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The Wife was Frantic

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Sheepdog, Apr 7, 2008.

  1. Sheepdog

    Sheepdog C'Mere Sheepie!

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    I get off work around 1130pm. I got home a bit past midnite. The wife is in the garage waiting for me. She was upset to the max.

    She says she came into the garage to get something, and before she turned on the light she saw a red blinking light coming from her Prius.

    She said it looks like a red blinking car. I saw it too and didnt know what it was. she checked the doors-nope. I askd about the spare key. Its in the kitchen.

    what is it? I never noticed it before. I went and looked at my car from the back. It was blinking too!


    I never noticed it before. what the heck is it?????
     
  2. BoltonJoe

    BoltonJoe Junior Member

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    Not to worry: It was the symbol that meant your wife was close to the car with the SKKS transmitter in her pocket or purse.

    Look carefully at the symbol, and you'll see that it's a car with a key overlayed on it.

    --Joe
     
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    It's the immobilizer light. It shows that the engine immobilizer is operating, protecting your car from theft. This is what it should be doing.

    If you didn't get a manual with your new car, you should ask the dealer for one.

    Tom
     
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    This is incorrect. It flashes any time the immobilizer is operational, with or without a nearby SKS fob.

    Tom
     
  5. Qlara

    Qlara New Member

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    Are you talking about a red car symbol with a 'key' inside it?
    That's the security (or theft-deterrent) light I suppose, try to look it up from the owner's manual too.

    Why freak out though? A lot of cars have such blinking light these days, some are in orange but mostly in red.
     
  6. Sheepdog

    Sheepdog C'Mere Sheepie!

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    damn. Thanks Qbee. We both have a manual but have not read it yet. I wasnt so updet but she thought the car was broken! LOl I will tell her so she feels better. She was afraid the light would kill the battery. Thanks again!!
     
  7. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

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    Alot of cars have a red light that flashes from inside, usually originating from the area near the car stereo. In fact I have even seen in some car stereo shops a fake flashing red LED so that it deters theives into thinking you have a high end security system.
     
  8. Clubford00

    Clubford00 New Member

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    Since when does a woman even let us know that there is a red or warning light of any kind flashing on the dash???
     
  9. BoltonJoe

    BoltonJoe Junior Member

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    Thanks for the correction, Tom. (I actually did read my manual cover-to-cover, but that was back in November. Guess I didn't memorize it completely. Luckily there wasn't a quiz.)

    Well, I always thought it meant that I had my key fob nearby.

    Anyway, it's nice to know that my car is protected. And your wife needn't get frantic about it.

    --Joe
     
  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    What does " car was blinking from the back mean"? The back lights were flashing or you could see the same symbol on the dash through the back window. I hope you meant the back lights were flashing.
     
  11. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    This would make a good license plate holder or bumper sticker. Of course, I think Dick Cheney probably hates everything. :evil:
     
  12. Sheepdog

    Sheepdog C'Mere Sheepie!

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    admittedly not the most concise writing. but nobody else had a problem with the description. It meant that looking thru the back window in a dark garage she could see a red light blinking from the dash.

    I am glad it wasnt a problem. I never noticed my car after turning it off so didnt know either.
     
  13. Sheepdog

    Sheepdog C'Mere Sheepie!

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    I always just thought that was his job! :lalala:
     
  14. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    A lot of cars use a flashing light. Supposedly it helps scare off would be car thieves. That's why it flashes even without your fob nearby.

    Tom
     
  15. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Funny that this is a very common question I hear from hew owners.
     
  16. ny biker

    ny biker Member

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    My brother used to have a pickup that had one of those lights, but it was really big and was on the bottom of the rear-view mirror. When he first got the truck I asked him what that light was for, and he said I should ask his daughter (who was about 4 at the time.) Her answer was: "it's the clown nose."
     
  17. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

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    Since we started driving...
     
  18. A Prime Factor

    A Prime Factor Formerly "I want my PHEV"

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    When I picked up my Prius, and the salesman was showing me all the features, that light was the first thing I noticed and asked about.

    At first, it bothered me. That was until I had my 12v battery die one day. The car was really dead, and even the red blinking car light was gone. Now, I can just look for the blinking red car and know my car is alive. That is its little heartbeat while it is sleeping.
     
  19. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    Macs (Apple Macintosh) have had this for a long time. When the computer is asleep, there is a light that pulses on and off. But it doesn't abruptly turn on and off; it ramps up and down, kinda like the computer is breathing. On my older Power Mac, it is the On/Off button, on my two laptops it is the button that releases the lid.
     
  20. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Another demonstration that people can be terrible observers, even in low stress situations.

    No one should ever be convicted of a crime solely on the basis of eyewitness testimony by strangers.