Can the smart key lock doors automatically?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Aug 31 2006, 03:33 PM) [snapback]312323[/snapback]</div>

Very well said, galaxee! All valid points.

I think you hit the nail on the head in the very first paragraph (quoted above) - if you accidentally leave the keys in the car and shut it off and walk away thinking it will auto-lock, then you have just left an open invitation for anyone to walk up to your unlocked car and drive away.

Of course, one aspect of the 'Smart Key' is that it will not allow the car to lock with the key inside, so by making a habit of pressing the black button as you leave the vehicle, you are locking the car but also confirming that you in fact have the key on you - and not leaving it in the car (or else you get that long beeeep).

BTW - azzieo, pressing the black button on the handle is still a 'Smart' function, as the car will not acknowledge a press of this button unless the fob is within range.

Kevin

 

Azzieo,

I would like the auto lock feature to be available too!!! But I can live withour it, I'd rather have the doors lock automatically when you reach a certain speed, say 20mph or so. That would be nicer to me. I'd also rather have DRL's and a compass instead of the dumb snowflake telling me it's below 37 degrees. Also in one of your first posts you mentioned the door unlocking when you put your hand up the handle and it just unlocks that door. Mine did that initially but I changed it so that all 4 doors unlock when any door is unlocked. That way my family doesn't have to wait until I get in the car and hit the unlock button. I don't remember right off the bat just how I did it but it can't be very tough if I did it!!

regards,

Joe

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sarge @ Aug 31 2006, 03:07 PM) [snapback]312350[/snapback]</div>

 

I would like to have automatic locking because it would suit the way I operate my car.
99% of the time I am the only person that uses and travels in my car. I am hard of hearing and when parked on the side of the road with traffic passing cannot hear the beep when I press that black button on the driver's door, necessitating me having to try the back passenger's door to see if the car is locked. I do not use the button on the fob because it is always in my pocket not my hand.
An automatic locking system would solve this problem.
By the way, where I come from it is illegal to leave a car unlocked and unattended.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(joe350gt @ Aug 31 2006, 02:01 PM) [snapback]312383[/snapback]</div>

Coastal Tech sells an Auto-Lock kit which locks the doors at 16mph.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(azzieo @ Aug 31 2006, 11:50 AM) [snapback]312303[/snapback]</div>

Just have to put my 2 cents in as I turn 60 tomorrow. :blink: Funny, I don't feel like a complacent old person. However this non-complacent old person has no use for an auto lock option. If it was there, I'd disable it anyway. :angry:

Azzieo is within his rights to want an auto locking option - I have no issue with that but it's another option, another cost. Your statement about the "ratio between importance and cost to implement" is true. I rate the feature as very low importance and hence, don't care if it's implemented. Also, since I believe Toyota does a lot of market research, they may have came to the same conclusion. It was not an item in enough demand to pursue implementation. Sounds like a great niche for an after market manufacturer or just sound off to Toyota.

They build it, I just drive and enjoy the heck out of it. Since I have no use for an auto lock option, I won't be contacting Toyota. Oh yes, I love my MP3 player. I record music, it plays it ... cool! B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(azzieo @ Aug 31 2006, 05:12 PM) [snapback]312386[/snapback]</div>

Agreed so far.

I also agree that the car should also be locked when unattended, however, the exact reason for having this feature could easily backfire by simply forgetting the fob in the car. Since you are not manually locking the car when you leave, the car cannot warn you that you forgot the key. It will just sit there unlocked - with key inside. (On that note, the would-be thief would not even need to find the fob, just press the brake & power, since it is a smart key after all. :huh:

FWIW, I do not have kids either and also always carry my keys in my pocket, therefore myself personally would be highly unlikely to fall into this situation as well. But that's not my point. My point is that for the average person, these are very possible scenarios. I am considering scenarios other than just those that apply to me personally.

Yeah, I think things sort of went south a bit, but I just see it as a healthy debate over differing views.

The idea has merit, but my personal feeling about it is just an idea with too many "what ifs". You clearly do not agree with my reasoning - and that's fine since we are all entitled to our opinions - so we will just have to agree to disagree on this idea.

