I agree. Autos with keyless start and run systems should have a kill switch in a standardized location. To do otherwise is dangerous. And that kill switch should duplicate the mechanical key-switch by having a direct mechanical link that cuts off power to the ignition. Interrupting the coil circuit of a relay (that might be stuck) is not positive enough. Pressing and holding the start buttom for a few seconds just won't do either. Hang onto your hats and crash helments; There's more in the pipeline. A few well known auto companies are developing steer by wire- that's right - No mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering linkage. Steering is accomplished by all electric drives or an electric-hydrulic arrangement. Does this mean you loose steering if you loose electrical power? I don't know, but I'd have to know a lot about any such systems before I drove it, and then I'd like to restrict it to a track, not a public road. Right now, it seems like a disaster waiting in the wings.

Here's an update: After going from one mechanic to another, or being referred to this guy or the other, we finally found one who said the tumbler was worn out. My husband got a new ignition/kit/whatever from Autozone for about $70. He installed it for me but then we found out we needed some kind of certified mechanic because of the anti-theft device. We don't have a Ford dealership here & was worried we'd have to go to the nearest one, about an hour away. We lucked up & the guy who told us it was a worn tumbler (he didn't have time to fix it, that's why my husband did it) also told us the name of a man who once worked as a Ford technician. He still had the little machine but couldn't do it for about a week. He was finally able to do it, during the afternoon in about 95 degree weather, & didn't charge me anything! Just said to return the favor to whomever I could whenever I could. No problem for me since we live by that code anyway. I do have another question though....When my daughter's friend tried to help (by hotwiring the truck turns out) he pulled out an orange wire. That night I was pretty desperate & wasn't paying close enough attention because I thought he knew what he was doing. When he pulled (or cut) the wire, he said he didn't know what that wire went to. I've been driving the truck for several days now & haven't had any problems except it seems to run alittle hot. My husband says maybe it had something to do with the thermostat or could be something else entirely. No idea where the wire went other than underneath the steering column over to the left side. We can't find any information in the owner's manual but wondered if it would be in one of those books you can get at places like Autozone that are for specific makes? Anyone have ideas on where to start?

I have the Weber Performer. It's an awesome grill. I used a Weber kettle for years with great success, but in a moment of weakness I retired it for a Weber Genesis gas grill. Gas grilling is convenient, but it's not the same. Last year I purchased the Weber Performer to get the convenience of gas starting, but the cooking flavor/performance of charcoal. First, the propane assist is just a charcoal starter. I stack the charcoal in a compact pile over the starter and ignite it. Of course the bottom vents are wide open and the lid is off at this point. After about 3 or 4 minutes, I can hear the charcoal snapping, popping, and smoking to indicate it's "lit." I turn off the propane and let the charcoal burn down until nearly all sides are covered with fine layer of ash. Then, I knock the pile down and spread it evenly across the bottom grate for cooking. Now, I put the top grate and the lid on and open the top vent wide open. I watch the temperature climb to >400 degrees, then open the lid and brush the top grate to clean it. Close the lid and use the upper and lower vents to control the airflow and thus the temperature. After some experience, I know just about how much to close them down to hit a temperature range I'm after. This assumes you're using good quality charcoal and not using too much of it. I prefer the hardwood "lump" charcoal. The old standard Kingston briquets don't seem as high quality as they once were. If, for instance, I'm cooking hamburgers, I'll have just enough charcoal to cover the bottom grate with the chunks spaced 1/2" to 1" apart. Hamburgers cook pretty quickly. Don't use the little half-round trays Weber includes to hold the charcoal for normal grilling. Those are for special circumstances when you want indirect heat. When I'm done cooking, I close all the upper and lower vent to extinguish the charcoal. I use the leftover charcoal from the previous grilling as the base of for the next cooking and add a little more from the bag to make the pile I want. If you aren't getting to the temperature you want, you may have crappy charcoal, inadequate airflow, or impatience.

It ended up being the igniter. But the way the stove went out didn't lead me to believe it was the igniter. I went to the Mom and Pop home center where I bout my stove and the manager knew EVERYTHING about my stove. I purchased a snap disc, of which they had them all in stock, and replaced it with the extra igniter that came with my stove. Such an easy fix, and I have to give my friendly home center much praise because of their knowledge and want to help me solve my problem. (unlike most big box stores) Thanks rjoh, looks like you were right on the money. Cheers