SKS

heliotropehead · 11-08-2004, 09:57 PM

Recently I'll walk up to the car, press the button & wait for the unlock click. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. My boyfriend has my spare fob on his key ring. Do you think that both fobs together cancel each other out?

It's really frustrating having to continually press the black button until it decides to let me in the car. Am I doing something wrong?

ops:

Thanks!

betshsu · 11-08-2004, 10:00 PM

Press which black button? The one on your fob or the one on the door handle? 'Cause if it's the one on your door handle, that's your problem. The one on the door handle only locks the door. To unlock it (if you have SKS), you just put your hand in the handle, wait a sec, and pull (sometimes if you don't wait that split second, it won't detect the fob and unlock, but then it just takes an extra pull). Your fobs won't cancel each other out. Though if one person is in the car with the fob, and the second person tries to use SKS to unlock the other door, it won't work.

**efusco** · 11-08-2004, 10:02 PM

The sensor is on the inside part of the handle. The black button, as stated, is for locking. You're making it harder than it is!

bruceha_2000 · 11-08-2004, 10:05 PM

Heliotropehead: Yes, I am afraid you are doing something wrong! Several people have tried to open my car the same way so you are not alone. It does seem, from older model cars, that you would put your hand inside the handle, then push the button as a mechanical release. In fact the black button on the door handles and the rear hatch are for LOCKING the car! To unlock it, just touch inside the door handle. If you touch the inside of the handle, then press the black button with your thumb, you relock the car. I think there is a several second delay before you can unlock it again.

The rear hatch handle seems to to be a different material, requires an actual press and seems to delay about a second.

heliotropehead · 11-08-2004, 10:06 PM

Oh crap! I didn't know that. So I was actually locking myself out by trying to get in the car.

betshsu · 11-08-2004, 10:11 PM

Don't worry, it's not an uncommon mistake. I remember when I first got my car, we were showing my boyfriend's mom the car how it "recognized" us when we got close. I noticed the little black square and said "I wonder what that does" and pressed it and voila--it locked the car! So I discovered it quite by accident.

heliotropehead · 11-08-2004, 10:11 PM

Well, anyway... Thank you for the speedy replies!

losaltosprius · 11-09-2004, 05:46 PM

As noted: the black buttons LOCK the car.

An additional note: you don't actually have to touch the interior of the handle to unlock the doors. Just the presence of your hand inside the space will unlock the doors.

I often do this to unlock the car and then open the rear door to put my dog in the back seat.

The hatch lock, however, requires actually squeezing the rubber handle.

This was explained on pages 28 and 29 of the 2004 Owner's Manual.

You may also be interested in reprogramming the behavior of the unlocking function. For example, I prefer to have all the doors unlock. Other options include having only the driver's door unlock when you activate the sensor there; all doors unlock if you activate the sensor on the passenger side or the rear hatch. Finally, you can have only the door whose sensor is activated unlock.

The instructions for programming one of these modes may be found on pages 30 and 31 of the owner's manual.

Finally, please read the note about Battery Power Saving (on page 32 of the 2004 manual.) If you are leaving your car undriven for several weeks, you should deactivate the "smart function".

Page 31 explains that it will be automatically deactivated if the key has not been detected by the car within 14 days or if the key is left within range of the car for more than 10 minues. In these cases you need to follow the instrucitons for reactivating the smart function.

I'm guessing the page numbers may be different in the 2005 manual. Unfortunately, at least in 2004, you will look in the index in vain for pointers to this subject.

Rather, go to the chapter on "Keys and Doors" referred to by the Table of Contents and browse through it.

**Tideland Prius** · 11-09-2004, 06:59 PM

If I am approaching the car from the rear and wish to open the rear doors, I usually just press the hatch release once to unlock all the doors.

11-08-2004, 09:57 PM	#1
heliotropehead Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Posts: 701 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	SKS Recently I'll walk up to the car, press the button & wait for the unlock click. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. My boyfriend has my spare fob on his key ring. Do you think that both fobs together cancel each other out? It's really frustrating having to continually press the black button until it decides to let me in the car. Am I doing something wrong? ops: Thanks!

