Locking car from the outside while engine is running

I stand corrected, and agree.

 

You know the old adage... Make something idiot proof and the world will create a better idiot.

 

In any case, I already addressed the OP's requirements and a method to do what they originally wanted. The fact that it does have some limitations (having to use a physical key to get back into the running car) is not that big a deal. Using keys on car door locks has been done for decades. If anything, exercising the lock every so often is a good thing in case the battery dies and you need to get into the car with the key. You don't want to find out that the unused lock has corroded stuck solid and you can't get into the car anymore.

SCH-I535 ?

 

Researched this because I would love to keep my car cool in the summer here in Texas while doing deliveries and such at work. In many states it is illegal to leave a vehicle running and unattended in public, locked or not. I can't seem to find a legal position on using a remote start but my gut tells me they are illegal too (in public).
It would be way cool to have a feature available in a Hybrid vehicle allowing only the AC to continue operating after a shutdown for a period of time until the batteries reached some low threshold. Even if the feature allowed for only a very few minutes of AC after shutdown, it would be a real saver here in the Texas summers.
**** I'm new, so I don't even know which battery the AC is drawn from. ******

 

Wow. My C3 just disappointed me. I was leaving my car in the Ready position while I went inside to let it warm up during our cold spells or while doing deliveries where I would be gone just a minute or so. I had nice personumed that someone couldn't drive away because I saw the car would complain "Key not Detected" when I didn't have the key. But after reading the forum, I did a test by putting the car in Ready mode. Then I went back inside my house and put the key down. I jumped in my car without the key and drove around the block. I wondered if it would die later, so I came back and grabbed the key and turned off the smart remote feature by pressing both the lock and unlock buttons and went on an errand. Other than the complaint on the screen "Key not Detected" the car operated fine. I turned off my car and went inside a store. When I returned, I started my car by holding the fob to the power button. Later I took the battery completely out of my key fob and started the car in the same way. I am glad no one stole my car previously when I was leaving it running and open.

My previous car was a Toyota Matrix and the factory alarm system would also not lock and unlock the doors if the car was running. I had to lock this car manually with the key if I wanted to leave it running and lock the doors. So this is not much of a change. Though with the Prius, they would not be able to restart the vehicle if they turned it off.

So Yes, I will be looking for a mechanical only backup key to unlock my doors. I had previously checked and the only one the place had still had a smart chip in it and it was going to cost me $90 and the Smart Chip would not work for my car. So I will wait till I find one without the chip for around $20 - It won't start the car, but will unlock the doors manually.

 

My car comes with the remote A/C feature. I never use it. Turns on A/C to cool the car before you get in. 15 minutes timer? Something like that. It's probably more efficient to cool the interior before you get in than to continuously cool it after you leave if you may be gone a long time.


iPhone ?

 

Why not just use the mechanical key that's stored inside your fob? You can leave the car in Ready and lock the doors with this, and it's secure. Someone would then have to physically break into the car to drive it away.

During Hurricane Sandy I had my C in Ready for 54 hours outside my kitchen door, powering house essentials through an inverter. I locked it with the mechanical key then left it alone.

 

Yes that is what I will do until I get a mechanical only key. But I have found with previous vehicles having a key without the computer chip can be quite handy for the overall cost. My Matrix mechanical only key would unlock the glove box, both front doors, hatch and hatch glass and turn the ignition to disengage the steering wheel and parking lever lock, but would not start the car. It only cost me two dollars to obtain. This could be very handy to have should you lose the computerized key and need to get in the vehicle or have it towed.

Granted the only thing a mechanical key would do on my Prius is open the drivers door, but little flimsy key built into the fob and the fact that I would have it with the fob in case it was lost makes me want to have a mechanical only key just in case. Since it is a side cut key, I am sure it will cost me more than $2 but it still might be good insurance just in case.

 

That is a nice feature in the warmer climates. Sometimes our cars will be 120+ degrees inside during the summer. I wish we had that on the "C" models.

 

One of the reasons for this is probably so that you can still drive your car even if the battery in your fob dies. Otherwise, you could be stranded...

 

It would be even worse if the fob battery died while you were on the road and the car shut down.

 

Why would it be worse?

The reason for the mechanical key to be integrated is that you could use it to unlock the door even if the fob battery is depleted. The hybrid system can be started by touching the fob to the Power switch. You could still drive the car and replace the fob battery later.

Vincent

 

Yes, no problem with that scenario, but I was responding to Runswithdog's comment that he could still drive the car if he left it in Ready and took the fob away from the car. The car knows the fob is missing, but lets him (or anyone else) drive it anyway.

The simple solution to his complaint would be for the car to detect while in Ready mode that the fob was out of range, and shut down so it couldn't be driven.

But when you're driving normally, with the fob in your pocket, the battery running down would look to the car just like the fob had disappeared. So the simple solution would cause the car to shut down while you were driving it - not good.

Of course more logic could be added - the car could also check whether it was in Park or Drive, and shut down only if in Park when the fob battery died. But what if the battery died, and you then stopped at a light and put the car in Park? Obviously, it would now shut down and you'd be stuck in the middle of the street.

No easy (and foolproof safe) solution to this, beyond the warnings that the fob has been taken out of the car while in Ready.

 

Until recently, when leaving my 2007 running, my mechanical key would lock all doors with 2 turns to the left and unlock all doors with 2 turns to the right. No for some unknown reason this function has stopped working. The only door that will lock is the drivers door.
When the engine is running I now have to make sure all doors are closed and locked then exit the car and lock the drivers door.
Any idea why it quit working or how to reprogram it to start working again.

 

i have never heard of this, i thought the key only did the one door? never tried it myself though.

 

You can buy an additional/replacement mechanical key on ebay for about $3.00 with free shipping. A locksmith can then cut it from your original key. I have 2 07 Prius and have done this for both.

 

It took me five years of worrying about my dogs in an unlocked Prius before it finally hit me. On days that need it... We now roll up the windows, make sure the car is in PARK, set the parking brake, leave the AC on, the key FOB inside the car, and lock the dogs in with the Valet key.

You might even be able to have someone make you a copy of the Valet key, perhaps in a larger, more robust form, and keep it on your key ring like your old car keys. Don't need remote start or anything else.

I am wondering if the day will come that I return to my C to find the fire dept. standing there with my windows busted out and my dogs rescued because someone could not hear the ICE while the AC was running and called the authorities. They might even call the cops or I might get stoned to death by overzealous animal lovers!!

 

Make a sign for your Windows that say "ac is on, don't break my Window"

SM-N900P ?

 

Great idea!!

Great Idea!

 

I finally have gotten this figured out (At least for a 07 Pruis)
1-You can buy a spare blank Valet Key on Ebay for $3-$5 and have a local locksmith or dealer cut it.
2-Leave engine running
3-Close All Doors and Windows
4-From Drivers door - Turn Valet Key LEFT to LOCK ALL DOORS
(you do not have to leave the FOB in the car for this to work)
5-To unlock - Turn Valet Key RIGHT ONCE to unlock the drivers door or TWICE to unlock ALL doors.
Note: I buckle the passenger seat belt because the alarm sounds if my dog is sitting on the seat.
The Lock/Unlock function will not work if the seat belt is buckled. (this took me 2 months to figure out)

I also have always worried about an over zealous animal lover calling the authorities because they see my dog in the car.
Now I put up a sunshade on the windshield to partially avoid this situation. I have had notes left on my car by nasties.