Imobilizer icon blinking after 5k service

GoodferYuuu! · 10-20-2006, 10:26 AM

Hi Prius Chatters,

First or second post here. Mostly I've been lurking and learning, but now I have a question that I don't see a good answer to in my searches:

We recently noticed the blinking red "key" icon when we turn the car off. I swear to god it wasn't there before we brought it in for the 5K service. Has anybody else had any experience with this thing? How is it supposed to act?

How ours acts:
FYI - we have smart key system.
Upon turning off the power, the red "key" icon comes on solid. After ~30 seconds to a minute, it begins to blink, and stays that way until the car is turned on. Not when it detects a fob nearby, but Power On.

Neither I nor my wife ever saw the icon before and it certainly wasn't solid upon Power Off, and constantly blinking all night until the car was turned on. WTF?

Anybody?

jdenenberg · 10-20-2006, 11:00 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Gadgety Bourgeois Type @ Oct 20 2006, 10:26 AM) [snapback]335525[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Hi Prius Chatters,

First or second post here. Mostly I've been lurking and learning, but now I have a question that I don't see a good answer to in my searches:

We recently noticed the blinking red "key" icon when we turn the car off. I swear to god it wasn't there before we brought it in for the 5K service. Has anybody else had any experience with this thing? How is it supposed to act?

How ours acts:
FYI - we have smart key system.
Upon turning off the power, the red "key" icon comes on solid. After ~30 seconds to a minute, it begins to blink, and stays that way until the car is turned on. Not when it detects a fob nearby, but Power On.

Neither I nor my wife ever saw the icon before and it certainly wasn't solid upon Power Off, and constantly blinking all night until the car was turned on. WTF?

Anybody?
[/b]

It has been blinking when my 2004 is off for the last 2.5 years. Don't worry, its normal.

JeffD

tumbleweed · 10-20-2006, 11:39 AM

Mine has always behaved exactly as you describe with the exception of coming on solid when I turn the car off. Mine just starts blinking as soon as I power down and keeps blinking until I power up again. Both of our cars have SKS but you must have the theft deterrent system activated and I do not, thus the 30 second wait for the blinking to start when you power down. That is the time the theft deterrent system is activating. I think everything is working exactly as it should be.

Charles Suitt · 10-20-2006, 02:05 PM

<_< 2004 Owner's Manual, pages 6 and 20. This is the "immobilizer/Theft Deterrent" system indicator light. It lights when the key is removed, or with SE/SS when you turn the car off.

May be different page numbers in the '05 '06 Manuals, but the information is found in your Owner's Manual. Although the Owner's Manual is not well indexed, there is a wealth of useful information therein.

GoodferYuuu! · 10-20-2006, 02:18 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Charles Suitt @ Oct 20 2006, 02:05 PM) [snapback]335657[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

<_< 2004 Owner's Manual, pages 6 and 20. This is the "immobilizer/Theft Deterrent" system indicator light. It lights when the key is removed, or with SE/SS when you turn the car off.

May be different page numbers in the '05 '06 Manuals, but the information is found in your Owner's Manual. Although the Owner's Manual is not well indexed, there is a wealth of useful information therein.
[/b]

Yeah yeah yeah, I RTFM

That's the first thing I did.
There's a LOT more than just pages 6 and 20 that refer to this thing in mine, but it still doesn't explain why it wasn't doing this when we bought it and it is now. Maybe I'll have to go back to it to see if there's a way to disable it besides disconnecting the battery. I guess a call to the service dept. and a lot of detective work to find the right mechanic and talk to him/her is in my future. I get the feeling it was something they missed when preparing the car for pickup or something.

Charles Suitt · 10-20-2006, 02:25 PM

<_< My best guess.. You just didn't notice it prior to the 5K service. In any event... it is normal.

tumbleweed · 10-20-2006, 02:27 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Gadgety Bourgeois Type @ Oct 20 2006, 11:18 AM) [snapback]335664[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Yeah yeah yeah, I RTFM

That's the first thing I did.
[/b]

I might suggest reading it again because you have obviously missed a few things. I suspect you missed the light flashing also because it almost certainly was doing it all along, just as it should.

