I know that when the battery is dead, you can put the FOB against the Start button to start the car, but is this menthod fully passive? I mean, if I drop my key in the ocean and it stays there for a few hours before I notice it, will it still work (that's just an example, don't get hung up on it)? I know I would be able to open the door with the key but that's not good if I can't start the car. My previous "Push Start" vehicles had a mean to insert the key in a key slot then press Start, so fully manual. This one, looks like it uses NFC (since I don't even need to press Start, just push the brakes and put the FOB on top of the Start button) so electronics involved.
there is an rfid chip in the fob case (unless they've changed it) i guess the question is, is it waterproof, etc. can't find anything online specifically related to the fob chip.
Most cars built in the last 20 years have an immobilizer that is activated by a chip in the key using NFC to communicate with the engine controller. This applies even if the car doesn't have push-button start. It doesn't require a battery in the key. The Gen 4 Prius doesn't have a slot to plug the key into like the Gen 2 did but it works exactly the same, it just requires proximity. It will work even if the battery is flat. kevin
Thanks. Do you know if it's waterproof? On a key, the NFC is within the plastic part of the key and no water can get into it. Not sure if the same can be said about the FOB internals.
No, I didn't when I tried it. I pushed the brake pedal, moved the FOB in front of the Start button and the car came alive.
