I have only had my '06 silver Prius #7 for less than two weeks, and I have a few questions, but one can be bothersome to my neighbors... My alarm (security system) goes off, and I don't know why. At first it seemed to be after I sat in the driver's seat, or my husband sat in the passenger seat, but today my husband put his hand on the roof of the car, and the aarm started, complete with flashing lights! I thought that when I unlocked the car, the alarm disengaged, so why does it go off when we sit? Why did it go off just by resting a hand on the (exterior) roof? Hopefully it's just a simple thing that I am not doing. Thank you, Joyce
Welcome to PriusChat, Joyce! I'm not sure this is your problem, but I've set off the alarm several times when the keys or some coins manage to push the Panic button on the fob in my pocket. The alarm should be off when you've unlocked and opened a door, whether you do it by pressing the fob Unlock button or opening the door with SKS. Good luck and let us know if the problem persists. Congratulations on your new car!
This happened to me so many times! I don't believe that it has anything to do with hand on roof. My panic button seems to be very sensitive. If the key fob is in my pocket it seems to get pushed when I sit down in the car. Often I push it when I have my keys in my hand and am holding other things. My first thought was to put tape over the button. But then I found out that the dealer can use the Scan tool to program the car so that the lights will flash but the horn won't sound when you push the panic button! Now I can use the button to find the car in a parking lot without scaring the heck out of the people around it!
I think I know the problem, but I don't know what to do about it. (I am actually adding it to my list of questions to the dealer.) It seems that after I unlock the car, if I don't sit in the driver's seat in a designated time frame, the alarm goes off. Could that be the problem? Thanks again.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Joyce @ Aug 23 2006, 10:29 AM) [snapback]308205[/snapback]</div> I called the service department at the dealer, and he said that it was the grace period, and nothing can be done about it. What I am to do, he said, was to unlock via the fob. So, if I unlock the trunk and load my stuff in it using the Smart Key my alarm will sound within 30 seconds, or until I sit in the driver's seat. If I unlock the trunk via the fob, I can take my sweet time. What I don't like is that my dealer told me that I would never have to take my keys out.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Joyce @ Aug 28 2006, 02:35 PM) [snapback]310647[/snapback]</div> What the dealer told you was flat out wrong. I have never had this problem. I have unlocked the hatch with SKS, put things in there, closed the hatch and spoken to people for 5 or 10 minutes with no alarm. It is true that if you unlock the car and don't open a door within 30 secs. it will lock itself back up. But there is nothing to my knowledge (at least on the '04) that requires you to sit in the driver's seat within a specified time or the alarm will go off. That's nuts!
I've got an '06, package 8, and have never noticed this problem with mine. As I understand it, the SKS can be set to either unlock just one door or unlock them all when you first touch the door handle; perhaps changing this setting might help in some way...?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(marjam @ Aug 28 2006, 03:39 PM) [snapback]310681[/snapback]</div> So for the past week or so I have been using the key fob to lock & unlock the car...no problems. Tonight, my husband and I had just come in from a walk, and as we passed the car in the driveway, he remembered that he had left something in the car. Since it was unlocked, he opened the car, and as he was getting his item, maybe 20 seconds, the alarm went off!!! I'm going to have to get back to the dealer. Thanks to all who replied. Joyce
