how can I eliminate key fob

It might pay to look into why that is and fix it.

Is the dash failing to light up, even if only intermittently?

I don't understand this bit, what exactly is the issue? I have my fob on a keyring and have no problems.

 

Up in Rhode Island I wouldn't think they'd touch this car in the first place well they might sleep in it. I don't know what you mean by a switch just to be done with it if you leave the car unlocked it just stays unlocked I'm not really understanding what you want to switch for You put your remote or fob on your key ring your choice so I'm assuming you always have your key ring with you so the problem is you're getting out of the car and forgetting to push the button to turn the car off well I don't know I yeah interesting for sure.

 

I guess you could talk to an alarm guy and have something fabbed up seems to me you're in search of a fix for a problem that's well I don't know man. Where I live I pretty much never take the fob out of the car because I don't have to lock the car I'm near the same age as you living in North Carolina USA in Orange county and I haven't locked this car except when I go out of town like to the big city Raleigh Greensboro Charlotte Pennsylvania etc then the fob is in the car. In the same place it's always stored SKS button is usually turned off under the steering wheel so when I get in the car if I push the electric start button nothing will happen the red key flashes are the orange key flashes and I have to reach down under my legs and push the SKS button because the fob is not in the slot it's hidden in the car now the car will start because the fob is within range of the car in the car but doesn't have to be slotted. And off we go so it's kind of a theft to turn I can leave the fob in the car push the SKS button to off turn off the car get out even a step further I could take the key the physical key out of the fob mounted on my keyring with the keys that I keep with me so I can lock the car with the SKS off with the fob hidden in the car in markets that need that.

 

Didn't the 2nd generation models have a switch under the dash to disable the smart key system?

I could be wrong about which years had that feature. (our c model uses a plain steel twist key that makes me feel like we dodged a bullet)

If that's your car, then you'd just leave the smart key system switched off, store the fob in a cupholder or something until you pop it into the slot for driving.

 

Do you wear jeans ?
I keep the FOB in the watch pocket by itself.
It ALWAYS leaves the car when I do and NEVER falls out by itself.

It has been through the wash a couple of times though........and survived the "swim".

This is NOT a car design problem.
It is a YOU problem.
YOU will have the same problem in the next car you own too.

 

Or unpush the SKS button and the remote can be hidden in the car and now you push the button it'll start right up when you get out and turn it off and you're going to leave it push the SKS button in and now the car won't start for any regular idiot because he doesn't know to push the SKS button in He also doesn't know the fob is hidden in the car.

 

Near enough to the car would be 2 to 3 feet, and the car is smart enough to know whether the key is in the car or not. So, if you dropped the fob outside the car, it shouldn't start. The fact you say it does start, would suggest there is a key inside the car somewhere. Are you able to locate both of your fobs?

Funnily enough, Toyota installed an SKS disable switch under the steering wheel. Just press it in and the SKS will be disabled. You will then need to insert the fob into the key slot in order to start the car. You will need to use the buttons on the fob to lock and unlock the car.

I think that could work for your situation.

 

Yes think of it as a thick key You don't turn You just insert.

 

If you walk off with the car in Ready having a key instead of a fob won't help. Think about what could happen if a kid or teenager gets in your car when you left it in Ready.

Put the fob on your keyring!

You can disable the fob by removing the coin battery or flipping the sks switch which forces you to insert the fob to get a Ready. But you can still leave it running.

 

You can't really unless you're leaving the fob in the slot. You need to turn the car off in order to release the fob.

 

It's real easy to make the pins stop working in that slot amplifier assembly I've done it on mine so that the slot doesn't lock the remote into place I can pull it out while I'm driving the car or anytime actually those little plastic things they don't work anymore I squash them in to the frame and bent them down I could have taken it apart and done it cleaner but no need.

 

Anybody that would leave the car running by mistake, apparently several times, could leave a fob in the slot.

 

Mite be ole timers disease

 

trying to convert to a switch will take a lot of modifying, if it's even possible. the for runs through a sensor system to an ecu and car immobilizer. getting around all that will take serious study of the wiring schematics and possibly electronic and software expertise

 

the sks switch is just below and under the steering wheel on the plastic panel. It is a black push button labeled SKS this picture shows a car without SKS. The far right is the TMPS reset button SKS would be far left with nothing in the middle.


like this is in the owners manual.Push it so the button stays IN