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UK Smart Key Advice

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by theblackbag, May 10, 2011.

  1. theblackbag

    theblackbag New Member

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    Took delivery of a new TSpirt UK spec Prius yesterday and need some advice.

    I love the smart key system but what should I do if I'm going diving. I can't carry the key with me and presumably if I leave it in the car and just take the mechanical key the car will open when the handles are touched?

    I can't see anything in the instructions about disabling the system temporarily...
     
    #1 theblackbag, May 10, 2011
  2. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    I've had a good look through the UK manual and it appears it's a dealer customizeable feature to switch the smart key system off (see pages 53-65 and page 555).

    If you locked the car with the mechanical key and left the fob in the car someone could come along and touch the handles and be away with your pride and job. I suppose you could keep the fob in a mates car parked a few car distances away when you go diving?
     
    #2 GrumpyCabbie, May 10, 2011
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    just put it under the pillow so you can make a quick exit if necessary.
     
    #3 bisco, May 10, 2011
  4. BrettS

    BrettS Active Member

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    If it detects a key in the car it will automatically disable the smartkey system. Occasionally while I'm out with my wife and we run into a store she'll leave her purse (with her prius fob) in the car. When she does that I can't lock the door by touching it (it beeps loudly and displays a message on the screen that says "Key detected in car" or something along those lines). I can still lock the car with the button on my fob.

    When I get back to the car I need to use the button on the fob to unlock it... just touching the handle doesn't unlock it (it does nothing... no beeps or messages, it just ignores the touch).

    I haven't tried to lock or unlock it with the manual key in a situation like that, but I imagine it would work the same way.
     
    #4 BrettS, May 10, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  5. theblackbag

    theblackbag New Member

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    :eek: Crikey!

    I'll have to come up with a adhoc solution based upon the circumstances then (make sure I only buddy up with people with less sophisticated cars). It's only diving from shore where it's a problem anyway, there's usually somewhere on a boat to keep stuff like keys and phones safe and dry.

    If left with no other option could I take the battery out of the remote, hide them in the glove box and use the mechanical key to lock the car?
     
    #5 theblackbag, May 10, 2011
  6. theblackbag

    theblackbag New Member

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    Thanks, I'll do some experiments. I think I'll wait till I get home and have access to both key remotes.........

    Ian.
     
    #6 theblackbag, May 10, 2011
  7. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    If the design is the same as what we have in the US you can remove the emergency metal key from the fob and use that to lock and unlock the driver's door. Then get a small anti-static bag - they are typically silverish in appearance and things like computer hard drives come packed in them. The bag should shield the radio signal from the key fob - just pop the wrapped fob into your glove box and you should be all set.
     
    #7 stevemcelroy, May 10, 2011
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  8. theblackbag

    theblackbag New Member

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    I can confirm that leaving the electronic bit of the key in the car and locking it with the mechanical bit didn't work. It made a racket and showed the 'key detected in car' error, and wasn't actually locked either (just as if I had tried to lock it by touch).

    I didn't have an antistatic bag to try Steve's suggestion but I discovered that wrapping the electronic bit in standard aluminium kitchen foil works just as well........

    Thanks for all the help.
     
    #8 theblackbag, May 10, 2011
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