Prime door lock settings

I have a question about the "Automatic Door Unlock" settings on the Prius Prime. One of the members here posted a video about this, but it doesn't get to my specific questions.

I should mention that my dealer had already installed what I suspect is a piece of junk alarm system on my car before I ever even thought about buying. It's a "Karr" alarm. I looked at the company's website and it is chock-full of spelling and grammar mistakes. For me, that's a pretty sure sign this alarm is junk.

"Automatic Door Unlock" can be set to "By Shift to P", "By Driver Door", or "Off".

(1) The first option, "By Shift to P", works as it should. When set to this, my car door locks unlock as soon as I shift to park. When I turn the car off using the power switch, the doors try to unlock again, though they are already unlocked so this has no practical effect other than making a slight mechanical noise in the doors at the individual door lock switches with the orange stickers on them (as though they are trying to unlock again).

(2) If I use the second option ("By Driver Door"), nothing seems to happen. I shift to park, nothing happens (as I would expect). I unlock the driver door (either by just pulling the inside door handle or flipping the door lock switch beside the handle with the orange sticker--not the electronic button the armrest), and none of the other doors unlock.

(3) If I use the third option ("Off"), my driver door unlocks immediately as soon as I turn the car off with the "Power" button, and a fraction of a second later, the three other doors unlock. I suspect this is not supposed to happen.

I'm thinking that this alarm automatically unlocks all of the doors when the car shuts off regardless of whatever settings I choose under "Door Lock Settings".

Can any of you tell me the proper expected behavior in each of the three unlock settings above, and whether the behavior I'm experiencing is unusual?

 

Hi Padroo-

Thanks for the advice. You would think the dealer would be the first place to go, but I know I'll get the thousand-mile stare if I bring it up to them. First I'll ask my 12v installer what he knows about these Karr alarm systems. I'm pretty sure he'll tell me they're pure junk and to let him toss it, and I know I can trust whatever he says.

It has always been my experience that everyone at the car dealerships knows very little about options and accessories that are any more complicated than floor mats and pinstriping. I bought one of the first Dodge Intrepids in '93. I had on the due bill that they would install the "Mopar 6-disc CD changer." That Mopar changer had a harness that let it hardwire to the head unit and be controlled by the head unit (very state-of-the art in 1993).

When I picked the car up from the service appointment at which the Mopar changer was to have been installed, I found that instead of installing the clearly-specified Mopar changer, they had sent my Intrepid out to some lousy car stereo shop where they installed a real P.O.S. Kenwood 10-disc changer that ran through a crappy FM modulator. They also tore the leather on one of my seats, damaged the dash trying to pry off a piece of the dash with a screwdriver and scratched my fender. I thought my head would explode. They didn't understand why I wasn't happy since I got 10 discs instead of 6. I had to explain it to the sales and parts managers. They had no idea that one was hardwired and one wasn't, or even what the advantages of hardwiring were.

Back to my new Prius: I just had the clear bra installed from the due bill on my Prius. They sent it to a place called Modern Image here in San Diego (instead of, for some unknown reason, installing the Toyota film). I immediately drove to Modern Image to check them out (fearful of another disaster). They are the best of the best, and I got a much better film bra package than I was owed. Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug. This time I was the windshield.

Interestingly, Modern Image told me they are seeing a ton of these Karr alarm systems in the cars they wrap. I'm 99% sure it's just the type of garbage dealers install to jack up prices. When I find out, I'll post back here.