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One-Door Smart Key = Virtually Useless

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by rudiger, Oct 30, 2010.

  1. rudiger

    rudiger Active Member

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    Maybe it's just me but I've come to the conclusion that just having Smart Key on the driver's door renders it damn-near useless. I approach and use the passenger door maybe 40% of the time. Because I had a 2G Prius with 3-Door SMS, I got into the habit of the passenger door opening with just a touch.

    Now, of course, I touch the passenger door handle, swear at Toyota for being such cheap-asses on all but the most expensive 3G Prius, and maneuver around to fish in my pocket for the key fob to unlock it, usually with an armload of store bags.

    To avoid that aggravation, I've gotten into the habit of simply fishing around in my pocket and unlocking the door with the fob before I get close to the car, regardless of which door I'm going to open, in the same way I used to with a non-Smart Key remote.

    On a more positive note, at least Toyota still offers an interior switch to lock/unlock the doors. GM is eliminating that feature on their new cars (neither the Equinox or Cruze has an interior electric door lock switch), meaning the remote is the only way to lock/unlock the doors/trunk.
     
  2. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Yeah, I've griped out the way the 3-door SKS is packaged. It ought to be included on lower 3rd gen Prius models or available as an option on those lower models.
     
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  3. vday

    vday Member

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    IMHO
    It is not useless and I do enjoy it.
    Of course I would love the 3 door option even more.
    In my case the trunk is more important than the passangers door especially after food shopping.
    On the flip side I did not previously have a 3 door smart key but a car with ZERO so it is all relative.
     
  4. dick_larimore

    dick_larimore Member

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    Locking the Prius is a waste of time

    Given that I never had the feature prior to owning a 2010, the one door only lock is fine. However, people are way to serious about locking their car. Why lock the car? You should not leave anything valuable in my car. I got used to not locking vehicles when I had a Jeep Wrangler with a soft top. If you locked the Jeep, entry was easily gained by simply cutting a slit in the top.

    When someone wants in your car, they simply smash a window. Anything lying in the car an be taken in a second or two. Why add vehicle damage to a theft? Leave the car unlocked and you don't have to worry about it.
     
  5. PRPrius

    PRPrius Active Member

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    Actually, GM does still offer an interior switch to lock/unlock the doors. However, they moved it to the center section of the dash. It is located to the left of the Hazzard light switch on the 2010 Equinox. Having this particular switch on the center area of the dash is very common on European cars. Considering the heavy influence from Europe on recent GM products, this was bound to happen.

    P.S. On the Chevy Cruze it is also located to the left of the hazzard light switch.
     
  6. rudiger

    rudiger Active Member

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    Thanks for the info. I looked all over for it. Given the propensity for 'decontenting' to save a few cents here or there, I just thought they'd eliminated it in lieu of the remote (like doing away with the outside passenger door and trunk keylock).

    As to the European influence, it reminds me of the early eighties when Ford had the brilliant idea of putting the horn on the turn signal stalk (since that's the way it was done in Europe). Didn't work out too well. Within a couple of years, the horn was back on the steering wheel.
     
  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    I was young and still very adaptable, so it took only about three missed horn attempts to get this horn style programmed into my reflexes.

    By the time that Ford was sold and replaced, I was noticeably less flexible, so it took considerably longer to relearn the proper 'merican horn style.
     
  8. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Re: Locking the Prius is a waste of time

    That is correct. I never leave anything in your car, valuable or not.
    I prefer living in an area where most car owners will never experience a broken window.

    Until I can move back to an area where valuables can be left in an unlocked car without getting stolen. Such places still exist.
     
  9. milazotes

    milazotes New Member

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    Re: Locking the Prius is a waste of time


    OK, that's just dumb. Insurance companies hate comments like that. Of course you lock your doors. Not all of us can completely empty our cars each and every time we park it somewhere. My car has thousands of dollars worth of stuff in it on any given workday. I clean it out for the weekends but still have CD's and parking change in there. Make it harder for thieves and lock your doors.

    My comment on the 3 door vs 1 door: It drives me crazy when I grab the driver doorand they don't all unlock. It's wonderful to be able to grab the trunk and unlock all the doors. I will not be driving a G3 for my next car if Toyota keeps stripping down options, pushing us to the highest model (I don't like leather)
     
  10. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Just to clarify, the driver's door sensor on the II and III can be programmed to unlock just the driver's door or all doors.

    It would be nice if I had the three door sensors. But since I do not, I am mostly in the car by myself so I like the driver's door only feature. If my wife comes with me, it takes just a second to open my door and hit the door unlock switch.
     
  11. neilz

    neilz Member

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    Re: Locking the Prius is a waste of time

    LOL, I bet you wouldn't say don't lock your car if you were in NYC like I am. We even lock up our women.:pound::rofl:
     
  12. claridiva

    claridiva New Member

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    I have a Prius II with the one-door SKS and I do not find it a problem. Would it be nice to have 3-door? Absolutely! However, since you can program your car to open all doors when the driver's door is unlocked, all I have to do is brush the driver's side door and then go to the hatch and it is open. It is an extra step, yes, but I have NEVER had to dig for my keys. In fact, I haven't seen my keys in a very long time (they permanently stay in my purse).

    I recommend, if you have not done so already, to program your car so that all the doors open when you touch the driver's side door. This can be done yourself and the instructions are in the manual.
     
  13. Gashyper

    Gashyper New Member

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    Claridiva, I have tried to program my car so that all doors will open when touching the driver side door with no success. I found the instruction in the manual (page 48 as attached below) but not sure if it is the right one. Could you help pointing me the right direction or the right page?
    Thanks,
     

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  14. rebenson

    rebenson Member

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    I love the ability to enter the car when I'm driving by myself. Nice in but there is one day a week I need to help someone into the passenger door and it's annoying to get the fob to open (I know, I am lazy). I am going to try to program the doors from the page above. THanks for pointing that out ClariDiva and Gashyper for posting the page.
     
  15. coach81

    coach81 Active Member

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    The smart key is on of the first things that "wowed me" about the Prius all those years ago...

    Just the one door would be awesome enough for me.. as I am the one that rides it the most.
     
  16. Gashyper

    Gashyper New Member

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    I have tried to program several times by following instructions (manual page 48 as mentioned in the previous thread) with no success. I am not sure what I have done wrong, can someone help to shed some light.

    I have model II, and have always enjoyed the feature of touching the driver side handle to unlock the car. Also, I almost always have to press the unlock button to unlock all the doors. I need to drop my backpack to the back seat before driving. By reprogramming to unlock all doors would save me an extra step everyday.

    Can someone help?
     
  17. markf57

    markf57 Junior Member

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    The manual seems to over complicate it if you ask me.

    1) Get in the car with the fob, close the door, do not touch anything.
    2) On the fob, push and hold all 3 buttons (Lock, unlock and panic) for 5 seconds. Once it is set, it will appear on the MID what state it is now in. Repeat step 2 to return to the other choice.
     
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  18. blake918

    blake918 Blizzard Brigade #23

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    The one door SKS really doesn't bother me. I could see how this would be an issue for someone coming from a 3 door Gen II. I would really like to have it on the tailgate, but it's not that big of a deal for me.
     
  19. vday

    vday Member

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    My exact feelings:)
     
  20. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    That's pretty lame. I use the door lock swith fairly often.