Prius Automatic door lock

Personally, I would be leary of automatic door locking. From experience, I know that once the Prius is sucessfully locked, it won't let you unlock it from the inside.

I had a four hour adventure at a water park where I tried to get a couple of AAA tow truck drivers to open my car that I had managed to lock the keys in. It's real hard to lock your keys in the car, particularly with the SKS, but I managed to find a way. Anyhow, in both cases, the towtruck drivers stuck a wedge into the door frame to pry the upper part back and stuck a long rod into the car. They then used the rod to try to press the unlock button, pull the door handle, flip the lock lever, and press the power window buttons. The unlock button and the door handle only made the horn go off for 30 seconds. The lock lever flipped back to the locked position as soon as you let go of it. And the power window buttons did nothing.

So, for those of you who have the automatic door lock mod, I would like you to try the following.

Go to the grocery store with your significant other. Have your significant other take the key and go into the store, allowing the doors to automatically lock behind him/her. Meanwhile, you can wait in the car in the back seat and read a book for a little while. After 10 minutes or so, try to get out of the car.

If you can get out of the car, then I'm willing to at least consider getting the automatic door lock mod.

However, based on my experience, I think that you will find that you will be unable to exit the car and will have to wait for your significant other to return from shopping.

By the way, the owner's manual actually suggests, in an offhanded way, that you break a window to get into the car if you lock the keys in it.

 

Shesla, I will buy it. I cut and p[asted that email address and it was rejected. My email is [email protected]

 

I am trying to use my memory now, but why would'nt pulling on the door handle or just pushing the manual button with your finger unlock the car?

 

Nope. The Prius has a feature that is intended to prevent a thief from getting inside your car. Pulling the door handle makes the car honk loudly for 30 seconds or so, but otherwise does nothing. Fliping the manual lock lever also makes the car honk for 30 seconds and will flip back into the lock position as soon as you let go of it. Maybe, just maybe, if you had the presence of mind to do it, you could hold the manual lock level in the unlocked position and then pull the door handle.

Here's the thread about my water park experience. I was posting under the name of rcroft at the time...

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=9254

 

I haven't tried this but it is my understanding that you can crawl into the back, lift the cover and the tray over the spare tire, and unlock the hatchback manually? Has anyone tried this? If not maybe I'll try it later today, it's to cold out ther right now.

 

Ahh, if it's just the "lock the doors when you put it in drive" kind of thing, I have no problem with that.

It's the "lock the doors 45 seconds after turning off the car" mod that I wouldn't touch.

However, one thing that I've noticed is that when I lock the doors while driving (usually as I drive through downtown Philadelphia), when I get to where I'm going, I can open my door by pulling the handle, but my daughter in the back seat can't open her door. I haven't tried the front passenger door. I never set any child locks that I am aware of.

 

Yes, it's the "lock the doors when you put it in drive" kind of thing.

The rear doors won't unlock by merely pulling on the handle, like in the front. If the rear doors are locked (whether by the auto lock or by pressing the button), the door won't open unless you either push the button on the door or the driver pressing the door lock rocker switch on the arm. Normally it's just my wife and I so if there's passengers in the back, I just hit the button as I'm getting out.

 

I locked my car, left the door open to run into the house and put the fob away (mimicing wife leaving me behind) anhd got back into car and shut door. The "alarm" light activated, but I was able to 1) just open the door (no alarm) and 2) just push the lock mechanism with my finger and open the door.

I don't think the system was set up to prevent you from exiting the car if you are locked inside somehow.

 

Did you wait 30 seconds for the alarm to set?

Aaf709, are you sure the child lock isn't turned on?

 

Nope, will have to try it that way.

 

Save money buy the one from PCchat; on a 2009 the Coastal auto lock locks on startup and not at 15mph as they claim.

 

That is the one feature my wife and I sorely miss in my 2001 Prius. We're so used to our other cars' doors locking at 15 mph, that we sometimes forget to lock our doors.

Some people ask "Why bother?". Well for me personally, I have been the victim of an armed intruder getting in my passenger door when it was unlocked. (Even though I always told my passengers to lock their doors).