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Car 'Somtimes' beeps with key pulled out

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by divace73, Jul 11, 2013.

  1. divace73

    divace73 New Member

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    Hey all
    New to this forum and it seems a little different to others I am use to, so I am unsure on where to post this. I did try the search function but really do not know how to search the issue I randomly have.

    At times my 08 will beep when I open the drivers door and I have the keys in my hands. The only thing I can assume is that it thinks the key is still in.

    On occasion this has caused my battery to go flat.

    Is this common at all, is it something as simple as a faulty switch?

    To stop it I just go through the sequence of putting the key back in, put it in D then P then foot on the brake and the off/power/start button, it took me 5 goes to get it back to normal tonight??

    Another issue that bugs me is the traction control, can it be altered to not stop the car when a wheel spins?

    Many thanks in advance
     
  2. divace73

    divace73 New Member

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    Am I really the only one with this random problem??
     
  3. Prius_Cub

    Prius_Cub Member

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    Do you have SKS on yours? How many beeps do you hear when this happens?

    Btw, traction control can be disabled but not permanently. Plus it's not recommended as it can result in the transaxle being damaged. Otherwise there is no way to modify traction control.

    LG-AS695 ? 2
     
  4. divace73

    divace73 New Member

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    Thanks for responding, I'm not sure what SKS means?? The beeps are consistent, it is exactly like the beeping you get when the key is in and the door is opened. All I can assumes that it still thinks the key is in when it's not, as a result I think it drains my battery?

    Re the traction control, I just wish it wouldn't just jerk and stop the car like it does, I 've noticed other cars have a much more progression to the traction control??
     
  5. Prius_Cub

    Prius_Cub Member

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    SKS is the smart key system, so you hear three beeps when getting in sometimes? If that's so, it sounds like you're not fully powering down. I would suspect the battery could have a hand in this if it's been drained several times.

    Search for the battery test or how to get into maintenance mode to check the voltage of the 12 v battery and report the results back.
    Traction control doesn't stop mine, it just cuts out regen while braking and I hit a pot hole or divet in the,road.

    LG-AS695 ? 2
     
  6. divace73

    divace73 New Member

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    Hi Prius_Cub

    Sorry for the long delay...don't have SKS. Mine is bog standard 2008 model, even down to CD player only.
    In the mean time I have had the battery checked by Toyota who reported it to be fine. When I do the head light flicker test all report okay under 'normal' conditions. I have done it when I have that beeping issue and the voltage did drop to about 7.
    I don't know if it's the chicken or the egg syndrome?
    It appears whenever I do have that issue and leave it in it beeping state when the key is out and door open, it will flatten the battery.
    I can only assumes it's like leaving the accessories on for a long time??
    Is it all possible that I have an intermittent faulty key fob switch??
     
  7. Prius_Cub

    Prius_Cub Member

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    What voltages did you get from the test? If your battery has gotten down to 7 volts, I dare say it's not in the best shape. But I suppose a faulty fob slot switch could be causing your issues. Maybe someone else here has had that issue and could point you in the right direction.

    LG-AS695 ? 2
     
  8. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    If you have seen as low as 7 volts, that battery is no longer holding a charge, and is no longer useful. Try putting a charger on it at least. If it is the original battery, it is time to replace.
     
  9. Zedhomme

    Zedhomme Member

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  10. Zedhomme

    Zedhomme Member

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    Are you sure it's not just one of the Prius Warning Beeps to prevent you from leaving the keys in the car.
    Leaving Power Button ON in PARK and Driver exiting.
    Turning Power OFF without putting in ‘PARK first.
    Opening and Closing driver door without exiting.
    Warning a passenger took the key out while driver was still in with car on.
    Operating Door lock with key in still in car.
    If you have evidence of an error code too, it could be a bad key sensor antenna.
     
  11. amiller

    amiller New Member

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    My 2008 Prius started displaying the same symptom this past month, with the result a dead battery in the morning 2x's (always seems to happen at home for some reason). Doing it again tonight, so I'm putting a charger on it this time, now that I realize I can't ignore the beeping. Tonight I tried putting in the other remote, turning off the remote signal feature (whatever that's called), turning the car on and putting in drive than reverse again (which seemed clear the beeping a few times in the past week, but not tonight). It is not the beep that it gives you when you try to leave the car while it is still on, but the beep it would normally give you if you left the key fob in it's slot, and keeps beeping until the door is closed again, so I'm suspecting a faulty slot sensor/switch. (The key dash light also flashes once every ~2 sec's, which I guess can drain the battery overnight, especially if it's sending out a signal for the remote that often.)
     
  12. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I believe that the problem that both you and the OP have is that the 12V battery is way too weak and needs to be fully-charged overnight - or replaced if the battery does not hold a charge. Use a real battery charger designed for AGM batteries and a charging current of 4A - not a little wall-wart type of battery minder which is intended only for maintaining the charge in an already-charged battery. (If the charger is not designed for AGM batteries, it will not fully-charge the battery.)

    Yes, you cannot ignore any warning that the car provides you - even if it may not be obvious exactly what the warning is about. The key dash light will always flash red when the car is IG-OFF. That is normal behavior.

    If you start with a fully-charged 12V battery, I believe you will find that the other problems will disappear. Good luck.
     
  13. TampaPrius.com

    TampaPrius.com Active Member

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    I agree with previous posts. A beep after shutting the car off assuming the key is not in the slot and the lights are off indicates a low or bad battery.

    Charge if possible or replace.
     
  14. divace73

    divace73 New Member

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    Hi all

    Just an update (should have done this long ago..) I replaced the battery with a genuine toyota battery and haven't had the problem since. I think my old battery had a dud intermittent cell or the like. My original battery was 4 years old or so, so I figure it was over it's used by date.
    I'm fairly confident if you get a new one it will solve your problems.

    Cheers
    David
     
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  15. Battery trouble.

    Battery trouble. New Member

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    did this ever end up working. We bought new battery. Three months later issue started again.
     
  16. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    The OP's (last seen here Jan 25, 2014, so don't hold your breathe waiting for a reply) battery was dropping to 7 V so was well passed the use-by date. A new battery did (surprise, surprise) as attested in the final post. The fact it was a new OEM battery is neither here nor there, any quality AGM in the correct form factor (S26B24R) will work.

    Your issues are likely not 12 V battery related and if you want help with your particular issues then start a new thread giving the details of your car and what is happening.