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Not Smart Enough for SKS?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by wahooky, Mar 4, 2007.

  1. wahooky

    wahooky New Member

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    OK - here's my Smart Key story.

    Come home from work, park 05 Prius in garage, turn off car, run in, change clothes, run out, start car, drive 90 miles to in-laws, park in driveway, turn off car, eat dinner, etc. :)

    Next day, I realize I dont have the smart key fob. :( When I changed pants, fob didnt get changed. So car wont start. I call Toyota dealer. They say tow it over - they have to do electronic stuff. So I call tow man, but he cant tow the car, because its parked nose in, cant get truck to the front. Cant move the car, because wheels are locked. I call Toyota dealer. They have no ideas. :blink: Say it will cost $2000 anyway to reprogram. :angry:

    So I borrow father in laws car and drive home to get the dam fob and drive back. [At least I get to skip church at the in-laws.]

    OK - I know Im a maroon, :huh: but what did I do wrong? [my father in law had a number of suggestions, as you can imagine] How did the car start up and drive off without the fob? And is it true that you cant tow one of these things unless you can get to the front to jack it up?


    [Earlier, I had lost one of the fobs - this episode caused me to get the thing replaced - $225 :( - and an afternoon while the dealer figured out how to do it. But not as bad as $1-2k if you dont have any of the fobs.]
     
    #1 wahooky, Mar 4, 2007
  2. mcbrunnhilde

    mcbrunnhilde Opera singin' Prius nut!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wahooky @ Mar 4 2007, 04:57 PM) [snapback]400058[/snapback]</div>
    When you ran in to change clothes, you must have just put the car in Park. If you don't shut it off completely, then you can drive the car without the fob being there. You'll just see a yellow light on the dash warning you that the fob is not in range.

    When I first got the car, I took one of the fobs and hid it in the car (without the battery). Since I'm a solo driver, I don't have a spouse to bail me out if my purse is lost or stolen when I have the car. If there are two drivers, I recommend purchasing a third fob to hide in the car (oh, and get a new key cut to hide on the outside of the car...it doesn't have to be the special little key as it's just a standard Toyota blank only shorter).
     
    #2 mcbrunnhilde, Mar 4, 2007
  3. biff_debris

    biff_debris WOOF!

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    I've never experimented, but, is it possible to start the car when the fob is merely near the car and not inside? Perhaps, if this is possible, the fob was close enough to your car when at your house. The car started and you drove out of range. After shutting off the car, it would not start again.

    I'll have to give this a try...
     
    #3 biff_debris, Mar 4, 2007
  4. mcbrunnhilde

    mcbrunnhilde Opera singin' Prius nut!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(biff_debris @ Mar 4 2007, 08:39 PM) [snapback]400151[/snapback]</div>
    I believe it really has to be IN the car to start it...it doesn't even work if the fob is in the hatch. It has to be in either the front or rear seat area
     
    #4 mcbrunnhilde, Mar 4, 2007
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    The Prius knows the difference between "near" and "in" the car. You can not start the car with the fob near-but-not-inside.

    As for driving it there, I agree that you must have not actually turned it off. There have been many now-funny stories of people dropping off their loved one at the airport (or theater or restaurant) and driving away without the fob. But once the car is stopped it will not start again.
     
    #5 TonyPSchaefer, Mar 4, 2007
  6. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    #6 galaxee, Mar 5, 2007
  7. rufaro

    rufaro WeePoo, Gen II

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcbrunnhilde @ Mar 4 2007, 05:15 PM) [snapback]400061[/snapback]</div>
    Me, I just took out the mechanical key, wrapped the rest of the fob in aluminum foil, and hid it buried in one of the hatch hidey-holes...the screwdriver stuff kinda put me off removing the battery...

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcbrunnhilde @ Mar 4 2007, 08:42 PM) [snapback]400155[/snapback]</div>
    ...And, based on the above, I have found that I cannot LOCK the car if the hidden one isn't wrapped/hidden enough--the car still knows it's there. Never tried to START the car at that point, however, with or without my main fob, so I do not know about that. I'm guessing it would start at that point, even if I did not have the other fob about my person...
     
    #7 rufaro, Mar 10, 2007
  8. jiepsie

    jiepsie New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Mar 10 2007, 11:26 AM) [snapback]403285[/snapback]</div>
    Many insurance companies here expect you to show you still possess the keys (all of them) if the car gets stolen. No keys? No coverage, you made it too easy to steal the car. Unless the thief broke into your home, but there would be damage to your home then.
     
    #8 jiepsie, Mar 10, 2007
  9. jburns

    jburns Senior Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lowlander @ Mar 10 2007, 06:10 AM) [snapback]403291[/snapback]</div>
    No way could they win that in court. No coverage because you left your key in the car? One reason you buy insurance is to cover you when you or someone else screws up.
    I wonder how the insurance company would feel if at the end of each year they had to return all the collected premiums to anyone who didn't make a claim.
     
    #9 jburns, Mar 10, 2007
  10. iaowings

    iaowings New Member

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    #10 iaowings, Mar 10, 2007
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