Close call

[AnD3rew]

So was tootling along the hunter expressway at 110kmh at 5:30 am this morning, pitch black and strangely enough an extremely busy road at that time of the morning not quite bumper to bumper but pretty much as close as you can get to that at 110kph.

I have my key on a big bunch with a lot other keys and tags and stuff and I bumped my knee against them and all,of a sudden no lights, no engine, no power steering in the dark 110kph surrounded by traffic and trucks.

Somehow had the presence of mind to hit the hazard lights and managed to safely steer to the ditch off the road but it was a hairy moment.

I have now removed all the extra keys and tags etc and I recommend you do too if you have similar. Could have been messy.

[LRD414]

Brown underpants moment. So you managed to turn the key to the off position with the knee?

Scott

[sniegy]

A lot more common than you think.
Not just with Land Rover either.:o

Glad to hear you are ok.

[AnD3rew]

Brown underpants moment. So you managed to turn the key to the off position with the knee?

Scott

Yep, or more accurately I think my knee caught the hanging bunch of keys and pulled down on it at just the right angle to turn the key to off position.

And yes underpants were at serious risk for a moment.

Was able to give my 15 year old son with me a good Lesson about staying calm and keeping your wits about you. Gave home the old pilots mantra.

Aviate, navigate, communicate.

In other words in a crisi stay on the controls, figure out where you are and where you need to go and then do your panicking and maydaying after that.

[AnD3rew]

A lot more common than you think.
Not just with Land Rover either.:o

Glad to hear you are ok.

Yes, never happened to me before, but I don't think it was a Land Rover problem specifically I'm sure it could happen in any car given the right circumstances.

[Piddler]

I always only have car key and no more than 1 1house key on a keyring.
Have seen many ignitions flogged out having to be replaced by a bloody great wad of jangling keys.
Expensive exercise for no reason.

Cheers

[barnfindseries3ffr]

There's nothing like a 50 cent, 5 cent moment while in traffic 😂

[theresanothersteve]

...I have my key on a big bunch with a lot other keys and tags and stuff and I bumped my knee against them and all,of a sudden no lights, no engine, no power steering in the dark 110kph surrounded by traffic and trucks...
I believe this is the basis of the strife GM got into in the US.

I had a similar thing happen with a car that had its ignition in the centre console. No names, but think tri-star. My lunch box slipped off the seat as I took off and killed the spark!

I can also remember responding to a MVA. Driver had an old Diahutsu Scat, with a worn ignition switch. The key vibrated out of the switch, but it was worn enough that the ignition remained live. Oh, and the steering lock wasn't as worn, so it did lock.:o

Happened so quick he ended up having a very low speed roll as the Scat mounted the bank on the side of the road and fell on its side.

When we got there he could see the funny side. And, being a Scat, we rolled it back on its wheels and he drove off...

[irondoc]

The Daihatsu Scat - that brings back memories. I had the Toyota version - the Blizzard. Quite unstoppable actually.

Cheers
Lucas

[Tombie]

Bunches of keys also damage the lock barrel...

Best to get a keying that you can separate the them.. Your ignition barrel will last longer..

[Geedublya]

Had it happen a number of times on my D3 before I figured it out. Key ring wasn't that heavy either. The usual cause was a bumpy road with keys inserted so that the weight pulled the key around to off when a bump was encountered.
Fixed by removing some weight and inserting key so weight of ring turned key to on position, fixed completely by D4 with keyless ignition purchase.

[nat_89]

None of my cars have anything on the key rings other than a small RM Williams key ring or a basic one with the key number, as said above can damage the barrel for the lock and so forth. But thankfully keyless go has alleviated this problem somewhat.