11-08-2004, 10:00 PM	#2
betshsu Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 299 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Press which black button? The one on your fob or the one on the door handle? 'Cause if it's the one on your door handle, that's your problem. The one on the door handle only locks the door. To unlock it (if you have SKS), you just put your hand in the handle, wait a sec, and pull (sometimes if you don't wait that split second, it won't detect the fob and unlock, but then it just takes an extra pull). Your fobs won't cancel each other out. Though if one person is in the car with the fob, and the second person tries to use SKS to unlock the other door, it won't work. __________________ Tideland 2005 BC/#6 as of 15 Oct 2004; Costal Tech EV CC switch and Nav override (given up for adoption to the in-laws on 25 Sept 2005) Silver Pine Mica 2006 NL/#7 as of 13 August 2006; this one was unplanned! Buying a Prius is like having a baby... you wait and wait and never know exactly when it is going to arrive or what it will look like.

11-08-2004, 10:05 PM	#4
bruceha_2000 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: South Burlington, VT Posts: 2,549 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #8 Thanks: 6 Thanked 17 Times in 16 Posts Friends: 1	Heliotropehead: Yes, I am afraid you are doing something wrong! Several people have tried to open my car the same way so you are not alone. It does seem, from older model cars, that you would put your hand inside the handle, then push the button as a mechanical release. In fact the black button on the door handles and the rear hatch are for LOCKING the car! To unlock it, just touch inside the door handle. If you touch the inside of the handle, then press the black button with your thumb, you relock the car. I think there is a several second delay before you can unlock it again. The rear hatch handle seems to to be a different material, requires an actual press and seems to delay about a second. __________________ Bruce Mine: Driftwood '04 BC 24 Sept 2004 - added: mudflaps, door edge guards, side panel moldings, Coastal Tech EV switch, OEM Integrity tires, WeatherTech window deflectors. Last tank - 14 Jul '09: 728.9 miles - MFD MPG: 56.0 Actuals Lifetime: 93,087.3 miles, 48.90 MPG. Wife's: Barcelona '06 #7 May 2006 - added: front mudflaps, Coastal Tech EV switch. OEM Integrity tires. Last tank - 21 May '09: 419.4 miles - MFD MPG: 46.7 Actuals Lifetime: 31571.4 miles, 44.82 MPG.

11-08-2004, 10:06 PM	#5
heliotropehead Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Posts: 701 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Re: SKS Oh crap! I didn't know that. So I was actually locking myself out by trying to get in the car.

11-08-2004, 10:11 PM	#7
heliotropehead Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Posts: 701 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Re: SKS Well, anyway... Thank you for the speedy replies!

11-08-2004, 10:02 PM	#3
efusco Troll Slayer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nixa, MO Posts: 17,240 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #9 Thanks: 49 Thanked 249 Times in 148 Posts Friends: 37	The sensor is on the inside part of the handle. The black button, as stated, is for locking. You're making it harder than it is!

11-09-2004, 05:46 PM	#8
losaltosprius Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 19 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Re: SKS As noted: the black buttons LOCK the car. An additional note: you don't actually have to touch the interior of the handle to unlock the doors. Just the presence of your hand inside the space will unlock the doors. I often do this to unlock the car and then open the rear door to put my dog in the back seat. The hatch lock, however, requires actually squeezing the rubber handle. This was explained on pages 28 and 29 of the 2004 Owner's Manual. You may also be interested in reprogramming the behavior of the unlocking function. For example, I prefer to have all the doors unlock. Other options include having only the driver's door unlock when you activate the sensor there; all doors unlock if you activate the sensor on the passenger side or the rear hatch. Finally, you can have only the door whose sensor is activated unlock. The instructions for programming one of these modes may be found on pages 30 and 31 of the owner's manual. Finally, please read the note about Battery Power Saving (on page 32 of the 2004 manual.) If you are leaving your car undriven for several weeks, you should deactivate the "smart function". Page 31 explains that it will be automatically deactivated if the key has not been detected by the car within 14 days or if the key is left within range of the car for more than 10 minues. In these cases you need to follow the instrucitons for reactivating the smart function. I'm guessing the page numbers may be different in the 2005 manual. Unfortunately, at least in 2004, you will look in the index in vain for pointers to this subject. Rather, go to the chapter on "Keys and Doors" referred to by the Table of Contents and browse through it.

11-09-2004, 06:59 PM	#9
Tideland Prius Moderator of the North Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 19,633 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: N/A Package: Technology Package (Canada) Thanks: 229 Thanked 345 Times in 244 Posts Friends: 23	Re: SKS If I am approaching the car from the rear and wish to open the rear doors, I usually just press the hatch release once to unlock all the doors.