Kevin

 

The Canadian Prius I test drove last month locked when I walked away from it. It unlocked when I turned around, walked toward it, and touched the door handle to see if it really locked (I heard it lock and saw the lights flash when I walked away). Then when I walked away again chuckling, it locked again. I had the fob in my pocket to return to the salesman. I'm not sure what's different between it and yours. It was a 2006 package "B" (all options except nav and leather). Maybe the salesman was messing with me, using the second fob.

 

Sorry to bring this back, but I think you missed the point on this one thing: If you leave your fob in the car *by accident* and walk away thinking that your car is going to lock itself, you're in trouble because it won't, and then your car is sitting there, unlocked, key inside, ready to be driven away by anyone who tries.

That alone is enough of a reason for me because on more than one occasion I or my wife has left a fob in the car and discovered it by trying to lock the door.

That said, I appreciate the relentless, if misguided determination of an engineer and respect your right to mod your car in this way, and later remove the mod when you experience its problems first-hand

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Aug 31 2006, 11:38 PM) [snapback]312564[/snapback]</div>

The door will automatically relock itself after 30 seconds if you unlock it but don't open a door.

So, if you touched the inside of the door handle or pressed the unlock button on the fob, but didn't actually open a door, the car will relock 30 seconds later, probably about the time you started to walk away.

This is to guard against accidental unlocks, for instance if the fob button gets pushed by your cell phone while in your pocket.

 

French RENAULT cars have the autolock features and close windows as standard and it work's well since 4-5 years. I thinks Prius would have the same, for me the first sence of a keyless system is to autolock the car (sometime, i forgot to do with the Fob).
In the case of the prius, if someone would be 'forgot' in the car, the will play the Alarm -Horn, so that's a good reminder where is really preventing to let people locked in the car and security is even improved.

 

<_< Quote azzieo: "You know how when you pull the driver's or passenger's handle, it unlocks THAT door, but not the others?"

Actually, which doors unlock when you touch the inside of the driver's door is adjustable, or settable. I chose to have all four doors and the hatch unlock when I touch the driver's door handle. Instructions on how to select which doors will (or won't) unlock can be found in the Owner's Manual.

 

I had this happen to me today when I was locking and unlocking the car with the touch areas. I did not open the door. I continued working in the garage close to my car and about a minute later, I heard the doors lock automatically. The keys were in the seat. Fortunately I had the drivers window down. Is this "automatic lock" feature a good idea? should the car have locked itself with the keys inside? Have only had this 2010 Prius for two weeks and I am still learning.

 

Raising a dead thread but, what if the prius can beep and flash its lights after u walk a certain distance away from the car. U have your confirmation that your fob is not dead, your car is locked, and no one is stalking u with a door unlocked bc if the door did happeN to open, your suspect got inside then closed the door, you should have heard the door closing.

 

It wouldnt matter because the fob is still close enough for you to unlock the door regardless if u had windows open.

 

I think we need to get the archaeology team in here to stake this ancient thread off....

Many years ago, I owned a vehicle that I had an aftermarket alarm system installed. One of the features was that if you turned off the vehicle, removed the key (not a smart key vehicle) then opened the drivers door to exit...and closed that door, within 20-40 seconds the vehicle would lock the doors and arm the alarm automatically.

Personally? I really liked this feature.
I don't know how many times I get into a store, or a movie theater then have that split second worry trying to remember if I actually locked the vehicle or forgot. I've actually left events just to walk back to my car and make sure. With the self arming feature, I never had to worry.

The times in life where there was some reason I cared or needed it to NOT be locked upon stopping and getting out? Were far and few between. I think there was some way to bypass it, but honestly, I think except for occasional camping trips, there were just not that many times I wanted the vehicle empty not occupied but also not locked.

If I remember right the arming of the self lock feature was actually engaged by the opening and closing of the drivers door after the vehicle had been turned off. So if for some reason you wanted it "Off" but unlocked? All you had to do was unlock the doors using the fob, AFTER it had self armed and if you did not open or close the drivers door, it would not re-arm.

Not a deal breaker as almost every vehicle I have owned since has NOT had this feature, but I think self arming alarms are nice. Especially as I get older and the times when I can't remember if I remembered to lock the doors become more and more frequent. Would probably save me a few paranoid trips back to my parked car to check.