Can I reset the alarm system?

Hi there - I have a feeling this question has been answered many times before, but I can't seem to nail down the search parameters to find my exact problem. So, if someone would be merciful enough to point me toward any answer that may already exist for my problem, I would be forever grateful.

I have a 2004 Prius. This morning, I started the car with the key fob in my purse - just held in the brake and hit the Start button - but accidentally went back inside the house with my purse still on my shoulder. I guess the anti-theft system thought the car was being stolen - the doors wouldn't unlock (the front driver's door stayed unlocked). I rushed back out with the key, the car stopped beeping and I thought all was well.

At a stoplight, I tried to use the controls on the steering wheel to adjust the thermostat to take the internal temp down to 70 (the husband left the windows open during a rainstorm, so it's like a terrarium in there - but that's another story) and the alarm activated. The horn was blaring. I switched the power off and back on, and that deactivated the horn alarm. (Thank goodness I was the first one in line at the light; I live in KY and if I'd been caught behind a souped-up pickup blowing my horn for no reason, I might not be here typing this right now.)

So the car is working - it powers up, the doors unlock, key fob seems to work, all that - but whenever I try to do anything using the steering wheel controls, that horn alarm starts blaring again. This also happens with the fob physically inside the key slot.

Is there something relatively easy I can do to reset this? Is there some other potential problem being caused by the current status, of which I am completely unaware? I wish I had just powered the thing down when this first happened, then restarted it, but I was late taking my toddler to his swim lesson and it really didn't cross my mind to just restart, as he was fussy and melting in the backseat due to the new rainforest-like conditions inside the car. Honestly, I thought that just getting near the car again with the fob might take care of it, but obviously not.

Any assistance or advice would be appreciated. I have spent some time searching the forum, but all I can seem to happen across in terms of the key fob/alarm system double whammy are problems with the panic button on the fob. Hopefully someone will have pity and send me in the right direction.

Thanks again.

 

Thank you, nh7o. I tried more steering wheel components after posting, and more things are slowly starting to work. (Does anyone else's Prius have a strange self-righting capacity?)

Tomorrow I'll evaluate again, and likely check the 12v just as a matter of course, since weirdness has ensued. Thanks so much for the link about how to enter maintenance mode!

 

Hmm, that could very well be what's affecting the steering wheel, I suppose. Luckily, the carpet didn't really get wet. Whew.