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Ex Wife Still has FOB!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by ValleyBoy, Jun 1, 2010.

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  1. ValleyBoy

    ValleyBoy Junior Member

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    I have a 2006 prius (#3 I think) that was court ordered for my wife to hand over. Apart from keeping all of the manuals and the wheel lock key and rear trunk cover, coupled with the various petty acts of vandalism, she kept one of the FOBS. My question is simple: If I purchase a replacement FOB can the dealer program the two so that hers is no longer functional? One dealer said that just by programming the new FOB to work along with the old one, her FOB will be automatically "kicked out of service" as only 2 of the possible 5 FOBS allowed can be activated at once. This sounds highly suspicious. What do I need to do to keep her out?
     
    #1 ValleyBoy, Jun 1, 2010
  2. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    I know from personal experience that as far as ex-wives are concerned, you cannot change enough locks! I learnt the hard way by foolishly not changing the house locks after my divorce. Certain mischievous acts occured which despite not being proved, caused a lot of inconvenience and expense!

    A divorce is sad and there are no winners, but it would be prudent to change all relevant locks and if you are able to re-program the car to switch off the missing fob, then I would. You don't want a fob out there that could fall into the wrong hands! I would quickly add that it doesn't have to be your ex-wife that could miss-use the fob, but it could go missing, be lost, be miss-used by anyone.

    The cost is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
     
    #2 GrumpyCabbie, Jun 1, 2010
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Don't waste time arguing with the dealership service writer. He or she should not be expected to understand such details, considering the many models that Toyota sells.

    Yes, it is possible for the dealer tech to remove the old fob from the list of fobs recognized by the immobilizer ECU, and add the new fob to the list.

    It is not true that only two fobs can be activated at a time. If you had five fobs available for activation, they all could be activated if the immobilizer ECU is programmed accordingly.
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Jun 1, 2010
  4. Politburo

    Politburo Active Member

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    deleted.. better info above.
     
    #4 Politburo, Jun 1, 2010
  5. ValleyBoy

    ValleyBoy Junior Member

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    Juat called another dealership who echoed what has been said. Here's the breakdown: New FOB: $182.00 Labor: $225! The FOB price seems competative but the programming fee is outrageous. I think I will look for a locksmith.
     
    #5 ValleyBoy, Jun 1, 2010
  6. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Adding a new fob will not delete the old fob. The dealership will have to explicitly clear the old fob from the list, but they can easily do that if they know what they are doing.

    Tom
     
    #6 qbee42, Jun 1, 2010
  7. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    A locksmith can't help you unless he has the special Toyota equipment. Remember, the car is programmed, not the fob.
     
    #7 firepa63, Jun 1, 2010
  8. ValleyBoy

    ValleyBoy Junior Member

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    Correct. I should haves specified a qualified locksmith.
     
    #8 ValleyBoy, Jun 1, 2010
  9. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    I'll be surprised if you can find one to do it for less.

    Tom
     
    #9 qbee42, Jun 1, 2010
  10. jelloslug

    jelloslug It buffed right out!

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    And don't forget that she will still have the mechanical key that's in the fob.
     
    #10 jelloslug, Jun 1, 2010
  11. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I love the "smart" key....it's so convienent...until it's not.....
     
    #11 The Electric Me, Jun 1, 2010
  12. Eoin

    Eoin Active Member

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    So now we keep our cars longer than our spouses?
     
    #12 Eoin, Jun 1, 2010
  13. Salsawonder

    Salsawonder New Member

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    Be ready for her to do even more damage when you lock her out of the car.....she sounds like a real gem. I cannot understand why someone wants to spend so much energy on negative pursuits...
     
    #13 Salsawonder, Jun 1, 2010
    1 person likes this.
  14. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    I've devoted my entire life to negative pursuits. It's my true medium.

    Tom
     
    #14 qbee42, Jun 1, 2010
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  15. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Prepare for the wisdom of Solomon :p . . . . so ... tell your EX you'll pay her $80 or $100 for your fob she has ... and you'll both feel like it's a bargain.
    btw ... we have 4 fobs for our prius ...
     
    #15 hill, Jun 1, 2010
  16. BAllanJ

    BAllanJ Active Member

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    and how much should he offer for half a fob? :eek:
     
    #16 BAllanJ, Jun 1, 2010
  17. ValleyBoy

    ValleyBoy Junior Member

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    Is it possible for one to programm the fobs themselves or is this only doable with the proper software?
     
    #17 ValleyBoy, Jun 2, 2010
  18. ValleyBoy

    ValleyBoy Junior Member

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    She left and now she regrets it. The judge awarded me the vehicle to "make an example out of you [ex wife] for going to out of your way to just be needlessly cruel". :eek:
     
    #18 ValleyBoy, Jun 2, 2010
  19. Eoin

    Eoin Active Member

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    Don't let her fob off anything on you.
     
    #19 Eoin, Jun 2, 2010
  20. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    It is the car that is programmed, not the fobs. Yes, you need the correct Toyota diagnostic tools to do this work, especially if your car has the Smart system.

    I take it that you didn't like hill's suggestion to buy the fob from your ex-wife? That seems like the most efficient action to take.
     
    #20 Patrick Wong, Jun 2, 2010
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