GoodferYuuu! · 10-20-2006, 02:43 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumbleweed @ Oct 20 2006, 02:27 PM) [snapback]335673[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I might suggest reading it again because you have obviously missed a few things. I suspect you missed the light flashing also because it almost certainly was doing it all along, just as it should.
[/b]

Listen guys, just because I haven't had a Prius since '04 doesn't make me a fool. I might have missed something in the manual since it's written a bit awkward, and it is remotely possible that two different people missed a bright red blinking light on the dashboard for two months and then suddenly noticed it, but just asking the question "almost certainly" doesn't deserve the snotty attitude <_< . I searched the forum and read everything I could find on the subject before I asked.

Maybe if I used a picture of my pet as an avatar?...

galaxee · 10-20-2006, 02:48 PM

i don't know of anything a tech could do to make that light start or stop flashing, honestly.

GoodferYuuu! · 10-20-2006, 02:56 PM

No? It just works from the get go? That's certainly how Toyota talks about it in the manual. I dunno. I have been pretty thoroughly observing this car's behavior. Well, the important thing is that everybody says it's acting normal now. Thanks.

10-20-2006, 10:26 AM	#1
GoodferYuuu! Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 14 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Hi Prius Chatters, First or second post here. Mostly I've been lurking and learning, but now I have a question that I don't see a good answer to in my searches: We recently noticed the blinking red "key" icon when we turn the car off. I swear to god it wasn't there before we brought it in for the 5K service. Has anybody else had any experience with this thing? How is it supposed to act? How ours acts: FYI - we have smart key system. Upon turning off the power, the red "key" icon comes on solid. After ~30 seconds to a minute, it begins to blink, and stays that way until the car is turned on. Not when it detects a fob nearby, but Power On. Neither I nor my wife ever saw the icon before and it certainly wasn't solid upon Power Off, and constantly blinking all night until the car was turned on. WTF? Anybody? __________________ Good fer Yuuu!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
How far from single bar to blinking bar?	splashback	Gen II Prius Main Forum	7	05-09-2007 08:17 PM
Blinking MFD when lights are on	wiluspyder	Gen II Prius Technical Discussion	4	08-26-2006 10:29 PM
One Bar Blinking	bshef	Gen II Prius Fuel Economy	7	05-25-2006 05:10 PM
Blinking headlight	coco	Gen II Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting	1	03-19-2005 12:03 AM
Blinking RED KEY LIGHT	slumbum	Gen II Prius Main Forum	24	09-30-2004 11:44 PM

10-20-2006, 11:39 AM	#3
tumbleweed Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Eastern Oregon Posts: 1,692 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: V Package: Adv. Technology Thanks: 33 Thanked 104 Times in 84 Posts Friends: 0	Mine has always behaved exactly as you describe with the exception of coming on solid when I turn the car off. Mine just starts blinking as soon as I power down and keeps blinking until I power up again. Both of our cars have SKS but you must have the theft deterrent system activated and I do not, thus the 30 second wait for the blinking to start when you power down. That is the time the theft deterrent system is activating. I think everything is working exactly as it should be.

10-20-2006, 02:05 PM	#4
Charles Suitt Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 1,624 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #6 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Friends: 0	<_< 2004 Owner's Manual, pages 6 and 20. This is the "immobilizer/Theft Deterrent" system indicator light. It lights when the key is removed, or with SE/SS when you turn the car off. May be different page numbers in the '05 '06 Manuals, but the information is found in your Owner's Manual. Although the Owner's Manual is not well indexed, there is a wealth of useful information therein.

10-20-2006, 02:25 PM	#6
Charles Suitt Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 1,624 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #6 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Friends: 0	<_< My best guess.. You just didn't notice it prior to the 5K service. In any event... it is normal.

10-20-2006, 02:48 PM	#9
galaxee resident lab rat Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: boilermaker territory Posts: 9,675 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: N/A Package: #5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 94 Times in 37 Posts Friends: 26	i don't know of anything a tech could do to make that light start or stop flashing, honestly.

10-20-2006, 02:56 PM	#10
GoodferYuuu! Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 14 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	No? It just works from the get go? That's certainly how Toyota talks about it in the manual. I dunno. I have been pretty thoroughly observing this car's behavior. Well, the important thing is that everybody says it's acting normal now. Thanks.