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Car Forum / Toyota / Prius / August 2005

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Manual key?  Jump starts?

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Jean B. - 27 Aug 2005 03:05 GMT
I was just reading a saga elsewhere, and the person had to get
into his dead Prius using a manual key.  I didn't get a manual
key and am wondering whether I should have.  It would make
sense, but then I also am unaware of any key holes.  So, if
there is no manual key, how do you get into your car if it is
totally dead--or your key's battery is dead (and the other key
is elsewhere)?

Sort-of relatedly, I would guess that if one has a battery
problem, it might make more sense to call Toyota and not AAA,
since Toyota should know how to deal with this.  Right?
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Jean B.

Michelle Steiner - 27 Aug 2005 03:38 GMT
> I was just reading a saga elsewhere, and the person had to get into
> his dead Prius using a manual key.  I didn't get a manual key and am
> wondering whether I should have.  It would make sense, but then I
> also am unaware of any key holes.

The manual key is inside the fob; it has a small ring attached to it.  
There are instructions in the users manual on how to remove it from the
fob.

The keyhole is on the driver's door, just aft of the black button (if
you have Smart Entry), or just aft of the door handle (if you don't have
smart entry).

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Stop Mad Cowboy Disease:  Impeach the son of a Bush.

Jean B. - 27 Aug 2005 04:28 GMT
>>I was just reading a saga elsewhere, and the person had to get into
>>his dead Prius using a manual key.  I didn't get a manual key and am
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> There are instructions in the users manual on how to remove it from the
> fob.

Oh good.  It must be tiny, since I didn't notice it.

> The keyhole is on the driver's door, just aft of the black button (if
> you have Smart Entry), or just aft of the door handle (if you don't have
> smart entry).

Ditto on the handle.  Yes, I do have smart entry, which is
pretty cool--esp. that you don't even have to touch the
button!  (That has actually screwed me up a couple of times,
when I have then pressed the button, not realizing the car has
alreadty unlocked!  :-)  )

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Jean B.

Ingenuous - 27 Aug 2005 05:31 GMT
>>>I was just reading a saga elsewhere, and the person had to get into his
>>>dead Prius using a manual key.  I didn't get a manual key and am
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> actually screwed me up a couple of times, when I have then pressed the
> button, not realizing the car has alreadty unlocked!  :-)  )

Jean, the black button is used to lock the car, not unlock it.  Get out,
press that button, listen for the confirmation beep and walk away.  No need
to take out the fob and use the button thereon.
Jean B. - 27 Aug 2005 15:04 GMT
> Jean, the black button is used to lock the car, not unlock it.  Get out,
> press that button, listen for the confirmation beep and walk away.  No need
> to take out the fob and use the button thereon.

???  It sure unlocks it--and the salesman pointed that out as
one of its virtues.  It does both!  (Or mine does; I think
they can be configured in various ways.)  I agree re the
key--which is part of why I gather I have not examined it well
enough.  I get as far as groping for it and then remember I
don't need to get it out--unless I want to let my daughter in
a teeny bit more quickly.  (I gather that function can be
altered too...)

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Jean B.

Michelle Steiner - 27 Aug 2005 17:59 GMT
> > Jean, the black button is used to lock the car, not unlock it.  Get
> > out, press that button, listen for the confirmation beep and walk
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> its virtues.  It does both!  (Or mine does; I think they can be
> configured in various ways.)

Nope; the black button locks the car, and does not unlock it.  Further,
when you lock the car with the black button, unlocking with smart entry
is blocked for three seconds.  This is because many people like to pull
on the door handle to make sure the car is locked.  Without the delay,
when you tested, it would unlock.

> I agree re the key--which is part of why I gather I have not examined
> it well enough.  I get as far as groping for it and then remember I
> don't need to get it out--unless I want to let my daughter in a teeny
> bit more quickly.  (I gather that function can be altered too...)

Yes.  On page 30 of the manual.  There are three options.

1.  Unlocking the driver's door unlocks only that door.  Unlocking the
passenger door or the rear hatch unlocks everything.  This how it is set
at the factory.

