Lock the doors with it on?

Yes, this is easy to do. I've done it often with my 2004, so no guarantees it will work with your model year, but I'm not aware of any big changes in the fob design over the years. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Hidden within the fob is a small mechanical key. If you slide the little tab at the base of the fob, where the ring is, the mechanical key will pull out from the fob. Leave the fob in the car so it stays running, and take the mechanical key with you. If you leave the window open long enough to reach in and hit the power lock, then the window up button, your car will be on and locked.

 

Actually, don't leave the fob in the car... That's actually the worst thing you can do. You can leave the car on without the fob being near the car.

 

I wish I could - my car doesn't have SKS. I don't do this in the city - only in remote locations when I'm camping and need to keep the electric cooler going.

See? I told you somebody would correct me.

 

I think you are missing the point... OP's car is a Prius v (Hence the Prius v forum)... From this site:

Toyota Prius v - 2012 models and prices

No matter which model, it has the SKS. You don't leave the fob in the car to keep it running, you just need to have the fob with you on initial start.

Another thread, a user did an experiment with his car, having his wife hold onto the fob while she was shopping and he went off to go gas the car up carefully. He had no problems being way out of range of the key with the car on.

While you can lock the car without using the fob, you definitely do not want to leave the fob with the car just to keep it on. It makes it EASIER for a thief to not only steal the car (even though being on makes it easy for them as well), you make it easy for the thief to continue reusing the car because the fob happens to be 'right there' to allow them to turn on and off the car without having to hotwire it. Further more, while you have the hard key, the fob just made it so they can just unlock and lock the car at will with YOUR fob. It's like literally hanging your key there at the price of one window.

 

Don't want to leave it "running"? It's not running the engine either way at a stop so why not power off?

 

The guy wants to circumvent the issue of 'short trips' with the car. IE: Startup phase will force the car to kick in the ICE as the computer is suppose to each time you push the 'Start' on the car. On short trips, you could, technically, just leave the car 'running', as it won't be running the engine unless the battery runs low, but short 10 min trips should not cause this to be a problem.

The only draw back of leaving the car on is that normally, the car will not allow you to lock the car by 'normal' means. You would use the real key to lock the door. Someone said to just leave the fob in the car and use the real key to lock the door. I stated that is a bad idea. The car can be 'on' without needing to leave your fob there.

 

My apologies, Mattheikkila. What I told you earlier was bad advice. While the trick I've used works with my car, and isn't a great risk under the conditions I described, it's not a safe thing to do with yours.


I'll go back to playing with the other dinosaurs now.....

 

To be honest, you can leave the car and lock it with the real key inside the fob. You just won't be able to make the car lock with the fob while it is on, it will just beep. As long as you don't leave your fob in the car, you should be fine, as that is the more riskier prospect.

 

I wouldn't leave the fob in the car with it on. You can use the door key to lock and unlock the door but always take the fob with you. If you want a remote locking and unlocking, goto your local stereo shop and have them install a cheap keyless entry but tell them not to wire up the ignition sense wire. This will allow the remote to work while the power is ON.

 

Eveytime I walk in the door at home I lock the door. My 4 year old son walked out to play and I locked the door behind him. I didn't notice until saw a small shadow on his tippy toes trying to reach the door bell. I couldn't stopy laughing at that one.​

 

I have posted this before some where.
My wife and I attend indoor sporting events for our grandkids in the winter.
We had a stretch of games when the outside temp was below zero. With all acc. turned off we would leave the heater on low lock all doors with the remote then take the mech. key out of the fob and lock the drivers door and take the fob with you.
With the temp set on low the ice runs very sparingly and WILL keep the snow and ice melted off.
This will also work with AC. And,yes, if somebody breaks a window they can steal your car. Make sure its in a safe area or Club it !!

 

They can steal it, but if you leave the headlights / etc off, but hopefully much of time, the car is not running. So it's quiet.

I ALSO wish there were a better solution to this.

Mechanical key method seems reasonable.

I've thought about getting a cell phone to leave in the car, and installing an app that alerts me if the car (cell phone) moves. I could also track its exact location. I could leave it permanently plugged in, in the storage compartment to the right of driver's elbow.