'05 Prius Smartkey only works to start car, not for entry. Help!

The red light is normal, and means that the fob battery is probably OK. (When there is no red light then the fob battery is dead.) Check the Smart Key System on/off switch at the bottom of the dash below the steering wheel. It may simply have been turned off.

Did a 2005 Owner's Manual come with the car? If not then buy one, either online or from a dealer. It's full of info that you need to know. And, if you don't have Toyota's Scheduled Maintenance Guide, see here:
Toyota Parts and Service

 

push the little button on the panel under the steering wheel. Your smartkey system has been turned off.

 

Two suggestions:

1) try pressing the button under the steering wheel as previously suggested.

2) if that doesn't help, replace the fob battery with a CR2032 battery that you can buy at your local drugstore.

Note that even if there is no battery, or a dead battery, in the fob, if you insert the fob into the slot then the slot can recognize that the fob is valid (via some version of RFID technology) and will allow the car to start.

 

Yes and yes: start simple/cheap and get more complicated/expensive as needed. Try both positions of the SMART button under the steering wheel. If that has no effect, replace the fob battery. If that has no effect, test the 12V battery with a voltmeter or as described here (no tools required):
http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/73400-weird-stuff-happening-mpgs-dropping-test-battery.html
If it fails the test, replace it; if that has no effect, consult a dealer for diagnosis.

 

Is the key you were given actually a smart key? If it is, it will have a bright silver Toyota emblem on one side. If not, it won't. I believe a regular non-smart key can be programmed to start any Prius, but will not, of course, perform the smart functions. Another possibility is that someone performed as much DIY programming as they could on a smart key, but this would not extend all the way to the smart functions.

 

I was just going to say what snijd said.

I have 05 prius with perfectly working smart key. But replacement key I bought over ebay can only start the key when docked in. Some people on this group were able to program the buttons to open and lock the door. I tried a lot but could not program the buttons. So I have a key which starts the car and a blank key which I got cut from local home depot for 2$ or so which sits in this fob which can unlock the doors.

Sounds exactly like your key. May be this is what previous owner did.

You should still be able to get smart key from dealer if car is so equipped but that would cost you more than 200$ for sure. If the car is equipped for a smart key it would have a button to disable smart functions on lower left side below the dash.

I assume you have already checked if previous owner has any other key. You do need a working key to program another like I did.

 

Could you be more specific about what you mean by "works"? Do you plug the keyfob into the dash, or just have it on you? The keyfob in the dash uses a different technology than the proximity system.

 

Here's one possible way ahead...

Nearly ANY Prius smart key, of the appropriate generation, can be programmed by a dealer to function on your Prius. Even if you have a key not correctly programmed, or that was formerly used on another vehicle, it can be made to work. The unfortunate thing is that the dealer will probably want something like $125 labor to do the work, which is based on book time for the job. Occasionally, a dealer may do the work gratis, but that seems to be a rare exception. My dealer did the work for $75, but said next time it would be $125, because they had inadvertently used the rate for programming a non-smart key. Of course, they're actually programming the car, not the key, so it may be more economical to have two keys programmed at once.

And if you want a second smart key, find a used one (IIRC, it's P/N B31EG) on the e place for about $50, put a new battery in it, and then have the dealer program the car.

 

Hey, everybody,

Don't forget that within the "appropriate generation" (that snijd just mentioned) that there is a sub-group of the 2G (2nd generation). Namely the part number for the smart key for the 2004 & 2005 model years is different from the part number for the 2006 thru 2009 models. So that may be part of the problem here as well. Some people who buy or sell smart keys on e-bay may not know this, but the dealer/auction house could also be to blame too if they didn't look up the correct part number when getting the smart key you have now. Ordering the wrong part number would be an expensive mistake, as I don't think the dealer will take it back since returns on electrical parts are not normally done.

Ken (in Bolton,Ct)

 

Make sure the push button under the steering column is in the out position. When it is in the in position, the SKS system is off.

 

Yes, I've heard that early SKS keys won't work in late SKS cars, although some have said the later model is 2007-2009. However, any SKS key (NOT the non-SKS B21TG) from any year (2004-2009) should work in the 2005. Correct me if I'm mistaken.

 

It sounds like the keyfob you have was originally paired with another car. It's easy to get the transponder (keyfob in dash) function working with a used keyfob. But getting the proximity/button functions to work requires a "Smart Key Reset". If the mechanic just tries to add a smart key, that function will fail without first doing the reset.

There are at least 2 other keyfobs out there that work with your car. I'd recommend both the reset, plus deleting all other transponder keys.