There are times I WANT to lock a key in the car. The car will not permit this to occur, displaying a KEY DETECTED error message and unlocking the driver's door. Yes, I could purchase a Faraday wallet or take some other key shielding behavior, but I am wondering whether there is any procedure for overriding the key detection protection so I can lock the key in the car. For example, in one of my other cars, if you lift the door handle while closing the door, the car will then permit the key to be locked inside. Anything like that for the Prius?
Some drivers have quite inadvertently found a few places inside where the radio antennas cannot detect the fob. I think my spouse has left her fob in the back of my car a couple times without triggering this anti-lockout feature, but most of the time I end up on an unwanted and unassisted treasure hunt, trying to find which pocket or parcel she stashed it in. I.e. she has already left the car, and I've become captive to it, unable to lock and leave until I've located her left-behind fob. If you must leave a fob inside, try the back, or even the storage area under the rear floor. The sensor for the hatch may force a bias towards the front of the 'trunk', or even low in the back seat.
You can use your other remote key physically pressing the lock button to lock the car. I run into this scenario when my wife leaves her purse in the car (with the other key in it).
Same here as Bay Stater said. When the girlfriend leaves her purse in the car I can't just tap the door handle to lock it but I can press the lock button on MY key fob and then it will override it and lock the car/set the alarm. I've been curious to see if it would start if someone broke in. I mean this is basically leaving the key in the ignition, but does the Prius ignore the key it senses was left inside it and waits for the key that locked the car to come back? I will test it eventually. FYI/alternative method to leave the car running AND locked: roll the driver window down, get out, press the door lock button inside the car, pull the window auto up button. Since we have no remote start this is what I do on cold mornings for her when I leave for work and walk past her car.
