Hot car keys are common in Colorado in the summertime. If the car has been in the sun for long, whether running or not, it’s been accumulating heat. If you insert the key, and leave it in for even a short while, that accumulated heat will transfer to the key, making it hot as well. This is a simple heat transfer problem, guys. Have you been in the auto shop so long that you’ve lost your memories of those golden years at MIT? Keep up the good work, but you got this one wrong. P.S: Being a former student of MIT myself, I am shocked SHOCKED that this solution did not leap to mind immediately, along with at least several possible equations to figure out how long the key might need to be in the ignition before becoming noticeably hot on one’s cheek!
And then the question becomes is the key made of a material that will transfer heat readily. Plastic ends feel a lot cooler than brass or aluminum. They all stabilize at the same temperature, but the plastic doesn’t transfer it as readily.
By the way, I have no idea what the original question was. I just like the subject. So I followed up on Zeozod’s post.
I have a hot key too. They ignition key in my 2011 Honda Accord seems to be hot when I pull it out of the ignition switch, even in the dark or night. I wonder if it has anything to do with the computer chip (anti theft) in the key?
Not likely. The key only rotates the lock cylinder. The contacts enabled by the lock cylinder are the ones passing the current. Although the current IS passed through the “clockspring mechanism”, which is there to allow the steering wheel to be turn without disabling the circuits. It is possible that a resistnace on this mechanism could create heat that could warm the key up.
But I’m stretching things. The amount of heat you feel in the key would toat your fingers if there were a real problem. A bit of warmth is nothing to be concerned about.
The computer chips passes such a tiny amount of current that it’s not a factor.