Instructions to disable the SKS without Techstream

Why would you want to disable this feature?? Extended Parking while on vacation perhaps??? I think it's a valuable feature and don't understand why you would want to disable it?????

 

I would think maybe being away for weeks at a time, it would help.

But as you stated and is stated in the Manual with a good charge going in, the SKS disables itself to reduce any Battery Drain, so not sure it would be an issue.

One of the nicest features of the car is to not have to use a SKS/FOB and hit unlock, lock etc.

But maybe the OP will say why they are interested in disabling ???

 

Here is the same rewritten shorter (perhaps superfluous but I find it useful):
- Power switch off, driver door closed and unlocked.
- Press the unlock switch of the KEY ONCE.
- Open-close, open-close, open the driver door
- Press the unlock switch of the KEY TWICE
- Close-open-close the driver door
- Wireless buzzer sounds once (disabled) or twice (activated).

Deactivating SKS can be useful if you want to leave the car for an extended period of time and you worry the battery can go flat. I read somewhere that SKS consumes quite some energy.

Did anyone try it?

 

Hi Bob,

I wonder if someone had a passenger that had a pacemaker - they would need to disable the sks? I believe that there is a possiblility that the sks may interfere with a pacemaker. Has anyone had experience with this?

Gail

 

Some of us do sports where the key if carried would get wet. Turning off smart key lets you carry just the metal key without worrying that someone breaks in to steal something then just hits start and goes on a joy ride. There was a surf thread earlier.

 

OK, if your going to be driving someone that you know has a pacemaker, they "can" interfere with the Pacemaker units.

There is a reference in the Manual about that, and in those cases I think disabling the SKS would make good sense, to not cause any issues.

Would be good to speak to Toyota to see if it's all makes or certain makes as well....or the Manufacturer of the Pacemaker on their recommendation?

 

As for disabling like when going surfing, or swimming, I think there have been numerous posts that state you can place your Fob inside a can such as a Altoids Mint can and cover with foil and put inside the car out of sight and just take the key with you....Seems to be the easiest option in my opinion and many have done this.

 

Two questions on this:
1) has anyone done this procedure and does it work?
2) with SKS disabled, can you still lock/unlock the car with the fob buttons?

I'd like to leave a fob in the car without it needing to be in an Altoids tin...

 

This is a silly question, but is it possible to re-activate or 'enable' the SKS after it's been disabled?
OK, one more silly question: When the fob is deactivated, will the radio signals still work to Power on? (will the Power button recognize the fob?)
I'll be recovering from surgery next month, and would like to disable the SKS for a couple weeks in my 2010, and then activate it once I'm back on my feet.
The manual says that the SKS automatically disables itself after 6 or 7 days, but still....
Thanks in advance for any advice on re-enabling the SKS.

 

I don't believe the SKS fully "disables" itself after N days; rather, the system is always "polling" the radio waves looking for you and your fob. This can run the battery down, so, at some point in time (N days), the system shuts the sensitive, energy-using SKS off and waits for a signal from the unlock button on your fob. Then, everything works just as Toyota intended (so there *should* be no need to put the fob up to the START button).

 

If any of you really thinks SKS or any other system in the Prius will interfere with a pacemaker, pacekeeper, or any other medical assist device, may I refer you to cellphone radiation, which is about 1000 times greater than the Prius systems.

The reason the warning is in the manual, the ONLY reason, is for legal considerations!

And if you -still- think there could be a problem, don't you think the pacemaker/pacekeeper/whatever manufacturer wouldn't also be worried about the above legal considerations and take steps in the design to protect their device and patient?

 

It would not surprise me if the SKS could interfere with a pacemaker under the right conditions. I know that a digital cellphone (which is all of them these days. The old analog network was shut down years ago) can interfere with a pacemaker. At issue is the on-off nature of digital signal which can mask a cardiac event and thereby prevent the device from firing when it needs to.

But let's consider the conditions. In order for a cellphone to be a potential problem, it needs to be very close to the pacemaker (say in a breast pocket). It is not a problem if the cellphone is up near the ear nor in a pants pocket. And it's only a potentially problem when the cellphone is transmitting. (See Pacemaker & Cell Phones - Heart Disease and Other Cardiovascular Conditions on MedicineNet.com for further information.) Yes, pacemaker manufacturers know about this problem -- unfortunately, due to the nature of how pacemakers work, there are limits to what they can do about it. So they tell patients to keep their cellphone away from the chest. It's an cheap but effective solution to the problem

As pointed out, the SKS signal strength is significantly lower. It would have to be very close to the pacemaker but yes, it might possibly cause a problem if it were close enough to the pacemaker when it transmits. For this reason, I recommend that you do not duct tape the SKS key to your chest directly over your pacemaker.

But it should not be a problem if you keep your SKS in your pants pocket. (It would also be safe to duct tape it to your ear...)

As pointed out, the warning in the manual is primarily there as CYA.

 

I just bought a new 2011 Prius that gives me a real hard time 'cause I suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity. My last 2008 Prius gave me none of these problems, but the 3d gen Prius gives me.
I tried do deactvate the SKS following the procedure and it didn't work.
Does anyone has an other trick?
Thanks.

 

It's my understanding that the SKS turns off when the car is "ready".
The tire pressure monitors are still on. Ready to disable them too?
How about Bluetooth?

 

Those are good points. Also, the car, being made largely of conductive metal, is a bit of a [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage"]Faraday cage[/ame], meaning it blocks (to some extent) electromagnetic fields from outside the car (that's why your radio has an antenna outside the car, or for some vehicles, directly on a rear window). That can mean that your cell phone has to broadcast stronger signals to communicate with the tower. That probably wouldn't be much different between your 2008 and your 2011, but it's possible.

I'd bet you could find some garments with conductive metal fibers woven in that would provide some protection from electromagnetic fields - I'm pretty sure that's what they use in the anti-static smocks I wore at a previous job, to protect the electronics I was working with. You could also fashion some sort of hat from tinfoil to protect your head.

OK, the last sentence is a joke - sort of. It really would reduce EMF to your head, despite the negative connotation associated with the term "tinfoil hat". I hope you find a way to alleviate your symptoms, because I (and I think most others here) truly believe that you are feeling them, and that they are very difficult to endure. That said, you're going to see a lot of jokes like mine, because most people don't take it very seriously - and for good reason. So far, nearly all double-blind studies on people who self-report themselves as sensitive to EMF have found that they are as likely to report ill effects when they are not being exposed to EMF (but think they are) as when they are actually exposed. Of course, that knowledge doesn't help somebody who is experiencing symptoms, so do whatever you have to to get relief, and good luck.

 

Hi shizen,

I think the procedures miss out one step. From the Repair Manual:

Please try it and let us know if it works.

Vincent

 

>Please try it and let us know if it works.

It didn't work for me. The double doorlock buzz never happened, and the SKS continued as usual.

Does anyone have any more ideas?