Out of Gas

If the "locked" state is considered the final state, then the strings accepted by the automaton show the positions of the ignition switch from when you first insert the key up until you finally remove it. For example, the string IRRRLLLV would correspond to a typical trip. (The letters in this string are the first letters of the state transitions in the diagram, with "V" for the "remove key" transition.)

Clock time is not modeled in this automaton. In a typical trip, the ignition switch stays in the "run" position for most of the time, but automaton says nothing about that.

Other strings are accepted. The string IRRRLRLLLV corresponds to a trip where the engine died once and had to be restarted.