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First Week as a Prius Owner

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by rslitman, Feb 26, 2008.

  1. rslitman

    rslitman Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Near Philadelphia
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    Our household got two twenty-oh-eight Priuses in the past few days. I'm driving a Seaside Pearl with package 5, while the other person is driving a Classic Silver Metallic with package 2. In my old age, I need that GPS!

    Between March 24, 1987, and February 23, twenty-oh-eight, I only owned Acura Integras. Before that, I only had cars made by companies traditionally headquartered in Detroit. If Acura still made Integras, I probably would have just gone out and bought another one this year to replace my aging but still well-running 1998 model. That's what I did in 1998, when it was time to replace my 1990 model while it was still well-running.

    We went to the Philadelphia Auto Show earlier this month. The other person had already decided he wanted a Prius (to replace a Ford from the early 1990s). I went all over the floor looking at various Japanese models. But once I saw the mpg figures for the Prius, I stopped looking seriously at anything else.

    It's been hard to get used to the "Smart Key" system. I am female and have a thick purse. The key fob is kept in the back, where I used to keep the Integra's key. I don't think it's getting detected most of the time, so I'm carrying it every time I go to the car. Maybe in the future, I'll have a different place to carry it.

    Anyway, I hope I can get questions answered here when I have them. Some things about me:

    1. You will never see me use emoticons. I have been an Internet user for 11 1/2 years, and the next smiley face I type will be my first. Except that there won't be a next time.

    2. You will always see me spell out phrases such as "For your information" or "In my opinion" (and don't look for the word "humble" in there).

    3. If I see an abbreviation I haven't come across before, I'm going to come right out and ask you to spell it out for me. This led to some embarrassment when I asked for the full meaning of ROFLMAO. (If you don't know this one, you can probably find it somewhere.)
     
    #1 rslitman, Feb 26, 2008
  2. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    :welcome:

    LOL

    :D








    Re: Smart Key

    Why do you think the car is not detecting it? Are you having trouble getting the door to open? If so, remember that the car initiates the unlock when you place your hand inside the door handle. There is a sensor that detects your hand. If you are wearing gloves it may not work as well. You can always use the buttons on the fob to lock / unlock if necessary.
     
    #2 dogfriend, Feb 26, 2008
  3. rslitman

    rslitman Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    Gloves

    Yes! I'm pretty sure I was wearing gloves when I had the problems! Weather permitting, I'll try this gloveless and see how it works. Thanks for the response.
     
    #3 rslitman, Feb 26, 2008
  4. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    I think the Smart Key is the best option on the whole car. I attached the fob to a clip so that I can just clip it onto a belt loop. I never have to think about the car keys.
     
    #4 dogfriend, Feb 26, 2008
  5. lumpy95

    lumpy95 Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Welcome to PC:)
     
    #5 lumpy95, Feb 26, 2008
  6. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Congratulations on the wonderful purchases.

    I thought the smart key would work through a glove, unless they are super thick ones. Does the car start OK without placing the key fob in the dash? Just in case you are placing the key in the dash and just wondering why the doors don't unlock, the Smart Key System (Oh, excuse me, I ment to say SKS) might be turned off.

    I was going to rib you about saying you will allways spell things out, and then turning around and refering to ROTFLOL, but when I inserted the quote from you I read it carefully and realized you only comitted to spelling out "In My Opinion" and "Foy Your Information"

    I didn't even get the refernce to humble until I remembered IMHO.

    TTFN
     
    #6 NoMoShocks, Feb 26, 2008
  7. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

    Joined:
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    Location:
    USA | Oregon | Portland area | 97004 |
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Welcome to PriusChat, rslitman! We do tend to use a lot of short-hand acronyms here. In fact, there's a whole PriusChat Glossary. One of the most common, and counterintuitive, is ICE for Internal (or Infernal) Combustion Engine. You shouldn't have any trouble coping.
     
    #7 Bill Merchant, Feb 27, 2008
  8. rslitman

    rslitman Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Near Philadelphia
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    I tried unlocking the doors gloveless today (even though it was cold outside), and it worked fine. I held the fob in my hand all as I approached the car but didn't need to resort to using it. I also got the car started fine by holding it in my lap instead of putting it in my purse first.
     
    #8 rslitman, Feb 27, 2008
  9. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

    Joined:
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    Location:
    USA | Oregon | Portland area | 97004 |
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    You must have a very small Prius if you can hold it in your lap or put it in your purse...

    You can usually unlock and open the front door with gloved hands, though you may have to hold the handle for a moment so the sensor on the inside of the door handle can sense you. The hatch seems to be a bit less sensitive, so you frequently have to hold it a moment, even bare handed, to get it to unlock and open.
     
    #9 Bill Merchant, Feb 28, 2008
  10. eurosteve

    eurosteve Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I had some trouble getting the door to unlock automatically the other day and I finally resorted to pressing the button on the key fob. It was very cold outside and I was not wearing gloves.

    Can anyone say exactly how it is that the door handle "senses" that there is a hand there?
     
    #10 eurosteve, Feb 28, 2008
  11. patrickindallas

    patrickindallas Shire rat

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    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    2 Prius!!!

    OMG!

    :tape:
     
    #11 patrickindallas, Feb 28, 2008
  12. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    They don't actually say in the repair manual, but I believe it is a capacitive sensor. Also known as (aka) a Proximity Sensor. I know that without gloves, I do not have to actually touch the door handle to activate the unlock, I can just place my fingers in that area. Here is a diagram to show where the sensor location is:
     

    Attached Files:

    #12 dogfriend, Feb 28, 2008
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