Valet Key

You've got a IV, so no valet key. Please see an older post:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/62909-valet-key-we-got-two-fobs-2.html
Re: Valet key?? We got two fobs . . .
"None of the cars equipped with the Smart Key System will come with a valet key. You get two SK's. If there is a locking glove box, you would lock it using the laser cut key and hand the valet the SK while you hold on to the laser cut key. Then he wouldn't be able to open your glove box."

 

This would have been smart. Wonder why they didn't do that.

 

I got a II and didn't get a valet key...

 

There are NO valet keys made for the 2010 Prius. For that matter, they do not have them on any Smart Key System (SKS) vehicle by Toyota. You do not need it. Simply leave the car on, and give to valet, but keep your key on you. They will not be able to restart the car until you give them your keys.

 

Will that work??
You're telling me that if I leave my car on, and get out to do whatever...that someone could potentially just jump in and drive away with no key??

 

If you leave the car in ready mode, it is ready for anyone who will drive it away. The key is not needed. This is documented throughout the blog.

To prevent this from happening, make it a point to turn off the car when you get out of the driver's seat.

 

Oh now that was awful advice.
What if a valet needed to move the car?
Yikes.
Most all Parking folks have understood the smart entry key for nearly a decade, as it's been in MBZ and BMW a while too.

There's no valet key for a Prius - smart entry cars do not have one. The manual is wrong. I suspect they use a basic boilerplate plan for all manuals and someone goes thru them to check for variables and they missed this one!

 

Yes, that is correct. If the car is running and you get out with the SKS on your person, someone can jump in and drive off.

However, that would also happen with a car with a regular key: if you leave it running and get out someone can get in and drive away.

But the SKS is actually better, because even though they could drive away, you still have the SKS on you, so they could never restart the car after they shut it off.

Best wishes,

Frank

 

eglmainz, Are you pre-supposing that the valet will push the power button to turn the car off when they park it? If they know enough about Prius' to turn it off, or they intentionally, or unintentionally, leave it on, it sounds like a whole lot of potential headache. I don't use valet parking much as it is, but without a more secure way to safeguard my car, I think I will just forgo any valet parking. My paranoia. --TK

 

Putting an auto-kill feature when the car drives out of range of the key fob seems like it would have been a good idea. If not for the unlikely situation that someone will jump in at an opportune time to try and steal the car, but perhaps also to prevent an owner or other legitimate driver from accidentally driving away without the key. (if maybe someone else in the car had the key when the car was started, or whatever other possible scenario)

Why would they leave it to where you could drive away without they key being present???
I've never owned a SKS car, so I do not know if this is standard or what...
It just seems kinda odd to me.

 

Good point. In my case, my garage offers valet parking daily, so I must leave the key in the car. Luckily, they know how to use a Prius, and will shut it off when they are done.

 

These valets get to drive all kinds of sophisticated cars around town while we're eating or shopping---they may know more than some members that post questions! They'll know how to turn it off.:rockon: (No offense intended to any valets!)

 

Haven't you guys seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off??

 

Auto kill could be self fulfilling unless there are very sophisticated parameters for when the driver is in traffic, speeds, turns, etc. Suppose your spouse took the car and you forgot to surrender the key? These have been around for years in many cars and it's just not a problem.

 

Yes, that's like the example I gave.
You'd then be stuck with a car, without a key... but I guess you could drive home and park it, then be stuck there for the rest of the day.

I just don't understand the reason to LET the car drive around without a key.
To me it seems there are more reasons against it than for it.

I'm not trying to change the industry...just questioning something I don't understand.

 

Maybe. But when you think about it for a bit you see why it doesn't make sense. First the smart key has a range measured in inches. If the range was greater it would need to be a different technology and/or consume lots more power -- and you'd complain that the batteries need replacing too often. Remember, it isn't the same transmitter in the fob as when you elect to press the lock or unlock buttons.

Second, assuming this was not an issue, how far would you want it to be? 50 feet, 500 feet, a mile? It would make even less sense to allow a car to drive out into traffic or attempt to get on a freeway and have it suddenly lose all power and shut down.

Instead, the solution is to train the owner to understand that you should treat the key and the off switch in the same way that cars have always been (last few decades). If you exit the car turn it off and take the keys with you if you are at all worried about theft in the local situation that only you can know about and no amount of smart key processing power can determine better.

3PriusMike

 

I was thinking more like 5-10 feet... at most...
Basically as little as possible to determine that the key is not in the car.
Oh well. I guess it was a bad idea. loll

 

eglmainz, Your situation sounds ideal, you know the valets and they know you. They get to know how to operate your car and because it sounds private or semi-private there can be a level of confidence.

Jim256, You may be absolutely right. Anyone can turn a key and depress the gas peddle. As I said, it is my paranoia that some 18 year old, in a hurry, not quite familiar with the car, will park it and jump out without powering off, then a couple of hours later, you arrive to a dead battery and from what I have read a huge repair bill to tow and re-program your car. Or worse, having seen the seamer side of society, leave an opportunity for someone who just happens by to 'borrow' your car.

I'll stick with self park, then if anything does go wrong, I have no one to blame but myself. --TK

 

That is exactly what I did this week...
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...left-my-prius-running-all-day.html#post917277

So, I am only able to blame myself. I got lucky!