I'm hoping some of you techies can explain what happened. Last week I was cruising back up I5 from LA to SF, going about 85mph with the cruise control on, 6th gear.

I was feeling a little cramped so I stretched by legs and accidently hit the key with my knee, turning it from the last position.

All the interior lights and radio went out and I freaked out for a second. I turned the key back to the last ("on") position and everything turned back on normally. I believe the engine stayed running since I didn't need to hit the starter button and the car went on without any discernable change.

So am I right in thinking that since the key probably only moved 1 slot and not all the way to the "off" slot, that the engine remained running?

 

If it happened quick enough the engine doesnt turn off but if it when back one slot long enought it would have turned off

 

I have done that as well.

 

the engine probably started to die, but the fact that you were in gear cruising down the road just compression re-started the car when you put the key back in the run position.

 

ive tried that before. I turned it all the way off and my steering wheel locked. was kinda scary.

 

Yeah, the problem is the locked steering wheel. Some peed-off girlfriends have snatched the keys out of the ignition and thrown them out the window, then regretted the results (not an S2000 story).

 

been there, done that. scared the crap outta me too. had to reduce the size of my key-ring to give a little more clearance from my knees.

 

what happens if your doing 85, cruising in 6st, car running, turn car off, still in 6st gear, leaving the car off...... . thoughts?

 

why would you do that

 

Car comes to one heck of a jerky stop and ticks off whoever's behind you!

If your lights and radio went off, you got lucky, man. You would have had to have knocked the key back to the 1st position meaning you locked the wheel. Good thing you didn't panic and hit the brakes. Coulda been ugly.