Spare physical key -- any point?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by NewHybridOwner, Mar 1, 2019.

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  1. NewHybridOwner

    NewHybridOwner Active Member

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    Is there any point in carrying-- separately from the electronic fob -- a spare physical key, as I have done for other cars? I went to a good locksmith who was prepared to sell me a whole remote and physical key for $275, but said they would have to order key blanks and cut them for $30 each. They don't stock the blanks "because they're useless without the fob."

    Comments?
     
    #1 NewHybridOwner, Mar 1, 2019
  2. Robertto09

    Robertto09 Junior Member

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    You can buy a physical key on ebay and comeback to locksmith

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #2 Robertto09, Mar 1, 2019
  3. audiodave

    audiodave Active Member

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    You can buy a new fob housing with a key you'll need to have cut. With this i think you can drive the car.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #3 audiodave, Mar 1, 2019
  4. audiodave

    audiodave Active Member

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    #4 audiodave, Mar 1, 2019
  5. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    With a spare physical key, at least you can open the door and get inside. I know you can't drive it, but that's better than waiting outside of the car for help to arrive when raining or very cold.
     
    #5 Salamander_King, Mar 1, 2019
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    No, no point
     
    #6 bisco, Mar 1, 2019
  7. Quattro

    Quattro Member

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    If you carry a separate keychain, why not just remove the physical key from the fob and put it on the keychain with your other keys?
     
    #7 Quattro, Mar 1, 2019
  8. NewHybridOwner

    NewHybridOwner Active Member

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    But the only provision made for attaching the fob to a keychain is by means of the hole in the head of the physical key. If I keep the physical key in my wallet, there's no way to attach the fob to the keychain -- unless I just use an uncut key from eBay as a means of attaching the fob to the keychain.
     
    #8 NewHybridOwner, Mar 1, 2019
  9. NewHybridOwner

    NewHybridOwner Active Member

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    That's a good point.
     
    #9 NewHybridOwner, Mar 1, 2019
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    And pocket lint will be getting into the fob easier.
     
    #10 Mendel Leisk, Mar 1, 2019
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    and belly button lint
     
    #11 bisco, Mar 1, 2019
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  12. Johnny Cakes

    Johnny Cakes Senior Member

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    I travel frequently and am always scared that I'm going to lose the key fob, thus leaving my stranded in the middle of nowhere.

    So I hide a physical key outside on the car. I then have the FOB in a small Faraday bag hidden inside the car. With this setup, I can never be stranded.

    And while I'm stupid enough to lose things like keys, I'm smart enough to find great hiding spots so that no thief is ever going to find either the spare physical key hidden outside the car nor the fob inside the car.
     
    #12 Johnny Cakes, Mar 1, 2019
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  13. NewHybridOwner

    NewHybridOwner Active Member

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    My fob, with the physical key, on the same key ring as all my other keys, is always on my person: on my belt or in my pocket. If I were to leave the fob in the vehicle I wouldn't be able to lock it. If the car were left locked outside rather than in the garage, and I locked the door behind me as I left the house, leaving the keys in the house, then I could find myself unable to unlock and drive the car. BUT I can't lock the house door behind me without the key, AND I can always get back into the house through the garage using the pin code.

    So the only use I can see for having a spare physical key in my wallet is to deal with the situation somebody mentioned upthread: it would enable me to get into the car to wait for help in the event of a breakdown involving an electrical system failure that disables the electronic unlocking capability.
     
    #13 NewHybridOwner, Mar 1, 2019
  14. RobH

    RobH Senior Member

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    I recommend having a spare mechanical key to get into the car. And a spare fob (or even just the circuit board from inside the fob) somewhere inside the car. Take the battery out of the spare fob to prevent corrosion and interference with normal usage. A batteryless fob/circuit board can beheld up to the POWER button to unlock the ignition.
     
    #14 RobH, Mar 1, 2019
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  15. gliderman

    gliderman Active Member

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    How many fobs can be paired with a prius? Just curious.
     
    #15 gliderman, Mar 1, 2019
  16. RobH

    RobH Senior Member

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    #16 RobH, Mar 1, 2019
  17. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    A separate key will allow you to leave the car running and locked with the ac running as you run into a store.
     
    #17 rjparker, Mar 2, 2019
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  18. NewHybridOwner

    NewHybridOwner Active Member

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    That isn't illegal?
     
    #18 NewHybridOwner, Mar 2, 2019
  19. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    It varies by state and even city. In Texas it is illegal on a public street to leave the car running (eg in ready mode for a Prius) but you can run it on private property. It is primarily an anti-theft concern aimed at people who warm up their cars in the morning with the key in the ignition. The Prius won’t let you lock the doors from outside the car when in “ready” except manually with a key. I see people who leave dogs in a running car or truck and others like delivery persons who don’t want to cycle their cars all day.
     
    #19 rjparker, Mar 2, 2019
  20. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    People here jumped on my case when I said the same thing. I typically shop in the early mornings so I know the check out lines are shorter to return back within 5 to 10 minutes, most of time there's no lines. Oh the outrage poured in when I mentioned that. My trips are short in distance, no AC and I engaged parking brakes all the time.
     
    #20 Grit, Mar 3, 2019
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