flashing immobilizer light

[Treetune]

This afternoon my wife let a passenger out of the car. The car was running and in drive and her foot was on the brake (obviously) while her passenger got out. He was using his cellphone while he was getting out. After he closed the door a warning alarm sounded for a few short seconds and the SKS warning light came on. The SKS warning light remained on while my wife drove home (about 6 miles). The SKS light now is not coming on.

I think that his cellphone interfered with the SKS system while he was exiting.

This evening we noticed a red blinking car with a key in it. We thought that the incident earlier in the day had caused the sks system to malfunction and always display the the red 'the key is in the car' symbol. We've noticed this symbol flashing before, of course, while sitting in the car when the car isn't on. But my wife and I were thinking that this symbol (the Hybrid Vehicle Immobilizer symbol) did not continue to blink forever when the car was locked and we walked away.

We haven't had the car for that long. I think I always thought the red 'key in a car' symbol meant that the SKS system sensed a sks fob in the car. Tonight I was freaking and spent 30 minutes doing every little test I could think of to make the symbol stop blinking (everything short of disconnecting the battery. lol ).

So after reading and trying to make sense of the manual, and searching through various posts here...I think I've concluded that...

...I'm not very observant. I'm guessing that this light has always been blinking all the time when the car was off. It's one of those 'you can't steal me blinky lights' that cars have. Right?

Am I right that I have nothing to worry about? This is normal, right?

[priusincc]

It's normal, and has been doing it all along. The short answer: The blinking key comes on 30 seconds after the car is turned off and drivers door is opened, and all of the doors/hood are locked. It indicates the theft deterrent system is set.
Just a guess, the cellphone may have set off the SKS light. There is a warning about pacemakers and radio signals, etc.

[herculesp]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Treetune @ Jun 7 2007, 07:36 PM) [snapback]457814[/snapback]</div>

This afternoon my wife let a passenger out of the car. The car was running and in drive and her foot was on the brake (obviously) while her passenger got out. He was using his cellphone while he was getting out. After he closed the door a warning alarm sounded for a few short seconds and the SKS warning light came on. The SKS warning light remained on while my wife drove home (about 6 miles). The SKS light now is not coming on.

I think that his cellphone interfered with the SKS system while he was exiting.

This evening we noticed a red blinking car with a key in it. We thought that the incident earlier in the day had caused the sks system to malfunction and always display the the red 'the key is in the car' symbol. We've noticed this symbol flashing before, of course, while sitting in the car when the car isn't on. But my wife and I were thinking that this symbol (the Hybrid Vehicle Immobilizer symbol) did not continue to blink forever when the car was locked and we walked away.

We haven't had the car for that long. I think I always thought the red 'key in a car' symbol meant that the SKS system sensed a sks fob in the car. Tonight I was freaking and spent 30 minutes doing every little test I could think of to make the symbol stop blinking (everything short of disconnecting the battery. lol ).

So after reading and trying to make sense of the manual, and searching through various posts here...I think I've concluded that...

...I'm not very observant. I'm guessing that this light has always been blinking all the time when the car was off. It's one of those 'you can't steal me blinky lights' that cars have. Right?

Am I right that I have nothing to worry about? This is normal, right?
[/b]

[helenemann]

I had a very similar thing happen to me and I'm still questioning if something is wrong. After stopping and turning off the car, and unplugging my cell phone charger, the red light with the key in it started blinking. I know it's supposed to blink when the security system is activated, but I don't remember it blinking immediately upon shutting the car off when I'm still in it and the doors are unlocked. After I lock the car, it stays solid a while and then goes back to blinking. When I open the car again, it still blinks. I'm wondering if using my charger shorted something out.

[Canuck]

Wingman,
Missing your reply.