My Prius trained me to lock my keys in the rental car

Ha! Had the same experience borrowing a friend's Cooper not long ago. I pulled on the handle and it was locked. I pulled again and then remembered that it wasn't my Prius and it didn't know me. I laughed at my folly and remarked to myself, "Oh, that's right. I have to actually take the keys out like some kind of peasant."

 

I left mine in the car the other day in the front cup holder. Touched the door handle to lock it and the car flipped out. When I realized my keys were still inside, I had to chuckle. Smart car

 

This is probably the only benefit to the one-door SKS on the 2010. In the 'good 'ole days' of 3-door SKS on my 2006 Prius, I never had to take the remote out of my pocket to get into the car.

Now, I've had to get back into the habit of taking the remote out to get into the passenger side or hatch when the vehicle is locked.

Thereotically, since the 2010 one-door SKS has forced me back into using the fob on occasion, it should be easier to reacclimatize to an 'old-fashioned' type remote.

 

Why even take the keys out of your pocket?

 

Coming out of the grocery store with 2 hands full of groceries, I stopped by the drivers door, touched it to unlock, then opened the hatch. Loaded my groceries, got in the front door, and drove away.
Key never left my pocket! Gotta love it

 

if you have the technology package, you should have 3 doors SKS.

at least it works for me... i can go straight to the trunk and open it without any problems.

only down side i found so far, is that only the door detecting the key will open. which means that either me and the wife have to carry a key on us, or i have to get it out to let her in!

they should have had one detector that detects the key all around the vehicule... and all the doors are then available!

 

I heard ya. I have to touch the driver door sensor, open the driver door quickly, and hurriedly press the all-doors-open button inside the door before my wife screams at me and the car.

I think I read somewhere in the manual that you can reprogram it to open all doors if any door sensor is touched. I wanted to reprogram it but my wife screamed at me (as usual) saying I might void the manufacturer warranty, sigh

 

A lock smith in my winter resort Florida town years ago used to make a living opening rental Lincoln Town Cars that didn't have a door key pad like the renters' cars up north.

 

Think the dealer can reprogram the setting to have all doors open on any contact. No warranty voiding necessary.

 

On my III I programmed it to open all doors when the drivers door handle is touched. Works great. Really easy to do, I think it's hold the lock and unlock buttons on the remote until the dash display beeps and shows all 4 doors open. But check the manual. Easy to set then change back the same way if you want.

 

WOW! that would be an amazing feature!!!! it would remove the need for the wife to carry her own key, and the screaming!

however, i just checked the manual, and either i am not understanding it right, or you can't really do it. The best i could find was to unlock all door once the driver's door open... (which would still not be usefull 'cause she always seem to get to her door 2-3 steps before me)

but i'll stop at the dealership after work and see what they say... that would be GREAT!

 

"when the door handle is touched" is the key feature. you still have to touch the driver's door handle for the others to be unlocked.

 

So if you're by yourself and decide to go back and get something out of the front passenger seat of the car, you have to go to the driver side door first in order for the 3 door SKS to then unlock the passenger door?

 

i've made the change to my car, (pretty easy: when the car is turned off, just hold the lock button and any other button on your sks remote for 5 seconds) and to answer your question, no assuming you have the key on you, if you go straight to the front passenger (or the trunk) it will unlock all doors as soon as you touch it. (instead of unlocking only that specific door)

at least on my model. it depends if you have the package where your key is only detected on the driver's door, or all 3 doors (doesn't work for the back passenger doors)

hope that answered your question

 

Thanks for the clarification. I don't have a Prius yet, but I know I want the 3-door SKS when I get one.

 

The III is drivers-side only (so pretty sure the II would be as well), the IV may be otherwise, not sure.