I never knew that button was there. Why does it even exist?

My "Derp!" of the Day (warning -- longish)

Until recently, I drove a 2008 Prius. When I upgraded to a 2015 Prius, I gave that one to my son Colin.

So, yesterday, I ask him, "Hey your left rear tire looks low. It WAS the RIGHT rear that we took to the shop three times for a slow leak and they said there was nothing wrong, correct?" and he affirmed this was so.

Well, wow, am I brilliant. Some time ago, I discovered these little valve stem caps that magically sense if a tire is low. If it's not, they show a green band, and if it drops enough pressure they turn red. Great! I put them on all our cars.

Well, a couple months ago a friend visited and said, "You know, I had those -- but one leaked, and actually caused me to have a flat."

I had, of course, in the interim, forgotten all about that conversation, but I recently remembered, changed the right rear one for the left rear and etc.

So, problem solved, both tires are fine, it's the stupid damn little tire indicator valve stem cap. I take them ALL off, check them in the trash bin, and proceed to the gas station to air up the tire and re-set the tire pressure warning light in the car (these caps had been a back-up plan, you see).

I then went down to Big Navy to gas up the car and buy some good old fashioned, God-fearing, black plastic valve stem caps.

Welp, when I walked in, I locked the keys in the car. This SHOULD BE impossible, because it has a Smart Key system, which is designed to be smarter than me, and will refuse to lock the doors with the smart key inside. Clever. Has saved me several times.

This time, the doors locked. Hmm. Perhaps the battery is low in the key fob?

I call my wife to come rescue me with the other key fob. She pulls up, points it at the car, and unlocks the doors. Good. and drives off through the rain. Sonuvvagun, THIS one won't start the car either!

OK, the smart door doesn't work, the smart start (to start the car with the keys in your pocket) doesn't work. Both fobs. Fortunately, there's a backup plan to start and drive the car. Whew.

"Isn't it odd?" I says to myself, "that the batteries in BOTH fobs die at the very same time? No matter, I go buy two new ones and install them. No workie. Now alarm bells are going off in my head. "Shit, this is going to be some Electronic Control Module buried deep in the bowels of the car, only the Toyota Stealership will be able to replace or reprogram it, and it'll cost a $Bazillion plus take six weeks for them to "special order.""

Thank goodness for Google.

I went to do a little computer-based research on the issue and discovered that, right next to the Tire Pressure Warning Reset Button, which itself is hidden out of view under the steering wheel and is found only via the Braille Method, is a "Smart Key System "OFF" Button. Why, I shall never know, just as I didn't know it was even f**king there for the five years I drove the car.

Pushed the button "again" and all was well.

Whew. Derp!

 

Ha! In the Chair Force, that "F" did not stand for "Factory."

BTW -- Since the concern is the 12 V starter battery -- the Optima Yellowtop I put in my 2008 5 years and 80,000 miles ago is still going strong.