2.  Unlocking any door unlocks all the doors.

3.  Unlocking the passenger door unlocks all the doors.  Unlocking the
driver's door or the rear hatch unlocks only that door (or hatch).

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Stop Mad Cowboy Disease:  Impeach the son of a Bush.

Jean B. - 28 Aug 2005 15:05 GMT
>>>Jean, the black button is used to lock the car, not unlock it.  Get
>>>out, press that button, listen for the confirmation beep and walk
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> 3.  Unlocking the passenger door unlocks all the doors.  Unlocking the
> driver's door or the rear hatch unlocks only that door (or hatch).

Of course, you folks are absolutely right, and I feel like a
cretin!  No wonder the car seemed confused.  It was ME!

And the lock is quite visible.  Strange how in my mind, I
thought it was not even there--maybe because one doesn't have
to use it--or maybe it was a dream.

My latest discovery is that the headlights are REALLY good, I
think even better than the Xenon ones on my Passat.  I was
worried about this, because I need good illumination on the
passenger side of the road.

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Jean B.

Ingenuous - 28 Aug 2005 16:19 GMT
> Of course, you folks are absolutely right, and I feel like a cretin!  No
> wonder the car seemed confused.  It was ME!
>
> And the lock is quite visible.  Strange how in my mind, I thought it was
> not even there--maybe because one doesn't have to use it--or maybe it was
> a dream.

Don't feel bad Jean.  I had a very similar experience with that black
button.  I believe I pressed it every time I unlocked the car for the first
few days.

I was at a wedding reception a while back and went outside for some fresh
air.  It was dark and there were several small kids playing near my Prius.
I walked over to the Prius and when I was about 3' away the interior lights
came on.  I backed up a bit and they went out.  Then I raised my hands over
my head, waved them slowly and chanted an incantation as I approached it.
The kids were awed by my magical abilities and spent the next few minutes
trying repeat the magic.
Jean B. - 28 Aug 2005 17:40 GMT
>>Of course, you folks are absolutely right, and I feel like a cretin!  No
>>wonder the car seemed confused.  It was ME!
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> The kids were awed by my magical abilities and spent the next few minutes
> trying repeat the magic.

Thanks!  Now I at least don't think I am alone in this.  In
retrospect, though...

That experience must have been so funny!!!

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Jean B.

Michelle Steiner - 27 Aug 2005 05:39 GMT
> > The manual key is inside the fob; it has a small ring attached to
> > it.  There are instructions in the users manual on how to remove it
> > from the fob.
>
> Oh good.  It must be tiny, since I didn't notice it.

It is rather small.

> > The keyhole is on the driver's door, just aft of the black button
> > (if you have Smart Entry), or just aft of the door handle (if you
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> actually screwed me up a couple of times, when I have then pressed
> the button, not realizing the car has alreadty unlocked!  :-)  )

The button is for locking the car.  To unlock it, you have to grab the
handle; there is a double beep when the door unlocks, and you then pull
on the handle.  Quite often, all you have to do is grab and pull in one
motion, but sometimes there has to be a short pause--like a quarter of a
second or so.

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Stop Mad Cowboy Disease:  Impeach the son of a Bush.

Jean B. - 27 Aug 2005 15:05 GMT
>>>The manual key is inside the fob; it has a small ring attached to
>>>it.  There are instructions in the users manual on how to remove it
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> motion, but sometimes there has to be a short pause--like a quarter of a
> second or so.

Ah!  And here I thought the BUTTON was for both.  Mea
culpa--or something related....  No wonder the car is confused.

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Jean B.

Ingenuous - 27 Aug 2005 05:29 GMT
>I was just reading a saga elsewhere, and the person had to get into his
>dead Prius using a manual key.  I didn't get a manual key and am wondering
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> might make more sense to call Toyota and not AAA, since Toyota should know
> how to deal with this.  Right?
Jean,

Study those two electronic door openers they gave you.  There is a metal key
cleverly stored inside of each to be used if the battery in the electronic
unit fails (or if the car is dead).
 
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