careful with that !!! I have not seen a woman with less then a dozen purses of which often needs to be changed for no apparent reason
(just curious) Why would a smartkey be any more prone to "loss" than a normal key? I would put it in my pocket when I leave for work, leave it there all day long, and then take it out of my pocket when I get home. I would expect the "chance" of loss for this type of key to be LESS than a standard "insert in ignition" type key (which I sometimes leave in the car.... oooops). As for insurance: It varies company-to-company but yes they might deny your claim. ALSO in my state, leaving your key in your car will get your arrested. The cops got tired of people being stupid, so they petitioned the politicians to make it illegal to leave your car running (or key in the car) when you are not present. The criminal gets jail time but so too does the dumb victim.
Just to echo the same sentiment, the SKS is a blessing. I love the SKS features in all of our cars that support it. One day I envision being able to tie the unique encrypted smart pay pass NFC transceiver found in many smart phones already to open the door to your house and start your car. My house has a Samsung Ezon lock on it now, so I just wave the key card or fob or sticker near the door and it pops open. Car works the same way. After driving with it for so long, I find myself getting in "normal" cars pressing the brake, and hovering my finger over the dashboard looking for the button that doesn't exist. And to answer if insurance companies will cover you if the key is in the vehicle while stolen, the answer is yes. I had a Honda stolen out of driveway. The key was in the car, in the ignition and door unlocked like all my cars without smart keys. Reported it stolen and told the police the key was in the ignition. Told the insurance company it was in the ignition. Still got a cheque for the total loss.
My wife clips it to her wallet. At night if you walk up to it as you get near the inside lights turn on before you unlock it. Also if you leave it on and parked and walk away from it just to the hatch, it starts beeping to let you know it will shut down if you get too far away. It is always looking for the signal of the key fab. We love them, it can be buried in the bottom of her purse and she can drive away.
All true except for one thing - the Prius won't shut down if it's on when you walk away with the key. It will stay on until the power button is pressed to turn off. It's been described on several threads how people will place the Prius in Park and walk away thinking it's off, but later find out it's been cycling on and off for hours, even overnight. Some go through the 2-step process of pressing P than Power, when pressing Power will accomplish both tasks. I save the 2-step process to do exactly what you describe, like getting out to check the mail before going up my driveway.
I am blessed to have a wife who has very simple tastes and uses only one purse. (I bought her a very nice second one when we were dating and she never uses it because she thinks it's too nice to bring to work.)
I think the Smart Key is probably the best 'tech' feature the Prius has. Hugely convenient to never have to fuss with keys. My wife is even more smitten than I. Also, any key built on anything other than a stripped entry level car in the past 15-20 years has an expensive key, remote fob, or both. Heck, I (or my kids) lost my keys to my 1997 Volvo last year and between the (separate) key and remote it was almost $200. It's just the way it is if you want something more than a piece of metal. I really don't see how you could walk away from the car with the key in your pocket. As soon as you leave the driver's seat the car starts beeping at you incessantly. It's an irritation every time I need to scrape the windows, load the kids up, or fill the gas tank.
I put my FOB's in an empty mint tin during the winter season so my Prius can't talk to it until spring It worked great last winter. My car had full battery's when I woke it up 8 months later Mike Mobile on my SGH-i717
I love the smart key, especially since I have developed the habit of trying to lock my keys inside my golf bag after a round of golf. Speaking of golf I have seen two of my friends swear that they lost their smart key when it was buried in their golf bag outside the car, just not close enough to the hatch. I got to play hero twice by moving the bag and pressing the button. I love free beer!
So I need to leave my smartkey with the car while I'm out surfing. Will one of those dealer lockboxes, attached to the driver side window, shield the key from the door opening antenna? Hate to spend $45 on a lockbox that does me no good
My wife is the primary driver of our Prius and I or my two daughter will it occasionally. And, all the female drivers love the smart key -- because they carry purses and they always take their purse with them when they use the car. For me, it's different. I keep the key in my pocket when I'm driving, but I can't just keep it there all the time. I wouldn't have it in my pocket if I'm gardening, raking leaves, cleaning gutters, etc. So to me, it's just another key and I have to manage its whereabouts.
I keep it in my pocket all the time. The fob slides into the little mini-pocket in jeans and pants ("fifth pocket" intended for pocket watches way back in the day) and it stays put there even when doing manual labour.
Take the metal key out of the fob and use that for your doors. Then take fob and wrap in foil or but fob in small metal box and lock in car.
I've become a SKS "Pod Person". Before I owned a Prius I'd read threads about either peoples "love" of the Smart Key, or their problems if they lost or damaged it, and I thought the system sounded more often like an unnecessary pain. And I think in certain circumstance, dealing with a lost fob or damaged fob or system CAN obviously be "problematic". BUT....I also have to admit, I like the SKS system a WHOLE lot more than I thought I would. In fact, had I known that I would like the smart key as much as I do? I think I would of given much more weight to upgrading from a Prius 2. It's just really, really nice to have the fob in your pocket, and have to do nothing but get in your car and push a button. Even now, I'll occasionally have a "senior" moment when I'll head towards the Prius and start to reach in my pocket for the key, before "reality" strikes and I realize that all I have to do is open the door, sit down and push a button and drive. It seems like a little thing, and perhaps it is, but it's a very nice convenience. I'm now one with the many.... Blank Vacant Stare: The Smart Key Is Wonderful! Join Us!
Yes, I have to agree. Driving my wife's Volvo today and I keep forgetting I have to manually unlock the doors! What a pain!
Same in Oklahoma. But not really inforced. But people do get their car stolen a lot buy meth heads or high school kids. Come to think of it. I live in a bad town. Last year something like 18 murders. This year 13. Mostly gangbangers. But with meth being bad, we have a ton of home invations. They are to high to care if anyone is home. They may not steal a car but will break in and steal all of your stuff.
I am with you on being causous. I need a routine to keep track of my stuff including my head. Never leave home without phone or gun.
