"Doggie in the car Mode"-- READY Mode, AC On & Remotely Lock doors?

[bob749prius]

This Summer when it is HOT out and our pets are in the car, we want to be able to keep the AC on while the car is in READY mode with the doors LOCKED. Will be be able to LOCK the car doors before we walk into McD and able to have the ICE keep the system running if needed without worrying someone might want to steal Fido? I know 1st we would have to disarm the remote entry system and use the key for re-entry but is the above possible?

[mingoglia]

To leave my Prius running I do the following. First off I make sure the keyfob is in my pocket. I then roll down the drivers window. I exit the vehicle and close the drivers door. I reach in and hit the door lock to lock all the doors. I then hit the auto-window up and yank my head out before it get's caught in the window. The vehicle is now running with all the doors locked.

When I get back I use the metal key from the fob to open the door.

Keep in mind if someone broke in to your car they could drive away without the fob. This is unlike my other vehicle where the car will idle (for up to 10 mins) without the keyfob but the moment someone tried to put it in gear and or touched the accelerator the car will shut off.

Mike

[b777]

Just leave the car running, use the lock on the door panel to lock all the doors then unlock the drivers door manually, get out of the car, take the key out of the key fob and lock the drivers door manually using the key. You must also use the key in the key fob to unluck the door. You may want to put a sign in the window if you cannot see the car as someone may call the police. Here in the Fort Worth area the police will break the window if they see a dog in the car with windows rolled up.

We do this all the time, but I always try to be able to see the car. I also make sure the dog has water. I bought a rear seat deluxe car seat cover from Petsmart that covers the entire seat. I sprayed it with scotchgard and my German Shepherd has no problems sleeping in the back. You probably want a good seat cover since the leather is pretty thin.

[mingoglia]

Interesting. I forgot about the car not necessarily running with the A/C on and what people outside the car may think if a dog is in the car. I suppose I no longer have a dog and never used to leave him in the car anyway because I didn't want my interior torn up.

[Prius Prime]

Just make sure your dog doesn't know how to drive!

I've seen news stories where the dog has accidentally moved the car. In the Prius they probably won't be able to figure out how to move the lever to get it in drive, while having their paw on the brake.

Hey, another safety feature! Probably keeps kids from "driving" too.

[Danny Hamilton]

Hmm, you got me wondering now. Can I, or my dog, shift the car from Park to Neutral without putting a foot on the brake? I know I need to press the brake for Drive, but I can't remember if it's necessary for Neutral.

Definitely want to put up some sort of sign. Many people are unfamilliar with the Prius and when they don't hear the engine running, they're likely to assume that the A/C isn't running.

You shouldn't need to disable the SKS. Just use the metal key to lock the doors from the drivers door after you get out of the car. This will lock all the doors in the car and the car will then only unlock with the metal key. I'm pretty sure the SKS won't work to unlock the doors from outside the car, and the button on the fob won't work to unlock them either. I'm less certain what would appen if the dog manages to figure out how to lift up on the lock lever on the armrest.

Speaking of the armrest, keep in mind that if the dog accidentally steps on the window button while watching the world outside, he might open the window. You can reduce the likelihood of this by using the window lock on the drivers door armrest, but that doesn't lock the driver's window. So, if the dog manages to make his way to the drivers seat, he can still accidentally open the window.

If you are not going to be within sight of the vehicle, you may want to include a cell phone number on the sign. This way if something should go wrong (dog opens window, car breaks down, dog appears uncomfortable, etc) anyone who notices will have some way of contacting you.

[aDogsLife]

Those are all great ideas for how to keep my pups safe this summer. I have four dogs, two labs, one yorkie (wife's dog) and another that we have no idea what he is and he isn't telling. . .

All this talk in the last couple of posts about having a dog shift the car to make it move has me thinking about the opposite. What would happen if we are cruising down the road and all of a sudden the little rat dog, uh, I mean yorkie hits either the park button or the power button?

[JimN]

Originally Posted by aDogsLife

What would happen if we are cruising down the road and all of a sudden the little rat dog, uh, I mean yorkie hits either the park button or the power button?

I believe the car shifts into Neutral. You can practice this (and the recovery) at low speed in an empty parking lot.

[PriuStorm]

Hey, I just wanted to mention one time we left our pug in the car (car off on a cool day in February) while we went in to a tile shop to look at tile. Somehow, we had forgotten one of the FOBs in a bag in the car.

Anyway, I happened to look out the window of the store, and lo-and-behold, the windshield wipers were on! Our pug is looking out the front window, and she looks a little distressed, so I go out there. Not only are the wipers on, but the radio is on, and very loud.

Apparently, she had watched us go into the store, then stood up with her front paws on the dash and had been pushing the power button, activating the windshield washer lever, and what not! Probably when things started moving by themselves (the windshield wipers) and making noise (the radio), she got a little surprised and probably scared, too. In retrospect, it was kind of funny. Naturally, I removed the FOB and went back in the store after making sure she was calm and ok.

The moral: Yes, be careful about the dog pressing the buttons and accessing the controls. I think if I had backed into the spot, she would probably have occupied herself looking for me out the back window, and would have left the dash alone, but I don't know that for sure, of course.

[neon tetra]

Do yourself & the planet a favor though & go somewhere other than McDonalds