Our daughter drove us out to dinner in our Prius. She parked and locked the car, but didn't remember exactly how she did it. When we came out of the restaurant the door handle wouldn't respond to my touch. (The fob was in my pocket.) I tried the unlock button on the fob, but no response. Finally had to use the metal key on the driver's door. She might have locked with the inside electric lock button like she does in her Integra. Would this negate the SKS and the remote unlock button?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(genalex @ Aug 11 2006, 10:07 PM) [snapback]301919[/snapback]</div> No, I was using the inside button on the door for a while out of habit, but I'm trying to re-train myself to use the outside door button. I did notice though, that when the salesman was demo'ing the SKS feature it did not work for me for unlocking the doors. I haven't had a problem since though. There may be some kind of touchiness with the system. (?)
Is it possible she accidently touched the SKS button under the steering wheel? That will turn it off.
I've noted in this thread that I'm currently experienced SKS hiccups where it "just" stops working including a nonresponsive manual fob unlock.
Did she maybe lock it with the mechanical key? When you do that, you have to use the mech. key to open it again. I discovered this when I wanted to leave my dog in the car with the a/c on and the doors locked (yes, and the windows cracked). And I finally figured out the sign to put in the window to protect me from PETA..."A/C AND car alarm on for the comfort and protection of vicious, killer poodle." I also finally figured out how to blank the dash and the MFD. :wacko:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(genalex @ Aug 11 2006, 11:07 PM) [snapback]301919[/snapback]</div> If you get a chance go park in the same spot and see if the SKS works in that location. There are a few locations that the SKS will not work, like parking near a electrical transformer or large air conditioner or large electric motor. This is because the magnetic field from the large electric motor causes interferance with the SKS. If your daughter locks the door by pressing the lock button on the inside driver door, you would not know that the SKS is not working due to interfearance If your battery is weak in your FOB is may be more suseptable to interfearance. there is a person that says his SKS won't work on a military base. here is the link: http://priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=869...c54fb307b845d50
Even if the SKS is off, pushing the remote button will unlock the car. Once again, the SKS does not need to be on for the fob-button-unlock to work. The only thing I can think of is that the car was ON. The syptoms you described are exactly what would happen if someone managed to lock the doors with the car still on. It sounds like this was the case in the incident that Rufaro describes (i.e. the car was on because she was leaving the A/C on for her dog). You said it was your daughter driving? I assume that she's not the "usual" driver of this car. As has been related over and over again on this site, it's easy for people unfamiliar with the Prius to leave it on. Of course, syncmaster is right too; if the batteries in your fob are dying or if there is a significant source of interferance nearby, that could cause this, too.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Betelgeuse @ Aug 12 2006, 09:12 AM) [snapback]302076[/snapback]</div> No, you can't lock the doors with the motor running and the door open. If you do the prius will first lock as you press the lock button but then it will unlock all doors. The only way you can lock the prius with it running is using the mechanical key or with the driverside window down and the door closed, reach in and press the door lock button. Then press window up and quickly remove your arm. (don't really do this)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(syncmaster @ Aug 12 2006, 11:42 AM) [snapback]302121[/snapback]</div> Right. But it's conceivable that his daughter used the key to lock the door, as Rufaro did (assuming she wasn't a usual Prius driver). Of course, a little interference or some sort of electronics hiccup are likely explanations, as well.
There is another possibility. If you manually lock the driver's door when exiting, and leave one of the other doors unlocked, SKS will not unlock the driver's door. However, under this circumstance, it is still possible to unlock the driver's door using the remote button on the fob. This has happened to me countless times as I always lock the driver's door manually when exiting.
One time (and only one time) my SKS would not unlock the car: I had parked next to a friend's Prius, and the friend and his wife had opened their car doors before I tried to open mine. Whether it was the proximity of another Prius with open doors, or the proximity of another fob, I do not know. I was able to open the door using the unlock button on the fob. I have turned off SKS when leaving for a trip. Upon my return, the unloock button on the fob unlocks the door.
