proximity key sensor doesn't always work

check your battery...

 

Your door will never open as you approach it. You always have to touch the inside of the door handle for the front doors, and press on the underside of the hatch release for the rear hatch. If you are doing this, and it still doesn't unlock, then there are several possibilities:

1) A weak battery in your key fob.

2) The SKS is turned off at the button under the steering wheel. Note that it will never work if it is turned off, so this is not your problem.

3) Something is interfering with the radio signal from the fob. If you keep your cell phone in the same pocket as the key fob it can cause this sort of problem.

Tom

 

Matt,

If my body is between the fob and the car, my door will not open (or lock for that matter). Same thing happens when the fob is in my tote bag jammed with stuff when it is in the pocket on the side away from the car.

 

Sometimes if I have my keys in the pocket on the same side as my cell phone hanging from my belt, the Prius doesn't sense it as I walk up.

 

Remember also that the "bubble" of area which the sensors cover is only about 24-36 inches from the skin of the car. Electrical interference from outside sources such as power lines, radio towers or other sources can have a big effect. Try making sure the pocket with the fob is angled close to the door handle.

 

If the problem only happens at one location, then you can assume it's outside interference. The problem is most likely your cell phone, or standing in such a way that the fob is too far from the sensor.

Keeping your fob close to a cell phone can run down the battery in the fob. The cell phone signal can cause the fob to respond, and doing that over and over is a power drain.

Tom

 

This happened to me too

Reading the manual was of no help--perhaps it was in there and being a newby, it didn't click mentally.

I discovered that if I manually use the smartkey lock option to lock the doors, then, I could only use the smartkey to manually unlock the door. The manual said that if I left it unlocked, the car would lock itself within 30 seconds. It did--and when I approached the car, it unlocked automatically. Hope this helps.

 

I would guess the most likely culprit is your cell phone. Try to keep them in pockets on opposite sides of your body. (If you have your keys in your right pants pocket and the cell phone in the right pocket of your coat, you'll get interference.)

Another option: (I know this has happened to some folks, so please do not get upset at the suggestion.) If you happen to press on the "lock" button at the same time you are attempting to open the door, the door will not unlock. Some people have become confused at the purpose of the button and get very upset when the car door remains locked. Others have simply placed their thumbs on the button when opening the door, neither realizing nor intending they are continuously locking the door as they attempt to open it.

 

That's exactly it!

Of course there were many cars where the push button was lower than the handle and not just to the right of it. I had a '68 Camaro RS with that kind of door handle.

Some of the later cars make it even worse. The ones where the handle itself moved out from the door required one to establish some leverage point. This was gained mainly by use of the thumb -- pushing down right about where the button exists for today's Prius.

Thanks for the reminder!

 

Also keep in mind that the door sensor uses the resistance from your hand to detect that your hand is present. Sometimes, or if you've got very dry skin, it will not sense a hand is there; your hand is not moist enough.

The exact same principle can be applied to a laptop touch-pad; if your hand is too dry the mouse will not move.

If your dome lights are coming on but the door just isn't listening to you, take off your gloves

You can test this any time you have a Prius, your keyfob, and a hose all in the same place. Stand near the car and hit the door with a stream of water. Once you wet the door handle, it will unlock. It's kind of a security concern if you think about it, albeit a weird one.

~ dan ~

 

bare hands only

I also noticed that I can't unlock the doors when wearing my leather palm mittens - I have to take the mitten off to get the smart key to know that my hand is on the inside of the door handle. I had forgotten this "feature" since last winter.

 

We all have experiences that you sometimes need to touch the inside of the door handle more than once to get it to open for you. This is usually caused by static charge at you hand. The first touch discharges your static off, the second one works. Next time, you can try to touch the Prius skin first, then touch the door hande, it should work everytime.

Something happens with touch screen NAVI. My hands are dryer than most. I have static charge on my body quite often. Yes, people with dry skin usually accumulate more static charge. However, it is the static charge that is causing those device to fail on the first try (not dry skin precisely).

Just my guess of course.

 

I have had a few isolated occasions when the SKS did not function. Once I was parked next to another Prius. The owner of that one had opened the door nearest mine before I tried to open mine, and in repeated attempts my SKS would not open my door. I had to press the Unlock button on my fob.

I have had this experience a couple of other times when there was not another Prius close by. My cell phone is never on, unless I am making a call, so that is not the culprit. It's usually tucked away in the car somewhere.

perhaps this is new??? My 2004 does not lock itself automatically. However, if you unlock it by touching the door handle, but do not open the door, then it will re-lock itself.

Anyone assuming their Prius will lock itself when they walk away without locking it should make sure this is actually a feature added since 2004, and that they are not misunderstanding the manual.

 

Option 1: Steam up the fingers of the mittens with very hot, moist breath

Option 2: Lick the fingers of the mittens

Option 3: READ THE ONE-PARAGRAPH RESPONSE I POSTED LAST wEEK.

Seriously, if any of you have ever owned a laptop computer, you're talking about the same technology. Can you use the touchpad of your laptop when you wear those mittens? No; not unless you lick the fingertips.

~ dan ~

And the car does not just lock itself when you turn it off and get out; it locks itself when you UNLOCK it from the OUTSIDE without opening any of the doors for 30 seconds. If you park your car, get out and walk away expecting it to lock itself, you're leaving it unlocked.

 

50% of the time the light switch may be in the wrong position . . . at least it is after my wife drives the car.

In order for an interior light to come on when the SKS key is brought within range, the switch located at the light must be in the "door" position.

This goes for both the 'dome' light in the front passenger compartment near the rear view mirror, and also for the one in the ceiling in the rear passenger compartment.

You can have either, both, or none come on with the SKS key.

In the front the switch needs to be to the left. In the back, to the right.