Car is smarter than me (thank God!)

I think it's great that it took you 9 months to do it. Only took me 3 months to try it. I usually keep them in my pocket on weekends or in my purse when I'm working, but when you're tired you don't always do the same routine actions. Great feature though no matter how it works. Also found you can't press the button with the same hand you have the fob in - I guess it's too close to the sensor?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jim B. @ Jun 3 2007, 07:59 AM) [snapback]454312[/snapback]</div>

Jim I have reached a new level of stupidity . How about dropping off the person with the smart key only to realize I didn't have mine.
The engineers can only do so much.

 

that was the VERY first feature I had to play with when I got my car, with the keys in hand and squeal of glee I JOYFULLY threw my car keys on the seat and hit the lock button... only hear the long "you can't do you stupid idiot beep"

that feature has saved me countless times.

As for dropping off the person with the smart key, thats easy, you don't shut the car off. It can and will continue to run with out the key in the engine until you get to where you need to go. I have thankfully never needed to use this feature.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jim B. @ Jun 3 2007, 04:59 AM) [snapback]454312[/snapback]</div>

Pretty close. There is a sensor at each front door handle, at the rear hatch handle, and one in the center console.

 

But if you drop off the person with the smart key don't you get the fast beep same as when I leave my car with the key in my pocket?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Neicy @ Jun 3 2007, 10:29 AM) [snapback]454346[/snapback]</div>

Yes there is some kind of warning and if I remember a yellow caution light somewhere, but early in the morning is not my best time of the day and it did take a few seconds to understand what the car was telling me.

 

My scenario happened within a week of buying our Prius last December.

My wife wanted to stop at the grocery store on the way home. No problem. It wasn't too cold (it's Seattle) so I decided to stay in the car because I was really tired and was going to take a nap while I waited for my wife. After awhile though I decided to go in because there was something I wanted to get.

So ... I get out of the car (with the fob in my pocket) and try to lock the doors. No luck. I spent 10 very frustrated minutes trying to lock the doors. I was tired enough that it never dawned on me that my wife might have changed coats (she had two in the car that day for some reason) and leave the one with HER fob in the coat pocket in the car.

Frustrated and really tired I gave up and got back into the car and pushed the button on the door and locked the doors. Sometime later my wife came out and I told her what happened. She looked embarrassed and told me she had left her coat with her key fob in the car.

Talk about being stupid. Me that is, not my wife. No matter how tired I am in the future I will definitely know to check for another fob in the car.

It was a good thing I didn't have to go to the bathroom or something. I wouldn't have wanted to leave my laptop in the hatch of the car (covered) with the doors unlocked just in case someone tried opening the doors.

My other stupid thing was not closing the hatch tightly all the way a couple months later after arriving home after work on a Friday. My wife insists that we drive our Jeep once in awhile because it "needs" to get used once in awhile too.

Monday morning I couldn't start the car and I learned how to jump start a Prius (using the directions in the owner's manual.

 

I can confirm that the car won't start with the fob in the cargo area. It does work behind the front passenger seat.

 

I was surprised to find it can tell what side of the car I'm on. If I'm standing next to the driver's door and the passenger tries to open their door, it won't unlock. I have to be standing next to the passenger's door to unlock it from that side.

 

I had a similar experience but in the "aw man is this thing broken" category.

Went on Vacation last week and stopped back by the inlaws to drop off a cousin and pick up the dog on the return trip. I unloaded the vacation loot and locked the car for the night and went in. Had my fob with me and everything. I went out the next morning to get everything settled for the last part of the trip home and the Prius didn't "recognize" me when I grabbed the handle. I checked my pocket and did have my fob with me but it wouldn't open. I had to hit the unlock button to get in. Thinking I had hit the button under the dash with my leg i checked it and it was in the right position. Got out and tested again and again but couldn't get the car to recognize me. I finally figured out that my wife left her purse, and fob, inside the car buried under the seat and piles of other bags. So apparently it won't unlock the door for even a valid fob if the car is locked and there is a fob already inside the car.

I can see why this would be were it the only fob in range but don't understand why it is like that when a valid fob is right outside the door wanting in.

Oh well, my mystery partially solved. Thanks for sharing yours, thats good info for us new Prius owners

 

Sounds familiar - either I or my wife dropped a smart key down under the seat and behind the amp. Fortunately, you can actually press the button to lock and unlock it. Whew! What an inconvenience that was!!

Oh, sorry was that sarcastic? Well, I have to admit - I often walk up to my wife's Highlander and cuss that I actually have to fish my keys all the way out of my pocket, and when my hands are full!

:huh:

 

I've got you all beat.

On the way home from the dealership with my brand spanking new car, the family decided to stop for lunch. We get out, I press the button on the door handle. Get a loooong beep. Hmm, that's strange. Why would it beep so long? Oh well, in we go (there was nothing of value in the car at the time). Come back out, get in (no beep on the way in, but at that point I didn't know it was supposed to), go home. Get home, pull out stuff to go inside, including, yes, my wife's coat with 2nd fob. Press button. Short beep. Huh. That's interesting.

Must've taken me a week to put it together...