A Hello and a Question.

Can't you just leave the car on and get out and push the lock button on the inside of the door panel and then close the drivers door?

 

I traveled with my dog this summer through some fairly hot territory. It was a real problem when I had to leave him in the car while I went into a restaurant for a half hour or so.

The solution was to leave the air conditioning running. The ICE cycled on for a minute or so every 5-10 minutes, and the fuel consumption was minimal, maybe several tenths of a MPG over half a tank.

Be sure to set the parking brake and push the Park button. I also set the MFD to Screen OFF. The car complains (3 beeps) when I get out with it still in Ready mode, and I lock the door with a mechanical key. It doesn't work to lock the door and then close it - it will automatically unlock. Once I neglected to press Park, and the beeper just went into solid beep mode.

I recommend that you leave a sign on the dash that says something like "Air Conditioning is ON - Dog OK". Otherwise somebody could think you were cooking the dog in a closed car. They, or the police, might even break a window to save the dog if you're not clear that everything is ok.

Another thought is to keep a mechanical key on your keychain. Just a $2 copy of the miniature inside the keyfob. Any locksmith or hardware store can make one. The key blank is a standard Toyota unit without a transponder (mine is an Axxess #35).

 

Cool sugestion RobH! (Pardon the pun)

If someone is brave enough to break into the car in spite of the dog and steals the car you may have some explaining to do to your insurance company. I'd try to find a seat where I can watch the car or fit a club steering wheel lock.

 

" It doesn't work to lock the door and then close it - it will automatically unlock. "

Stupid car!.............. :huh:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 11 2007, 12:01 AM) [snapback]524004[/snapback]</div>

Or, with the driver's window open, close the door, reach inside to press the lock button, then hit the button to close the window. You'll still need the mechanical key to unlock it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Oct 11 2007, 12:29 AM) [snapback]524074[/snapback]</div>

I like the idea of a steering wheel lock. The security system doesn't work when the car is in Ready mode. If you leave the window open a bit, then it is too easy to reach in and unlock the door. The ignition is already ON...

Maybe something like a gearshift lockout that would make the car undriveable even when in Ready mode.

 

I DONT LIKE THE IDEA OF LEAVING MY DOG IN MY CAR ALONE AT ALL. WHAT IF THE A/C STOPPED FOR SOME REASON? WOULD ANYONE LEAVE A CHILD IN THE CAR ALONE? SAME THING TO ME. IMHO

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lefat1 @ Oct 11 2007, 02:20 PM) [snapback]524178[/snapback]</div>

I habitually leave the car running with either my dog and/or birds in it -- to run the AC or heat as necessary. I am out of the car only long enough to run in to use the restroom and grab a cup of coffee. Stopping on long drives is necessary (I drive my birds to a specialist 150 miles from where I live; also sometimes take the dogs to the vet college or a specialist). So stopping is necessary, but I keep it to a bare minimum.

 

I think leaving a dog in a car while you eat is not wise. I have left my dog for brief periods in the car, but with all of the windows down and parked in the shade. I doubt anyone is going to reach into my car to steal anything with a large, black dog in the car. And he'll bark. He is in his harness and seatbelted in so I'm not afraid of him jumping out. And this is for only short periods of time, usually with me in sight. Like waking from the car to put a book in the library book drop and walking back.

If you ever consider locking your dog in your car with the A/C running you better put a sign in the window telling people the A/C is on. Otherwise you're going to come back one day to a smashed window from someone rescueing your dog from a hot car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cyberbro @ Oct 11 2007, 07:00 PM) [snapback]524359[/snapback]</div>

The Prius is a special case that most people don't understand. The electric air conditioning can be running even though the engine is stopped. Very few people understand that. So even if you put a sign in the window saying that the air conditioning is running, someone may think that the engine died and therefore the air conditioning couldn't possibly be running. I'm not sure that a sign is enough to persuade everyone. Maybe a big thermometer would help convince them.

I don't want to worry people who are trying to do the right thing. And I really don't want them breaking a window in my car when it's only a misunderstanding.

I agree that parking in the shade, sitting with a view of the car, and going out to check the car every 10-15 minutes are good things to do. But sometimes you can't do any of those things.

There are aftermarket security systems that can display the temperature inside your car on the remote control. It would certainly make me a lot more comfortable if I had an actual indication that the air conditioning was working while I was inside a restaurant.

 

It is safer on a journey to have a break from time to time with the dog in the car than to have an accident because you have been eating badly and not getting out often enough. I prefer the idea of securing the dog in a shady spot but if that can't be do the above proposal is better than leaving the dog uncared for at home.

My dog ate my door trim once when I left him in my Toyota Crown for 15 minutes. A kid was teasing him, although I could see into the car I could not see the kid.