Passenger door triggers Smart Key Indicator Light

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ThetaSigma99, Oct 16, 2005.

  1. ThetaSigma99

    ThetaSigma99 Junior Member

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    Recently, when a passenger gets out of the car and closes the passenger door, the Smart Key indicator light comes on (the one with a yellow "broken" key on black background). It usually takes a while to go out, and sometimes I have to put the fob into the dashboard key slot to get it to turn off. I looked through the manual, but cannot figure out what this means/why it is happening? Has anyone experienced this, or do you know why it is happening? I have a 2005 Prius with the BC package. Thanks.
     
    #1 ThetaSigma99, Oct 16, 2005
  2. LaughingMan

    LaughingMan Active Member

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    I've never seen this happen before, but I'll throw out a few guesses.

    Is your passenger carrying the other key fob by any chance?

    The smart key indicator turns on if it senses that you've taken the key fob out of the cabin of the car and closed the door... It will beep at you three times after it sense the door was closed, and the smart key is not inside the car... however this doesn't make any sense because your key fob is still inside.

    Another possibility... what about the battery in your fob? If it's running low it's possible that the SKS might be confused, and may or may not detect it when you're sitting in your car.
     
    #2 LaughingMan, Oct 16, 2005
  3. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

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    Page 26 of owner's manual:
    "(h) Low smart key battery
    When the hybrid system is turned to
    “ACC†or “OFF†about 20 minutes after
    the hybrid system is turned on or to “IG–
    ONâ€, it is determined that the smart key
    battery voltage is low.
    Inside alarm: One beep"

    Translation: When the car is turned on to READY or Ig-ON after at least 20 minutes of being off or in ACC, it detects that the fob battery is low, the car will beep one time inside the car.
    Originally I thought they meant that if you turned the car off after it was on for 20 minutes, it would check. But it is not possible to go to ACC directly from READY or Ig-On without turning off first.

    The battery is cheap enough, try replacing it.
     
    #3 DanMan32, Oct 18, 2005
  4. ThetaSigma99

    ThetaSigma99 Junior Member

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    I'm guessing it is a battery issue. Although I got my Prius at the end of January, so it seems soon for the battery to be low. The passenger did not have a fob of any sort. It's kind of odd.
     
    #4 ThetaSigma99, Oct 23, 2005
  5. lbligh

    lbligh Member

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    Were there any cell phones in the car? The owner's manual vaguely suggests that cell phones can interfere with SKS.
     
    #5 lbligh, Oct 24, 2005
  6. ThetaSigma99

    ThetaSigma99 Junior Member

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    Yes. My cell phone pretty much goes where I go.
     
    #6 ThetaSigma99, Oct 26, 2005
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