2k4 Prius - keys robbed

Very sorry about the crime committed on your wife.

Any competent tow company should be able to get your car out of the garage and to the a dealer. Just make sure you explain the situation to them before they come out and tell them you are not going to pay them unless they do the job. I would definitely complain about the first tow company, Better Business Bureau, etc. Coming out and telling you they won't do the job isn't a reason to get paid for anything.

But before you call another tow company I would suggest checking with a good Toyota dealer, if it needs to be towed (which it most likely does) they might recommend a tow company. Do you have towing on your insurance? If so call your insurance company.

 

You can get wheel dollys with rotating casters that go one under each wheel, and then you can just push the car out of the line sideways into the lane where the tow truck can get at it.. I'm surprised that the tow truck guy didn't have a set of these in his truck as they are very common to get tightly parallel parked cars out for towing, and they are often used by $$$ car dealerships to move cars around without driving them.

Unfortunately, without at least one functioning fob, I don't believe that a new one can be programmed, so you may be stuck with ECU replacement..

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumbleweed @ Jul 19 2006, 10:19 AM) [snapback]288782[/snapback]</div>

Yes, watch yourself with the towing company. Several years ago, I needed my car towed. As I have AAA, I called them and they sent a tow truck. The truck arrived and the guy said he couldn't take me for 3 hours. I told him to leave and called AAA again. They send the same truck and the same guy told me the wait would be longer now. I forget how it ended up, but I complained about the driver and his girlfriend in the truck. It turned out that the guy was charging for a tow every time he showed up, even if he said he didn't have the time right now.

 

Agreed. You need one working key in order to program the replacement fobs. When you program a new fob into the car, the code inside the fob is unchanged; the programming causes the car itself to trust the code of that fob. If you don't have a fob, you need to replace the ECU, which costs big bucks. The reason for this is to make sure that thieves don't have any way to start the car without a trusted fob.

This is why I have hidden a fob (with battery removed) inside my Prius. I wrapped up so it doesn't look like a fob, put my name and phone number on it (in case a service tech comes across it and is considering discarding it), and wrote "spare fuses" on it so that a thief might be thrown off.

I figure worst case if I lose the fob I carry with me, I can break a window, recover the hidden fob, and get the car started. The original poster's situation illustrates what can happen if you don't have an extra fob available. Imagine the hassle if you were camping in a remote area without phone service and you lost or destroyed the fob you carry with you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tmorrowus @ Jul 19 2006, 01:39 PM) [snapback]288797[/snapback]</div>

GREAT! Thats some good info to know! So where exactly do you live now?

 

I have a key available.

http://priuschat.com/FS-NEW-in-package-04-...Key-t21435.html

Not anywhere near $450

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AlphaTeam @ Jul 19 2006, 11:22 AM) [snapback]288839[/snapback]</div>

This won't help without an originalfob that came with the car. It may, however, be a better way to buy the second fob after the ECU is replaced.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Jul 19 2006, 02:38 PM) [snapback]288850[/snapback]</div>

Yes, sorry that is not what I meant. It will cost a lot more than $450 to replace his keys now.

I'm just putting it out there for someone who might be in his same situation.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Jul 19 2006, 10:12 AM) [snapback]288772[/snapback]</div>

You know, I had the same idea (for a book I'm writing.) I was afraid to mention it here.

 

I'm truly ignorant about cars, but would the car start up with somebody else's fob with the battery removed? (I would hope not, because that would mean a prius is very vulnerable to theft by anyone with a key and something to break the glass!)

 

you won't be able to start the car with someone else's fob, the fob has to be registered to the car to deactivate the engine immobilizer.

i should call DH and see if he can confirm his thought that you don't have to replace the sks ecu. argh, and my phone is in the car, and that means going outside... well i gotta get it one of these days i guess :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeannie @ Jul 19 2006, 04:43 PM) [snapback]288955[/snapback]</div>

Nope, with out a battery or a working battery, to get in the car you have to use the "hidden Key" in the FOB. You then insert the FOB into it's slot... a magnetic pluse is sent to the FOB.. just enough to send out the FOB ID .. the ECU gets the OK, and the car starts... you then head down to a store and by a new battery, Why, because you don't want to have to take that darn key out everytime you want to get in the locked car...or with SS out of your pocket.

That is the way I understand it works... just like RFID readers.. hope that helped... Each FOB has a unique "name".. not sure if they are using "Rolling Codes" (new key code everytime).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kenedamick @ Jul 19 2006, 10:10 AM) [snapback]288668[/snapback]</div>

Uhh... how do you know that?

 

Perhaps we should mention to any would-be car thieves that not only will it cost them over $1,000 for a new ECU and something like $200 per fob but there is also the cost of the programming on top of all of that, the labor for installing plus it can ONLY be done at the dealer. And once there, someone is bound to check to see if you're the actual owner by VIN number, etc. If the car is hot, you can bet every dealer is going to have a list to check VIN numbers in case someone shows up needing fobs, an ECU and reprogramming.

 

How about requesting a flatbed tow truck? That way, even if they need to manhandle the poor car a bit (hopefully using small towing dollies) to get it winched onto the truck, from that point on it'll have a safe & comfy ride even if the wheels are all locked in park.

Very sorry to hear about your encounter. Hopefully these logistical troubles will soon pass so you can put this behind you. May your luck get better now!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kenedamick @ Jul 19 2006, 10:10 AM) [snapback]288668[/snapback]</div>

Don't be so sure. If he still has the fob, he can come back and take the car. A quick trip to a dealer and a "test drive" will show him how to operate it.

If you're lucky he tossed it in a nearby dumpster. (Did you bother to check?) That's what usually happens. They want to ditch everything as soon as possible. So everything except cash and credit cards goes in the nearest dumpster. If you can find her purse or wallet, you might check for the fob.

Why do you have a valet key if both fobs are gone?

(And why didn't you replace your fob as soon as you lost it? Didn't the salesman warn you about losing both of them? When you're down to one.....none is really close.)

 

confirmation: you do not need to replace the ecu

the 04 prius has full support for the 'immobilizer reset system.'

bring your title and a photo id with you to the dealership, because they will NOT do this without proof that you are the owner of the vehicle.

what they will do is hook the car up to their TIS machine (basically, their proprietary technical support and software system) and get a passcode to erase all existing keys and program a master key. once the master key is programmed, then they can go and add the second key like normal.

that'll save you a bundle over having to actually replace the ecu.