breaking into a prius

[starla30]

So I just got back from paddling in the Everglades, during which trip my poor Prius key ended up somewhere in the swampy muck. I thought you guys might find my AAA experience interesting...

My friend called AAA who told her that not only can they get into the car, but they can make us a new key. I found this highly difficult to believe so I called Prius Roadside Assistance to get their opinion and they told me that AAA can indeed provide us with a new key onsite. Weird.

The poor tow truck guy arrives and spends an hour setting off my car alarm. I won't say how since this is a public forum. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work and he comments that he's been doing this for 28 years and has never had such a difficult time breaking into a car. He had this nifty big book that told him exactly how to break into every car made in 2004. So rest assured, your Prius is quite safe! Well, unless they smash a window.

Both he and passers-by (there are quite a few, this tiny island doesn't have much entertainment apparently) comment that the car is too smart for its own good. This is really the most amusing part of the whole situation. At least a half dozen local Florida trailer residents stop by to offer advice and comments while telling eachother exactly how much they know about hybrids (which isn't much). I pretended not to hear a lot of the misconceptions because it was more fun to listen to these guys pretend they knew what they were talking about. The most amusing comment is some guy who says you can use cell phones to push the unlock key on one end and it will unlock the car if you hold the other cell phone against the roof. We didn't try that and it sounds rather sketchy but would be fairly interesting if it works.

At one point he called his headquarters and they suggested treating it like a Lexus which has to be times just right to open before the alarm goes off. Eventually he gets in though, and disconnects the fuse box under the hood so the car will stay unlocked. He speculated that the car is designed to just plain not let you in no matter what until a certain amount of time has passed. A thief wouldn't stick around through 60 minutes of car alarm. Then he towed the car to my mother's house. He was baffled that AAA thought he could make a key for the Prius.

This guy had the most ridiculously amazing souped up tow truck btw. He said it was 7 years old and had won at every single tow truck show he put it in. Today was it's first day actually being used for towage. He decided at 7 it was about time to retire it. We were the very first car he ever towed with it. He towed 2 motor homes earlier in the day. His name is Bud and he works at Bald Eagle on Marco Island. This guy was incredibly nice and patient and friendly and helpful, despite how ridiculously crappy AAA treated him. They had HIM on hold for an hour! And he told us that he was not paid hourly. He was paid a set fee for each job. He ended up giving up on waiting for AAA (who never called him back!) and just took the initiative in deciding to tow us. So if you live anywhere around there, this guy really deserves your business.

Also, my car was sitting in this parking lot for 4 days. When we came back and were waiting around for AAA to arrive, at least 4 people approached me and asked all sorts of questions about the Prius they'd been seeing all week.

I have a few pictures of this guys ridiculous tow truck parked next to my Prius and will post them later today when my friend wakes up and I can get them from him.

[tochatihu]

Hey Starla, now you are down to one key and fob, and you are advised to get replacements made and programmed. If your last one gets lost, the car will need a new body ECU to run again, and this is even more expensive.

Everybody else, find a way to have the spare fob/key with you on those long trips, because there really isn't anything that tow truck drivers can do to help you.

DAS

[Robert Taylor]

Just a few points about the Prius key situation.

I took delivery of mine Tuesday, so I have not had it a week yet. While I am still learning all the details, I can tell you that Toyota sent me a plastic card that the dealer can cut a door key for you from, and the advice was to have that in your wallet so entry into the vehicle is possible.

Also, the new car manuals and paperwork had a tiny metal tag on the master car key loop. The manual instructs that this bit of metal with numbers on it be put into a safe place so that, if all chips are lost, Toyota can make you a new one without replacing any car components.

In addition, a Prius owner can have up to four sets of chips, a Prius owner up to five sets if s/he has Smart Key.

Some preventive steps surely seem to be in order for us all to avoid that fate.

One thing that does NOT work that well in my book is the hide a door key in the magnet tiny box holder bit. People find those things in my experience.

[Brian]

I never got one of those Plastic key card things when I got my Prius.
Do you think if I went to the dealer they would be able to order one for me?
If I do get one of these keys, Im going to have another Smart Key made for me. Then Im going to take the battery out of it, and put the Smart Key and the Battery in the trunk below the spare tire. So, if im ever locked out, I can use the plastic key, get into the car, open the trunk, get down to the spare tire, and put the battery in the Smart Key and it will work.
You wouldn't be able to keep the battery in the Smart Key because the car would see it as "Inside" the car and wouldn't let you lock it.

[ammiels]

If you take your key out of the fob and bring it to any hard ware store they can make a metal replica for under $2. I made a "sawed off" version of this by cutting off most of the tab. I keep this in my wallet along with my 'mad money'. The I wrapped my other fob in thick aluminum foil and hid it *inside* the car. I feel this is the best solution short of paying for another fob for problems like yours. I never got the plastic key maybe I could have saved the $2.

[starla30]

These are the pictures of the souped up tow truck. Notice the Prius alarm is going off in two of these pictures :P

[bookrats]

:clap:
Starla, that was a great story -- highly entertaining!

Thanks for taking the time to post it.

[seeh2o]

Yikes, what a day you had! I'm going to find my little metal tag and keep the number in my wallet (if I get robbed they'll think it's my PIN), not that it would have helped in a situation like that.

That tow truck was amazing. Could it be used as a flatbed? I thought that our cars could only be towed safely on flatbed trucks?

FYI, AAA members can get one of those credit card type keys made for free (or at least it used to be free several years ago).

[starla30]

I don't think the truck could be used as a flatbed. He towed it from the front which is allowed. He actually knew this without having to ask me though he double checked my manual just to be safe.

Also, you can see in the middle picture there, some local gawkers behind my car, on the right side of the picture. The alarm was REALLY REALLY loud and going off randomly for a few hours so we attracted a lot of attention. I felt really bad about this because we were surrounded by trailers and homes but everyone who approached us was amused and curious and wished us luck.

Oh, this truck also had lights on the bottom so it glowed purple on the ground and every cabinet on the side opened up to reveal a different neon lighting scheme. The engine was also ridiculously loud when left on, which it was for most of the time he was there.

[tag]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(starla30\";p=\"63944)</div>

The engine was also ridiculously loud when left on, which it was for most of the time he was there.[/b]

OMG! I'll bet the Marco folks really appreciate that.