I just received my Prius V. On page 64 of the Owner's Manual there's a warning of "serious deterioration" in the key battery life if it is kept within three feet of a cell phone or various other transmitting devices. Does anyone know how significant this issue is? If I keep the key in my left pocket and my iPhone in my right pocket (less than three feet between the two) will I notice significantly reduced battery life? The manual says 1-2 years is standard, it would be annoying if the battery life dropped into just months because of the proximity of my cell phone. Thank you.
Not sure about the 2010, but with my 2004, I changed the battery about every two years. Cell phone on my belt, key in my right pocket.
I've been doing that (key in one pocket, cell phone in the other)since 2005 and my key still works fine. It doesn't have super range but then again, it never really did. The batteries are so cheap I am not concerned. They use a standard watch battery.
Everythng will have to live in my pocketbook and play nicely together inches apart. I'll keep track of battery life...as soon as I get a car key.
The batteries in both of my keys are still good, after 3.5 years. My phone is often, or usually within 3 feet of the key.
If you don't think your cell phone can effect your key transmitter, try putting them in the same pocket. Mine will not detect the key if I do so. More than once I've had to get out of my car and search for my keys only to find that they are in the same pocket as my phone.
I don't put the key and phone in the same pocket. When I'm walking around, the key is in my right front pocket, and the phone in my right hip pocket, or in my hand. When I'm driving, the key stays in my pocket, but the phone is in a cup holder or the tray under the gear shift. Every night, the phone is charging, and turned on, with the key a few inches away, so the proximity under those conditions doesn't hurt battery life, since my batteries are 3 1/2 years old, and still good. I'll try putting my phone in the same pocket with the key, and see if that keeps the key from working. In case it makes any difference, my phone is a Samsung Galaxy S5.
Gotta watch that bisco... But 3-feet? Gimme a break we would need a shoe carrier for our phone or Prius key fob. I am thinking Toyota Japan blew the conversion factor of 6-cm from metric and Toyota USA went with it. Lost in translation? I see we have posts about this as far back as 2007.
I did my experiment with my key and phone in the same pocket. The door unlocked, and the car "started." As far as time of proximity between key and phone, my key and phone probably spend an average of 10 hours a day within 10 cm of each other, and my batteries just keep on ticking.
different phones affect differently, for some reason. i once had both in the same pocket, and the fob didn't work.
Maybe I should keep the phone away from my head. I've noticed lately that I'm becoming very forgetful...
I ignored all the advice and did whatever I felt like. The key fob was next to a magnetic key card. The key fob sits in the garage next to the car. Whatever goes. First key ran out of battery a little over a year. And I mean it started telling me the key fob battery was low for a couple of months. Proximity stopped working and I just pressed the button while really close to the car. Finally pulled the mechanical key out of the fob to open the door. I then had to put the fob at the start button to start the car. That's how empty I took the battery and it was a disappointing 18 months or so, I don't remember. All previous cars have been it 3+ years. Don't think I ever replaced the 2009 Hyundai fob battery. But then none of them had SKS. I placed a new battery in the keyfob and made the spare my main key to rotate usage. Now the spare is giving the message. So I am getting about 1.5 years each battery which is disappointing but acceptable to me. I'm not going to worry about proximity or range to a cell phone or whatever to coax another 2 years out of a $1 battery.
