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remote key/door opener suddenly stopped working!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by pellouch, May 15, 2009.

  1. krousdb

    krousdb NX-74205

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    I am having the same problem. I have replaced the fob battery several times. Currently the remote works when I stand behind the car but not when I stand in front of it. Could my front sensor be bad? Where is it located. Is it interchangeable with the rear sensor?
     
  2. EdHERES

    EdHERES New Member

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    I'm new to this site, but find myself in need of some help. the latest with the Prius that I am watching while my uncle is in China is that it is in the driveway, locked, and the remotes do not work. The red lights go on when you try to use the remotes, but the car does not unlock. If the problem is the battery has run down (very possible, as we don't drive the car often enough) how do we get in the car to get to the battery to have it charged to get the car to run? Is there an alternative other than a locksmith? UGH!

    Thanks.




     
  3. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    The key fobs have an emergency key you put in the keyhole. See http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/foru...188144445-2008-key-remote-work-2007-prius.jpg. You need to just push over the switch next to the key loop.

    If the fob's battery is dead (or SKS is disabled via the button under the steering column mentioned earlier), you can put the key fob into the slot to the right of wheel. Hopefully you know you have to have your foot on the brake before pushing power to go and that you must turn off the car before leaving (ready and all dash lights off).

    If the 12 volt is dead, you can use another car or portable 12 V pack to jump the Prius via the jumping terminals under the hood, but be ABSOLUTELY SURE that you have the polarity right otherwise you could blow the inverter. Heed the warning about it being a multi-thousand dollar part.
     
  4. papaavi

    papaavi Junior Member

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    This just happened to me. My wife pressed the key button with her knee... I just pressed it once so the little nub is out and the fob-door handle recognition and little black lock button work again.... Of course before I checked on Prius chat I tediously changed the battery... Although if you are noticing shorter distance with the lock button on the fob, perhaps a battery change is in order... Although, this could all be psychological.
     
  5. JodyD

    JodyD Junior Member

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    Can you believe I've had my Prius for 5 years and I didn't even know that button existed. The same thing happened to me this morning - suddenly neither key fob would work and the car wouldn't start without the key in the slot. I googled the problem, came upon this chat, checked for the button, and voila, somehow it had been pushed in. Pulled it out (or rather pushed it out), and everything works. Prius chat is great. Thanks for the great information.
     
  6. Dan Vogel

    Dan Vogel New Member

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    Thanks a MILLION Larry !!! Your idea w/ the button to make the key fob work was magic.Dan and Lisa
     
  7. Dan Vogel

    Dan Vogel New Member

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    Thanks a MILLION Larry !!! Your idea w/ the key fob button was magic. Dan and Lisa
     
  8. Hyelite

    Hyelite The prius and the cat/dog on the beach

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    I've posted this under another thread but I'm having the same problem and I have turned the little button on/off multiple times and nothing. I can change the battery but I changed it earlier this year or late last year and neither FOB works. I'm out of ideas!?
     
  9. Hyelite

    Hyelite The prius and the cat/dog on the beach

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    also the light with the car & key across it is blinking which I don't remember it doing.
     
  10. MJ50

    MJ50 Junior Member

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    my keyfob just stopped working all of sudden today...
    had to unlock door with metal key...
    car starts fine with keyfob once i got in the car...
    came home and changed keyfob battery but that didn't work...
    i noticed red light doesn't turn on when i press any of the buttons on the keyfob...
    what could be wrong?
     
  11. MJ50

    MJ50 Junior Member

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    nm... fixed...
    panic button was stuck pressed...
     
  12. PristinePrius

    PristinePrius Junior Member

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    I have a similar problem related to the posts about the keys. About a week or two ago walking to my car I noticed by me pressing the unlock button on the remote that my doors weren't opening. Little red light didn't flash, nada. After fiddling around and pressing harder it unlocked thankfully and I went about my business. This morning it happened again, tried to get into my car but it wasn't unlocking my doors, and again the little red light didn't turn on. So I used my metal key and got in, the alarm did NOT go off which surprised me. But the remote in and again went on about my business. The entire day I've locked the doors manually, but the last time I shut down the car, I pushed the lock button and it worked!...Could it be the battery inside the remote? Or something else? Thanks in advance.
     
  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Tried changing the battery inside the FOB first. If it doesn't fix your problem, then you most likely have a stuck button on your FOB
     
  14. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    I had the exact same problem, new battery, and you could feel the button was not moving. I fulled back the rubber over the stuck switch position, inserted a needle and unstuck the switch. It took all of 20 sec to fix. I pulled the rubber back over the switch, and I don't have a problem anymore! It really was simple!
     
  15. Taimur Nizami

    Taimur Nizami New Member

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    I have a 2011 Japanese Prius.I encountered this problem last night when my car wasn't not responding to the remote, so i opened the car with the key to get in. as i tried to start the car by holding the brake and pressing the start button, there was no indication on the start button or the screen, i tried the same for 30 seconds and after a few attempts it started. after the startup all the settings were reset including the stereo, climate control and the trip meters including their past histories. Can anybody help me in identifying what the issue might have been? Thanks
     
  16. hchu1

    hchu1 Active Member

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    Check your 12v, it is likely going bad.
     
  17. bjsmith35

    bjsmith35 New Member

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    OK I know this will sound weird as hell but it worked for my 2017 prius v2 for a year no issues at all then out of nowhere it locked me out at a gas station door sensors not working key fob would not unlock, had to try out my metal key and it did get me in the car, then started ran drove fine would not lock the rest of the day kept acting like there was a keyfob in the car when there wasn't (we only had two and my wife had the other one 30 miles away!) after dealing with it all day and making an appointment at the dealer in the evening I just decided to try the old I.T. trick (turn it off and back on again) so basically I unhooked the battery and left it unhooked for 5 minutes.... hooked it back up and problem still there, at this point I am thinking I paid 30k for not quite a year of no problems and i just knew the next day that i would wake up to the fire dept putting my car out ( i have a tendency to imagine the worst, I'm working on it! ;) ) so I tried one more thing after looking for this button that my car apparently does not have or at least it is not under the steering wheel, the tire pressure reset was though. after doing everything I can think of I think if this is going to the dealer I am getting my crap out of it just in case they have to keep it for a while, well lo and behold suddenly i could lock/unlock the doors with the keyfob again, it is not beeping like i left a key in it, and I could even lock the doors by pushing the the door handle outside or unlock by grabbing the handle! what did I do as a last resort? i unplugged my cell phone charger from the 12v power. I do not know how it made my car think it was a key but as soon as i removed it all the issues went away, and since I work in I.T. I have learned sometimes to just not question the miracle! It drives me nuts not knowing how that could happen but at least my car is working again. Hope this helps someone who is as confused as i was!
     
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  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome, great first post!

    prius is notorious for developing random bugs when you plug things into it. no idea why.

    probably just poor toyota code.
     
  19. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    I doubt that it is a random bug or poor code.

    The poster identified it was his phone causing the problem. Considering a late model "smart" phone has at least 3 RF transmitters on it, any one of which could develop a problem and may or may not go out of spec, it is easy to see why it might interfere with the car's radio electronics.
     
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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