Can't lock your keys in the car?

As I mentioned before I leave the spare key in the car. I am not concerned about someone breaking in but am concerned about me losing the main key and being stuck a good distance from home.

Would it make sense to leave the spare key at home but keep the codes that were attached to it in the car? That way if you're away from home and lose your keys wouldn't a dealer nearby have the codes to reformat a new one?

 

Maybe i missed it... If you leave the car on, you can not use the key fobs to unlock the car. you have to use the metal key.

I used to do this when i worked as a delivery guy for Cookies By Design. 200 miles a day. a/c 24/7.

 

I have to think that keeping the spare with you, not in the car, but separate from the main key would be the better strategy. Then if you manage to lose one you'll have the other immediately with you. No need to involve a dealer or locksmith and no possibility (however remote) that the car could be stolen.

 

Further, if you just have the codes, you will have to purchase a new FOB, ($150 or so), and pay the dealer to program it into the car (another $40 or so). I don't remember how many FOBs can be programmed in at the same time, but it's often only two. So when you get home you'll have to "store" the extra "non-programmed" FOB (which would have been bumped out of the car's programming).

It's just so much better to carry the FOB on your person in a safe manner. Try a neck strap. Or perhaps tape it in a money belt if you wear one. Anything to ensure it's with you most of the time.

 

Im pretty sure the computer has memory slots for up to and including 5 different key fobs....

For me, I live dowtown and park in a tandem spot, so my neighbor has my second key fob so he can move my car when I park him in. But me and my wife both use our car...so she cant bury our one remaining fob in her purse and I cant bury it in the deep recesses of my jeans pocket. We have a hook inside our apartment where the key always hangs, and when either of us drives, the deal is we put the keyfob in the ignition thingy near the start button. When you get out the car with the engine off and the keyfob in that hole, it dings at you (much as it would if the lights are on) so that we remember to take it, NOT drop it in our purse or backpack or pocket, and hang it back on that hook in our apartment.

I probably should just stop being cheap and buy another keyfob

 

I love the SKS on this car ... I love being able to unlock or lock all the doors while leaving the keys in my pockets. almost as convenient and safe as fast biometric ID would be.

 

Oh yes you can! Don't know how I did it, but I certainly did. And as I have only 1 smart key, I had to get AAA to come use a jimmy to open it up for me.

 

There are some dead spots in the car where you can leave a fob unnoticed. The size of the dead spots increase with a weak fob battery or if the fob is contained in some sort of a package.

Tom

 

I've had a Prius for almost two months. I love almost everything about it. However, today my keys got locked in the car. I do not say that I locked them in because I did not actually lock the car. I drove three other people to a meeting about an hour out of town, at a house in the woods. I saw no need to either lock the car or bring my purse in the house. So the key fob was in the purse on the floor of the backseat. I did not lock the car and my passengers said they had not either. However, when we went to leave, the doors were locked. I had to wait for the guy AAA sent for 90 minutes and then when he got the slim jim inside and pushed the unlock button, nothing happened. He was saying this had happened with Toyotas before and that I'd have to get it towed to a dealership (and I was starting to panic) when I asked him to push the power button to turn on aux power and then roll down a window. It worked! However, to say I was not pleased by the whole affair is an understatement.

A few times I've gone out to the car in the garage in the morning to find it locked, when I know I didn't lock it the night before. Of course, when I'm at home I don't leave my keys in the car and I have an extra set anyway.

 

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As odd as it sounds I came here because I NEED to lock my keys in my car. I have someone driving my car from one location to another. When they get there I wanted them to lock the key in the car. I will use my spare to unlock the car and drive home.

I attempted every variation of locking the key in the car I could think of. In short if the car detects the key on the inside, it will not let you lock the doors. If the car does not detect the key inside, you somehow shield the key, you can not lock the door with the button on the outside of the door.

Solution: I will have the guy pop the fuel door. Lock the car doors with the key fob. Put the key in a baggie and place it behind the fuel door. Close the fuel door locking it in. When I get there, I can unlock with the spare and retrieve the key behind the fuel door.

 

Just turn off the smart-key system by pushing the square button well below the steering wheel. The manual has a picture showing where this hard-to-spot button is.

Now your friend can leave the fob in the car for you to pick up later, and the 12-volt battery won't discharge while the car sits waiting for you.

But the gas filler does sound like a fairly secure hiding place for the fob that will be left in the car. It'd be easy enough for a thief to force it open, but I imagine most thieves wouldn't think to look there.

 

WARNING--if you hear one beep when you lock your doors, that is an indication you have a weak FOB battery. Change the battery immediately upon hearing that beep. Several times i heard the beep when looking my door and ignored it. Then, when out of town, i left my FOB in the car. There was enough battery to lock the doors, but not enough to unlock it. I had to call AAA to bail me out of my problem.

 

What if you WANT to lock yourself IN - say a bad neighborhood or something?

 

keep driving, the doors won't unlock over 15 mph.

 

you can lock yourself in with the lock button on the door I believe. I wish the doors would lock automatically once you start driving.

 

no setting?