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Walk-Away Auto Lock and Auto Shut Down?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Zteve, Apr 16, 2023.

  1. Zteve

    Zteve New Member

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    I bought our Prius a month ago. I've already walked away with the engine running several times. I assumed the car would turn itself off when I locked it, but it doesn't. I think Toyota's usability testing should have discovered this issue and changed the functioning. The default should be closing the doors and windows also turns off the engine.

    Our previous car had the same fob for the doors, but the engine turned on and off with a key, not a button. When we left the car, we had to turn key and take it with us, so the engine was never left running.
     
  2. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    No warning beeps? Does the door actually lock from the outside when ignition is still on?

    I'm wondering if the previous owner changed some of the factory default settings to allow you to get into this situation. You may wish to change them back.
     
  3. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Today I went and refreshed my memory about how my Gen3 handles this case:

    (1) Upon exiting the car with ignition still on and fob in my pocket, the car beeps 3 times;
    (2) the fob's lock button won't lock it.

    I'd be surprised if Toyota messed this up on Gen4. At least with factory defaults, before an owner starts changing settings.
     
    3PriusMike likes this.
  4. DPri

    DPri Junior Member

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    Wow, 3 years old thread arose from dead..lol.
    It's called remote starter, my prius can be turned on from thousands feet away, door will be automatically locked, open door or brake pedal will shut the engine / prius system down
     
  5. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    That's nuthin'. We frequently revive much older threads. It isn't like old ones are no good anymore.
    I don't use the remote AC on mine, but everything else you describe certainly doesn't resemble my Gen3. The fob's range isn't remotely close to a thousand feet, and neither the door nor brake pedal can shut down the ignition.

    I want it to continue to run and warm up while I step outside to scrape off frost, ice, or snow from all the windows, just like any other vehicle. This is a necessity in climate zones that experience winter. Other people have used the car as a backup generator to power various things during power outages, and don't want the ignition automatically shutting down.
     
  6. Zteve

    Zteve New Member

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    To follow up on my posting, there's an accessory function called Remote Start. For Gen4 Priuses, it's available only on the Prime model. I don't know the cost, don't care because I can't have it installed. I don't want to start the car remotely, anyway. I want to stop it when I leave the car and lock it with the fob.
     
  7. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Same. When someone post a non turd gen thing, o don’t care because it’s not relevant to turd gend. It’s extra curricular reading which I’ll never get my time back reading.[/QUOTE]
     
  8. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    I'm still waiting for confirmation from anyone else that the Gen4 can be locked with the fob when the ignition is still on. My Gen 3 won't. It can be locked from the inside with a button on the door handle, and likely from outside with the mechanical key, but not electronically from the outside with the fob or door handle touch sensor.
     
    #8 fuzzy1, May 5, 2023
    Last edited: May 5, 2023
  9. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Funny, I just went out to my Gen 3 and made it READY, and it did allow me to lock the door with the mechanical key. It then didn't allow unlocking by any method except the mechanical key.

    That wouldn't be funny, except I thought I remembered it not letting me do that. Maybe that was my Gen 1....
     
  10. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    You are here...(yellow highlighter)

    63E1C0BB-FB4A-40BE-82AD-889D037F51F1.jpeg
     
  11. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

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    I do it all the time.

    Btw The insurance company still has to pay if you have fire and theft coverage and the car is stolen even if the engine was running and the keys were in it. So long as it was stolen it was stolen and they have to pay. There's a lot of exclusions in insurance policies that are not enforceable. Just because it's right in the policy doesn't mean it's upheld by a court or upheld by law
     
  12. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I'm thinking a person with the resources to challenge an insurance company at that game and win might also have the resources to self-insure.
     
  13. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    This round of conversation is about a Gen4:

    upload_2023-5-6_9-27-6.png
     
  14. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    . I’ll report that round so it can free up posts related 3rd gen.
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    *Moved to Gen 4*
     
  16. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    You can lock outside with a key on a gen 3, whoops this is now on a 4 gen forum. Extra curricular readings are the best!!!
     
  17. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

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    I've entered into contracts with large organizations who write things that sound threatening in the contract. All the while I know that it's not enforceable and it's really meant to intimidate and prevent behavior by coercion. I giggle when I see unenforceable things in contracts. One of my favorites is when they forbid something in the contract but there's no recourse for what they forbid. I suppose you could say it's breach of contract but if they permit it to go on then they're upholding the contract so they're not terminating for breach. If they do terminate for breach you can be deemed released from the contract and therefore it can no longer be enforced upon you. Great way to get out of the enforcement. Just compelled them to declare the contract breached. Any lawyers in the group here who care to fine-tune this?
     
  18. Doug McC

    Doug McC Active Member

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    I just checked our ‘22 XLE and I could NOT lock the car with it in READY (ie: engine running; hybrid system on). Closing the door with the key fob in my pocket resulted in a long beep and a message on the screen saying to shut down the system. Trying to lock it resulted in multiple beeps and a similar warning. Again, on my ‘22 XLE GEN 4, with the system on (in READY) I cannot lock the car with the key fob in my pocket.

    Your assumption that the car will shut itself off when you lock it is incorrect. It won’t for at least two reasons: the car may not be in PARK, or Leaving the key in the car and locking it via the outside door handle defeats the point of the theft prevention system (with the key in the car anyone can walk up and unlock the car via the driver’s door and drive away).

    The car WILL shut itself down (Auto Shutdown feature) after approximately 20 to 60 minutes (depending on the circumstances), but that’s a different situation.
     
  19. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    From the way you've written this, I can't tell whether you also tried taking the mechanical key out of the fob in your pocket, and locking with that. (If Gen 4 even still has a mechanical key in the fob.) My 2010 does allow me to lock that way.
     
  20. Doug McC

    Doug McC Active Member

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    I wrote the response to the OP question, so I didn’t address that issue.

    To answer your post, yes you can lock it with the vehicle in READY with the mechanical key, however (anticipating the next questions), it will not allow locking the car with either the “mechanical” (red) lock button or the push button lock button on the door arm rest. AND, the only way to unlock it (once you have locked it in READY) is with the mechanical key.
    So in effect, it seems that Toyota is making hard enough that you have to make several decisions to leave the car in an unsafe mode and walk away from it.