOB in truck, especially if running. Just piece of mind and no problems. As far as leaving FOB in vehicle always, maybe not the best choice. Because if the truck can sense yer FOB, will start, shift and drive away and U may not be behind the wheel. Yer choice.

Fob never leaves my pocket except to open a lock. Then it goes right back in my pocket. I'm not one of those that throws the keys, wallet, etc into the center console when I get in the truck.

 

[corneileous]

I do not know on the 18's, MY 19 1500 has no key ref tailgate, all electronic. I had an extra key made and I ALWAYS carry on a small ring in my pocket with change. WHY, because U can lock yer FOB in truck, especially if running. Just piece of mind and no problems. As far as leaving FOB in vehicle always, maybe not the best choice. Because if the truck can sense yer FOB, will start, shift and drive away and U may not be behind the wheel. Yer choice.

My 18 has a lock cylinder on the tailgate handle so I really don’t know why yours wouldn’t because to my knowledge, it’s only there on mine for the same reason why I also have a manual lock cylinder on the driver door handle as well, so that I can gain access in the event of a power failure.

I totally understand the need for a second key that’s either carried on your person, or hidden within your truck somewhere because yes, that other key that’s locked away in your key fob does you no good if you lock the key fob in the truck. Which brings me to my next point, if everything is working properly on your truck, there should be no way to lock your key fob in the cab and the only time I know of where this can happen is if you hit the lock button on the door panel- unsure about the exterior door lock button if so equipped, after you’ve gotten in, got out while the truck is still in remote start mode and the door gets shut. Although when I tested it, I never did wait for the remote start timer to expire to see what happened at that point, I just went in the house and grabbed my spare remote and unlocked the truck.

But yes, you can drive your truck without the fob present but that “fob not in vehicle” warning should prevent that.


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[corneileous]

Mine also came with 2 fobs, and each came with the big hard key, in addition to the hidden hard key in the fob. The truck I came from to this one had a fob, but it was only lock/unlock and panic. So I still needed a hard key to start the truck. But our other, newer vehicles are keyless start and have, like my Ram, a fob with the hidden hard key. No big hard key was supplied. So it makes me wonder why Ram even bothered to include it, which is why I asked in the opening post if there is some function it serves that the hidden key does not. I guess I just assumed that since it was included, there must be some need for it. I've only had the truck for a few weeks.

But it seems the answer is that it's not needed.

Even though you said you have thePassive assist doorhandles, do you also have the pushbutton start? My last truck was a 2008 that didn’t have any of this fancy stuff, all it had was just the ignition/door key with the built in fob on it but still, when I got that truck, all it came with was just two keys.

I know that on the older trucks, the key fob was your key but on the newer 18s, I don’t know what the non-pushbutton start models have for a key, if they’re the same as the old ones were basically you plug your key fob into your ignition that way, or if they’re like my old 98 that had a separate fob from an actual key.


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[Jessica Smith]

I put the big key in a magnetic key box and stuck it under the truck.

Cool!

Hey, totally unrelated, but where is it parked these days, have any cool pictures of the truck, and while we're at it, if you were to get a check in the value of your social security number how much money would that be?

 

[bm02tj]

Magnetic boxes fall off so I took a key cut the ears off and taped into the wiring so it is there if needed and hope I never need it but if I do I have one that cannot get lost or found and less you know where to look

 

[corneileous]

Fob never leaves my pocket except to open a lock. Then it goes right back in my pocket. I'm not one of those that throws the keys, wallet, etc into the center console when I get in the truck.

That’s me, too. In any other case except for the situation I described earlier with the remote start, I can leave my key fob sitting in the seat and if I lock the door from the inside and close it, the horn will chirp twice and the driver door will automatically unlock itself but either way, I don’t take that chance as my key is always in my pocket.

My girlfriend’s Civic has that pushbutton start also but she’s also got a real bad habit i’m doing just the opposite by putting her key in the cupholder when she drives her car. Hopefully someday it doesn’t bite her in the ass if she’s away from home but at least in my pick up if I were to do that and something happened where I locked myself out of my truck, I can at least whip out my phone and use the Uconnect app that I have to unlock my truck that way… LOL. She however, does not.


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[turkeybird56]

My 18 has a lock cylinder on the tailgate handle so I really don’t know why yours wouldn’t because to my knowledge, it’s only there on mine for the same reason why I also have a manual lock cylinder on the driver door handle as well, so that I can gain access in the event of a power failure.

