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Driving the Prius without the Smart Key?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by darinf, Jun 6, 2007.

  1. darinf

    darinf Junior Member

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    For as "smart" as the Prius is regarding the Smart Key system, I had a situation today which should not be allowed to happen.

    My wife and I were leaving the house and I grabbed the Prius Smart key (2007 package 6 touring). My wife drove and dropped me of at Costco and then drove a few miles away to another store intending to come pick me up when she was done.

    You can see what's coming...

    She gets to the store and cannot lock the car. She cannot start the Prius either since I HAD THE SMART KEY IN MY POCKET! She did not have the other key.

    So she's stranded there. I am stranded at Costco. What a bummer. She called her father who was home luckily and he picked me up and drove me to my wife and the Prius and everything was fine...

    Has this ever happened to you? It never donned on me that the Prius will not give you any warning beep whatsoever if the Smart Key is gone while the car is powered on and driving.

    Is there some kind of indicator light on the dash to tell you that you do not have a key? If so, my wife did not notice it.

    I would think at the very least, the car would beep at you to tell you not to turn off the car until you go find a key!

    Oh well, just a warning for those who have the "Not So Smart Key" system. Don't get stranded...

    -Darin
     
  2. Dripps

    Dripps New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darinf @ Jun 6 2007, 07:32 PM) [snapback]456925[/snapback]</div>
    Yes Darin, something similar but not so serious has happened to me. I do know that the car beeps when you leave the car with the smart key while it's still running. Try it. There is a beep but it's easy to ignore and also easy to not know what the beeping car is trying to tell you.

    I have left my car at a parking lot in NYC with the smart key in my purse...you leave the car running for the attendant. He took the car (it was probably beeping inside but I didn't hear it because I was walking away). When I returned to get my car they charged me $35 for leaving with the key. Of course they couldn't move it until I gave them the key in my purse....and they wouldn't give the car back until I paid their extra fee. Ouch!
     
  3. Presto

    Presto Has his homepage set to PC

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    When the Prius loses track of the Smart Key while it's on, it'll beep and a yellow key icon will popup on the dash. I'm not sure if the American version has that icon, though.
     
  4. Stairman

    Stairman New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Jun 6 2007, 04:49 PM) [snapback]456942[/snapback]</div>
    Yes the American Version has the Key Icon. If you leave the car running then get back in the icon will be lit on the dash until the car decides you have the key.
     
  5. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    It also chimes at you when you get out and leave it running. Three chimes to be exact, and it's the only time it uses that signal.

    Tom
     
  6. SW03ES

    SW03ES Senior Member

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    There's a loud beep and a fairly large warning light. I don't know how much more they can warn you.

    You need to read your manual and familiarize yourself with the instrument display. If she missed the light she would have missed any warning light.
     
  7. desertbriez

    desertbriez New Member

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    wow... that really stinx! i've always been in the habit of taking my keys anyways... so i HOPE that never happens to us!

    YIKES!
     
  8. darinf

    darinf Junior Member

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    I guess my wife was oblivious to the warning beeps or lights.

    Then again, I am not surprised. She is not very technical and tends to ignore just about any beep or light.

    No matter how much I told her that she HAS to have her foot on the brake to put the car in drive, she would always complain that often she could not get the into drive. I would ask if she had the foot on the brake and she would say yes.

    Then weeks later she said to me, "I finally figured out that you have to put your foot on the brake to put the car into drive." What?! No kidding. I guess it's not just husbands that don't listen to their wives...

    -Darin

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Jun 6 2007, 06:03 PM) [snapback]457048[/snapback]</div>
     
  9. Maytrix

    Maytrix Member

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    WOW!!

    I'm really not sure what to say.




    I can't believe you let your wife drive your Prius!

    ;)
     
  10. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    This is one case where a really annoying beep (like the seatbelt beep) is called for.
     
  11. mcbrunnhilde

    mcbrunnhilde Opera singin' Prius nut!

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    This is a good reason to keep an extra fob hidden in the car (either a "dumb" fob or a "smart" fob without its battery). It would also come in handy if your fob were lost or stolen when you're away from your car.
     
  12. TheAnnoyingOne

    TheAnnoyingOne New Member

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    The poor PRIUS does what it can, beeps 3 times when a door closes, has the yellow signal on the dashboard. What do you expect it to do? Start honking the horn and blink the lights? Or display on the MFD: Buthead the fob dummy, the fob!

    And this is NOT a good reason to keep a key in the car – period – car thieves know every place that a key may be hidden.

    The dashboard is not there for decoration, it serves a purpose, there are some very important indicators on it, and anything that is NOT GREEN OR IS BLINKING requires the driver’s attention.

    And to qualify mi sign-on: The Key IS smart, Drivers (not all) are NOT.



    P.S: darinf welcome to PC :D
     
  13. Tom6850

    Tom6850 Retired

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    If you get out of the car with it running, how are you supposed to see the yellow signal from outside the car? I for one would like to see the horn beep if you leave with the fob. The beeps can be hard to hear on a busy parking lot or noisy street.

    If you leave the fob (wifes in purse) in the car it won't let you lock it.
     
  14. SW03ES

    SW03ES Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Jun 6 2007, 10:33 PM) [snapback]457079[/snapback]</div>
    Its loud, it beeps so loudly that you can hear it outside the car.
     
  15. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    the car will beep outside three times if you take the fob with you and leave the car running. and there is a long beep inside the car, with the yellow key signal.

    you have to let the car stay on in this situation... what if the fob battery dies while you're on the highway? the car can't just screech to a halt on the road.
     
  16. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Jun 7 2007, 08:19 AM) [snapback]457273[/snapback]</div>
    By "annoying" I mean continuously beeping for at least 30 seconds,
    like the freakish seatbelt beeps even though there's also a flashing
    seatbelt sign already. Three beeps if you leave the car running with
    the fob with you is pretty pathetic by comparison. And, of course, if
    you're already outside the car you wouldn't be able to see the icon
    on the dashboard, would you?

    On a related note, there are times when I wish I could park the car,
    put it in ACC mode, jump out to do a quick errand (like grab a newspaper)
    and then get back in and hit Power and go. A truly "smart" system should
    allow one to do that, i.e. if someone tries to drive off with the car while
    you're outside with the fob they wouldn't be able to do it.
     
  17. rudiger

    rudiger Active Member

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    It would be nice if there was a user-programmable option that would automatically turn the Prius off once all smart keys were outside range, i.e., outside of the passenger compartment.

    While I probably wouldn't use it, I can see it being useful for others.
     
  18. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    It's happened to me, actually my boyfriend, but luckily he didn't get stranded. He dropped me off somewhere and I had the key in my handbag. He never noticed a beep or a light. Thankfully, he decided to go straight home -- he was thinking of going shopping first -- and didn't realize until he turned off the car that he didn't have the key.

    I didn't notice the beep when I got out. He didn't notice it while he was driving it. I don't think there is a loud warning beep because neither of us noticed -- we ALWAYS notice when the seatbelt nags or we're in R!
     
  19. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    I think it should scream endlessly in the local language with continuously rising tone and volume, "You're LEAVING MEEEEE!!!!!!"
     
  20. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Jun 7 2007, 11:43 AM) [snapback]457367[/snapback]</div>
    Oh-- that's what it was. I thought it was my boyfriend! :lol: