Key fob doesn’t lock/unlock 2008 Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Jonathan Cheung, Oct 18, 2021.

  1. Jonathan Cheung

    Jonathan Cheung Junior Member

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    Apologies if this has been covered, I’ve searched the forum for troubleshooting tips and not found the fix yet.

    My key fob stopped working a few weeks ago. It doesn’t lock or unlock the car, but the car starts just fine when I stick it in. First thing I checked is the battery in the fob. I’ve replaced it twice with new batteries, so I know it’s not the battery. And the red light on the fob always lights up when I hit a button, so I know the buttons aren’t stuck (plus they click in/out just fine).

    Research on this site led me to believe the 12V battery might be dying, but I checked it on the main panel (system check) and it reports 13.8V coming from the battery. There’s also no icons lit up on the MFD indicating any errors.

    Anyone ever had this issue? Any tips?

    I can get into the car just fine with the little manual key but it’s a pain in the rear not being able to just hit a button to unlock the car. Thanks in advance for your help!
     
    #1 Jonathan Cheung, Oct 18, 2021
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Do you have the spare fob? How long have you owned this car?
     
    #2 JC91006, Oct 20, 2021
  3. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Have you tried toggling the SKS button? (located under the steering column)
     
    #3 SFO, Oct 20, 2021
    koco likes this.
  4. Jonathan Cheung

    Jonathan Cheung Junior Member

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    I had a spare fob but can’t find it…I haven’t seen it since 3-4 years ago when I moved. I hope it turns up but lost hope a week ago.

    I’ve owned the car since 2010. Never had any similar issues.
     
    #4 Jonathan Cheung, Oct 21, 2021
  5. Jonathan Cheung

    Jonathan Cheung Junior Member

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    My car is not the right version, there’s no SKS button (I looked).
     
    #5 Jonathan Cheung, Oct 21, 2021
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    There is a forum member selling a used (like new) keyfob for your base model Prius without the SKS. They want $50 for it. Maybe you can get that and use it as a spare?

    You would need to get both keys programmed again by a locksmith with the right credentials, or the dealer. They will delete all the keys and reactivate the one you have (and the spare if you get it). It's best to have 2 keys when you do this as they will charge a 1 time fee regardless of how many keys they are adding to your car.

    To make life easier when using the manual door key, you can go to Home Depot to make a copy of the one you have. That little key is just a regular Toyota car key. It'll cost you a couple dollars and you can have a regular size key to get in the car, without pulling out the tiny key all the time.
     
    #6 JC91006, Oct 22, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2021
  7. Gino Veltri

    Gino Veltri Member

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    Ive got the same issue, same car, non sks. No one seems to know the reason here other than deleting and reprograming the key (not just the chicken dance).
     
    #7 Gino Veltri, Jan 25, 2022
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