I totally understand the need for a second key that’s either carried on your person, or hidden within your truck somewhere because yes, that other key that’s locked away in your key fob does you no good if you lock the key fob in the truck. Which brings me to my next point, if everything is working properly on your truck, there should be no way to lock your key fob in the cab and the only time I know of where this can happen is if you hit the lock button on the door panel- unsure about the exterior door lock button if so equipped, after you’ve gotten in, got out while the truck is still in remote start mode and the door gets shut. Although when I tested it, I never did wait for the remote start timer to expire to see what happened at that point, I just went in the house and grabbed my spare remote and unlocked the truck.

But yes, you can drive your truck without the fob present but that “fob not in vehicle” warning should prevent that.


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CORNELIOUS: They changed the MY 19's. Now no key for tailgate, all electronic, at least on 1500's. If yer truck is off, and U hit door lock and fob inside, truck will unlock. BUT, if truck running, and U hit lock button on door, say with elbow and close door, TRUCK will lock and FOB be inside. WHICH is why I carry a key on a small ring in my change pocket at all times. Especially, I took a trip to NJ, but extra FOB in TX. Not wanna have a case of the dumb *** and lock keys in truck, especially since I do not have Uconnect or the possibility to remote unlock thru computer. Just a saying.

 

[jejb]

Even though you said you have thePassive assist doorhandles, do you also have the pushbutton start?

Yes.

I know that on the older trucks, the key fob was your key but on the newer 18s, I don’t know what the non-pushbutton start models have for a key, if they’re the same as the old ones were basically you plug your key fob into your ignition that way, or if they’re like my old 98 that had a separate fob from an actual key.

Yeah, I've seen those. But on my truck, to just unlock it, start it and drive away, I never have to touch the fob or take any keys out of my pocket.

 

[corneileous]

CORNELIOUS: They changed the MY 19's. Now no key for tailgate, all electronic, at least on 1500's. If yer truck is off, and U hit door lock and fob inside, truck will unlock. BUT, if truck running, and U hit lock button on door, say with elbow and close door, TRUCK will lock and FOB be inside. WHICH is why I carry a key on a small ring in my change pocket at all times. Especially, I took a trip to NJ, but extra FOB in TX. Not wanna have a case of the dumb *** and lock keys in truck, especially since I do not have Uconnect or the possibility to remote unlock thru computer. Just a saying.

Well yeah, if the truck was running, you leave the key on the console, get out, accidentally lock the door before you shut it, I could see you locking yourself out because how else would the truck know different whether you were in there or not? It’s not like it’s necessary to mention but I guess it’s just more of a reason to not keep your fob anywhere but in your pocket.

But really, on to the tailgate, I guess there really isn’t a need for a key cylinder on the handle.


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[corneileous]

Yes.

Yeah, I've seen those. But on my truck, to just unlock it, start it and drive away, I never have to touch the fob or take any keys out of my pocket.

OK so back to your original post, what is the big key on your key ring that you’re talking about? If you’ve got the passive assist doorhandles and the push button start, you should only have a couple of fobs with internal metal keys for entry to your truck of your battery is dead...


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[jejb]

OK so back to your original post, what is the big key on your key ring that you’re talking about? If you’ve got the passive assist doorhandles and the push button start, you should only have a couple of fobs with internal metal keys for entry to your truck of your battery is dead...

Agreed. But it also came with 2 normal looking keys on each of the fobs. Apparently Ram hasn't figured out that they don't really need to include those on push button start trucks.

 

[corneileous]

Agreed. But it also came with 2 normal looking keys on each of the fobs. Apparently Ram hasn't figured out that they don't really need to include those on push button start trucks.

I can’t remember whether you said so or not but did you buy your truck brand new? I bought my truck brand new and all it came with was just two fobs both with internal emergency steel keys to manually lock or unlock the cab. I can’t understand why your truck would come from the factory with those two fobs plus two actual normal ignition keys when you don’t even have a keyed ignition. That’s unheard of, at least to me.


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[Jimmy07]

If yer truck is off, and U hit door lock and fob inside, truck will unlock. BUT, if truck running, and U hit lock button on door, say with elbow and close door, TRUCK will lock and FOB be inside.

This behavior is not normal, and there’s an issue with either your rf hub, or a setting in the BCM. For all 2013+ rams with push button start, if the truck is running with the fob inside the cab, and you open the door and push the lock button on the inside master door switch, there should be no response at all from the lock button. If the truck is off with the fob inside, and you open the door and press the lock button, the doors will lock, but as soon as you shut the door they will unlock. If you do this three times in a row, the doors will stay locked with the fob inside on the third attempt. So, on a normally functioning 2013+ ram with push button start, you have to really be determined to lock the fob in the truck.

