Is there a fob code to put the car into a battery saver mode ?

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Main Forum' started by Graham PR, Jun 10, 2026 at 5:22 PM.

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  1. Graham PR

    Graham PR New Member

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    Hi everyone. I'm about to take ownership of my first Prius next week (hopefully) and have been reading up on everything I can get my hands on.

    Somewhere along the line, I thought I saw that you can put the car (not the fob) into a power-saving mode by pressing Lock, Unlock, Lock on the key fob. But now I'm unable to verify that though searches on the forums.

    Am I wrong, or did I somehow see something for a prior year's model ?

    Thanks, and looking forward to joining the Prius community very soon.
     
    #1 Graham PR, Jun 10, 2026 at 5:22 PM
  2. mingc

    mingc Member

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    Yes. For the battery saving mode, press the unlock button twice while holding down on the lock button. The fob light will flash 4 times if you've done it correctly. Take it out of battery saving mode by pressing any button.
     
    #2 mingc, Jun 11, 2026 at 5:13 AM
  3. Graham PR

    Graham PR New Member

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    Thanks for the answer, but I was not asking about the fob's battery saver mode, but putting the car itself into a saving mode, where it reduces the rate that it scans for a fob. I don't drive much, and am looking at this as a way to reduce drain on the 12v battery.
     
    #3 Graham PR, Jun 11, 2026 at 6:42 AM
  4. dabluesman

    dabluesman Junior Member

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    There's a youtube video ( https://youtu.be/c4hpQGxq4iY?is=FFv0vJG0EWKEriYy ) that mentions:

    Battery guardian mode:
    Key fob: Lock, then press lock quickly 2 more times. (Should get a different sounding confirmation tone/sound.)

    Though I've never tried it.
    (That video might be AI slop..)
     
    #4 dabluesman, Jun 11, 2026 at 7:55 AM
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM
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  5. VelvetFoot

    VelvetFoot Senior Member

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    That's for the fob.
    upload_2026-6-11_8-10-41.png
     
    #5 VelvetFoot, Jun 11, 2026 at 8:10 AM
  6. VelvetFoot

    VelvetFoot Senior Member

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    didn't work for me.

    I wouldn't mind accessing the diagnostic menu (not just the infotainment), but the odometer button trick didn't work for me. Neither did the temps/volts tip.
     
    #6 VelvetFoot, Jun 11, 2026 at 8:47 AM
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  7. mingc

    mingc Member

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    D'oh! I'm not aware of battery saving mode for the car itself.
     
    #7 mingc, Jun 11, 2026 at 12:15 PM
  8. LRO

    LRO Junior Member

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    Turning on the battery-saving feature of the key fob will also save your 12-volt battery too if you happen to wash or detail your vehicle with the key fob on you (or walk by your car often). Any active key fob that is registered to your vehicle in that kind of proximity kicks the car's electronics and pre-flight routines and pumps into a mode that is anything but sleeping to your 12-volt battery. Something I no longer forget to do with a reminder ...
     

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    #8 LRO, Jun 11, 2026 at 2:43 PM
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  9. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Drop your keys into a Fariday bag to block it's signals. That'll also keep thieves from amplifying the fob signals and stealing your car; since some people hang their keys by the front door.
     
    #9 BiomedO1, Jun 11, 2026 at 3:08 PM
  10. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    Are you talking about the 12-V battery? The car goes into deep sleep after shutting off, as long as the key fob is at least 3 feet away. No special procedure is needed.
     
    #10 Gokhan, Jun 11, 2026 at 3:45 PM
  11. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    A Faraday bag is not needed for the car to go into deep sleep. See my previous post.
     
    #11 Gokhan, Jun 11, 2026 at 3:46 PM
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