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Engine immobilizer indicator question

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by bruceha_2000, Aug 4, 2004.

  1. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    I had a first with the rental last night. I made a couple of trips into the house carrying stuff; the rear hatch and the driver's door were open. I shut the hatch and door and I *think* locked it with the fob. Then I noticed something blinking on the instrument cluster. Never saw it before. Scrounged through the owner's manual and figured out it was the engine immobilizer indicator. No other information about it. I really don't think I has been on before. This morning it was still blinking. When I powered up, the headlights came on so I guess I hadn't turned them off as I usually do. Is there some link between the auto off headlights and the immobilizer indicator? Or maybe I am just nuts?
     
    #1 bruceha_2000, Aug 4, 2004
  2. shocker

    shocker Junior Member

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    The light that blinks in my car when everything is off is a red car. When I lock all the doors with the fob the light no longer blinks it is solid(my alarm is now armed). If I leave my headlights on and turn off the car it does not change this pattern.
     
    #2 shocker, Aug 4, 2004
  3. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    Yes, a little red car and if you stare at it long enough it looks like there is the image of a key on it but it was blinkiing so fast I hard a hard time telling.
     
    #3 bruceha_2000, Aug 4, 2004
  4. m6scott

    m6scott Junior Member

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    OK If its the triangle indicator then I believe something was not done correctly like turn on the car with out putting foot on brake or maybe the smart remote got confused. .. Is it still on now and does the car run ok?.. :roll:
     
    #4 m6scott, Aug 4, 2004
  5. Prius Maximus

    Prius Maximus Senior Member

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    Smart Entry system. When Smart Entry is on, the car is broadcasting a signal to the fob, which answers when it is in range. This "red car with a key" light flashes every few seconds when smart entry is on. Turn off Smart Entry by pushing the button under the steering wheel, and that blinking light will stop. Of course, now you'll need to use the fob to get in the car.
     
    #5 Prius Maximus, Aug 4, 2004
  6. jchu

    jchu New Member

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    Doesn't explain my red car w/ key blinking. It's a pkg #3 with no SS/SE!!
     
    #6 jchu, Aug 4, 2004
  7. mcbrunnhilde

    mcbrunnhilde Opera singin' Prius nut!

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    The blinking red car with a key through it is the engine immobilizer that is standard on all Prius, and it has nothing to do with SS/SE. Perhaps they did it that way to LOOK like an alarm in order to discourage theives (since they can't hotwire it). I don't know how it behaves when the car actually has an alarm since I just have a #7.
     
    #7 mcbrunnhilde, Aug 5, 2004
  8. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    Definately not SS/SE, the rental didn't even have a rear wiper so it is a base model. It wasn't the triangle.
    I would hope to never see that outside the forum or owner's manual! :) Turned on and ran fine, I was just trying to understand what I might have done differently from the other 6 nights I shut it down. The headlights going on when I powered up seem to be the only difference. Of course, most of the time I had it, I parked the car before dark so the headlights wouldn't have been on any way.
     
    #8 bruceha_2000, Aug 5, 2004
  9. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    I do believe that all Prius's have a basic alarm also. To test your car SE-SS or not leave a window down. get out of car, lock it and walk away for about 2 minutes. If SE-SS equipped leave fob at least 20 feet away, then walk up to car and open door by using the inside handle, alarm should go off, NOTE you will have to shut if off with the fob, so be prepared to dash to get it or have someone else "unlock" the door, non SE-SS equipped just "unlock" the fob.
     
    #9 Frank Hudon, Aug 5, 2004
  10. shocker

    shocker Junior Member

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    I figure since you were taking stuff out of the back the rear hatch did not close properly so when you thought that you locked it, it never really locked thus the blinking light. I have a base model with only an alarm and floor mats and that will occur if the doors are not all closed properly.
     
    #10 shocker, Aug 9, 2004
  11. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    The "door open" indicator is different.

    I used to think the red car with key was to let me know the car was detecting the key. Obviously that was wrong. But an "engine immobilizer" indicator strikes me as utterly pointless, since (presumably) the engine is immobilized any time the car is off. And a light that blinks is going to draw current all the time the car is off.
     
    #11 daniel, Aug 9, 2004
  12. shocker

    shocker Junior Member

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    I understand that the "door indicator" light is different. As I mentioned on my first post in this topic the light is the car with the key. What I meant was that if the door was not closed properly the car will not lock thus the light will not stop blinking because the car is not locked. If the car is locked then the light will not blink. Try it.
     
    #12 shocker, Aug 9, 2004
  13. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    I would, but I had to give the rental back last week :-( But your logic seems sound. I was the tiniest bit worried the 12V might drain if the light blinked all night. I didn't figure it was THAT much a drain, but you never know. Of course "all night" was only about 8 hours. ;-)
     
    #13 bruceha_2000, Aug 10, 2004
  14. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I see the light blinking when I look in through the window of the locked car. I have never, however, approached the car without the fob.

    The light continues to blink when I get in the car, and stops when I power up the car. That's consistent with its being an engine-immobilizer indicator. But I see no purpose in it. If the Ready light is off, then the engine is immobilized.
     
    #14 daniel, Aug 10, 2004
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