 

[Jimmy07]

This thread is starting to sound like an Abbott and Costello routine. @jejb, if you received two fobs like this-

And, in addition to the above fobs, you received two physical keys similar to either this-

Or this-

Then there’s absolutely no reason to have it on the same key ring as the fob. I’ve never seen extra sets of physical keys given with the pair of fobs, but they are redundant to the internal fob key, and unnecessary. You can do whatever you choose to do with them. Cut them up, leave them at home, throw them in a river, store them in a bodily orifice for emergencies...whatever you can come up with that seems clever to you.

 

[corneileous]

This behavior is not normal, and there’s an issue with either your rf hub, or a setting in the BCM. For all 2013+ rams with push button start, if the truck is running with the fob inside the cab, and you open the door and push the lock button on the inside master door switch, there should be no response at all from the lock button. If the truck is off with the fob inside, and you open the door and press the lock button, the doors will lock, but as soon as you shut the door they will unlock. If you do this three times in a row, the doors will stay locked with the fob inside on the third attempt. So, on a normally functioning 2013+ ram with push button start, you have to really be determined to lock the fob in the truck.

This actually makes more sense being that there’s a lot more to it being described here but I would hope that if you’re the type that doesn’t put your fob in your pocket, leaves it in a cup holder or cubby hole and also spends a lot of time getting in and out of your truck while it’s running that the system would be smart enough to realize that unless you open the door first, then accidentally press your lock button that it would keep the door from locking essentially locking you out because even if like for example, say you have the 20 mile an hour rolling automatic door lock disabled and you hit the lock button on the door panel while sitting there with it closed, or if you’re already driving, it should stay locked at that point because as soon as you open the door, the lock plungers are gonna automatically go up and shouldn’t even allow you to lock the driver door while it’s still open.


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[corneileous]

This thread is starting to sound like an Abbott and Costello routine. @jejb, if you received two fobs like this-

And, in addition to the above fobs, you received two physical keys similar to either this-

Or this-

Then there’s absolutely no reason to have it on the same key ring as the fob. I’ve never seen extra sets of physical keys given with the pair of fobs, but they are redundant to the internal fob key, and unnecessary. You can do whatever you choose to do with them. Cut them up, leave them at home, throw them in a river, store them in a bodily orifice for emergencies...whatever you can come up with that seems clever to you.

I don’t know who you’re referring to but if me trying to figure out in my head that he bought the truck brand new with pushbutton start and passive entry.... aaaand he received two normal keys as well, as something that Abbott and Costello would do then I apologize, because honestly in the opening post when he’s talking about the two keys on the key ring, I was thinking to myself, how in the hell was he able to hang his key fobs on a key ring without the two keys being clipped into the key fobs? The internal emergency keys are the link between the key ring and the fob…


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[Jimmy07]

I don’t know who you’re referring to but if me trying to figure out in my head that he bought the truck brand new with pushbutton start and passive entry.... aaaand he received two normal keys as well, as something that Abbott and Costello would do then I apologize, because honestly in the opening post when he’s talking about the two keys on the key ring, I was thinking to myself, how in the hell was he able to hang his key fobs on a key ring without the two keys being clipped into the key fobs? The internal emergency keys are the link between the key ring and the fob…


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Lol, not you, just all the posts in general where everyone seems to be “talking past each other”...

 

[jejb]

I can’t remember whether you said so or not but did you buy your truck brand new? I bought my truck brand new and all it came with was just two fobs both with internal emergency steel keys to manually lock or unlock the cab. I can’t understand why your truck would come from the factory with those two fobs plus two actual normal ignition keys when you don’t even have a keyed ignition. That’s unheard of, at least to me.

No, I bought it as CPO about 1.5 months ago with 14K miles. Could be the PO had some normal keys made. Not sure why they'd do that, but it's certainly possible.

 

[corneileous]

No, I bought it as CPO about 1.5 months ago with 14K miles. Could be the PO had some normal keys made. Not sure why they'd do that, but it's certainly possible.

That is most certainly highly possible if you bought that truck used. And who knows; either the previous owner did not know that he had an emergency key in each one of those two fobs or maybe there was some other cockamamie reason why he felt he needed two more extra keys made but since that’s been established, I really don’t think you need those extra two keys at all.


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[jejb]

Makes sense. Key has been removed from the key ring. It was the biggest key on my ring, so I'm happy to see it gone.