Toyota keys (why do they lock themselves in the car?)

These are the key fobs that lock themselves in the car!

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It takes one key to open the car, and two of those doohickies to start the car with the one key that opened the car. I don't understand why.

Anyway, I borrowed a friend's Corolla for the weekend and just now I had to ask her to let me back into the car because the car locks itself after an unknown period of time without any user intervention whatsoever.

What's with that? She says the car locks itself all the time on its own schedule.

Is there a way for her to turn this off so it can be normal? Is there a way to make it so that just the key starts the car?

Reply to
June Bug
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Does the car not have a key pad on the door column that you enter a series of numbers to lock or unlock it if you don't have the key fob on you? Some of the newer cars won't lock if the key fob is left inside the vehicle.

Reply to
ItsJoanNotJoann

The date is 24/09/2017 22:35

No keypad. Only a driver door lock, a trunk lock, and an ignition lock. But you need all three (apparently) items to start the car.

Reply to
June Bug

My wife has a 2016 Camry and the only thing you need to start the car is the key.  The doors don't lock by themselves.  RTFM, google it or pester your Toyota service department.

Of course, we never leave the keys in the car because there are too many thieving democrats lurking in the bushes and/or hiding under rocks.

Reply to
Bubba

They don't lock themselves in the car. The driver who is too dumb to remove the key from the ignition locks the keys in the car.

My husband's Toyota works just like your friend's Corolla. He has never locked the keys in the car. Cindy Hamilton

Reply to
Cindy Hamilton

Is it too soon to blame the locked cars on the people who can't live five minutes without their phone? Can't phones unlock cars yet?

Reply to
Dean Hoffman

I got curious so did a quick search. It looks like a couple people have had this problem.

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Reply to
Dean Hoffman

I have a 2016 Forester with ignition key and chauffeur key. I wanted to whittle down the fob on the chauffeur key to carry in my wallet but was told it contains a chip in it needed to start the car.

With all the electronics in a car today you may be able to get into the software and reprogram some items. I did it recently with the oil change warning light coming on too soon as dealer had set it to sell twice the oil changes needed.

Reply to
Frank

The date is 25/09/2017 03:33

There is absolutely no doubt the car locks itself for a few reasons.

One is that my friend says it does it all the time but that's when her three doohickies are in her purse or in her husband's pant's pocket.

The second is that I leave my keys in the car when the car is parked in my driveway, and even though this is a borrowed car, I habitually leave my keys and glasses in the car - which is what I did.

So there is no way that the keys were "jumbled" or "pushed" or anything since we got out of the car and just left it there without locking it.

Given that this has happened to the three people who used this car separately and at various times and very consistently, you can rest assured that the car is locking itself.

The question is why and how.

Reply to
June Bug

What year is the vehicle? Have you tried replacing the batteries in the key(s)?

Reply to
Stormin' Norman

There are times you may want to leave the key in the car while working on it. Or even to run back into the house for something you forgot. That is not a feature I'd want on my car even though I can unlock it from my phone or computer. .

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Yes, I can lock/unlock, start it, turn the defroster on, set the temperature.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

IMO, a good reason to NOT buy a Toyota unless it can be disabled. I prefer to decide when my car is locked or not.

The pro thief will get into your car in seconds, locked or not. The amateur will cause damage trying to get into it. I rarely lock my car. It was broken into twice and one time I lost a quart of oil laying in the back seat. The locked cars around me had broken windows, pry marks and scratches.

Friend of mine had her car locked and alarmed. It was parked right outside her office window when it was stolen in broad daylight.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

The car locks itself as a security feature. The driver who leaves the keys in the car is inconvenience him/herself.

Cindy Hamilton

Reply to
Cindy Hamilton

On 25-Sep-17 9:39 AM, Cindy Hamilton wrote: ...

And a "feature" can be too clever by half, oftentimes...there are many valid reasons for not wanting to have to remove the stinkin' keys from the car immediately that it's more of a nuisance than a help.

As Ed says, if a real thief is after it, it'll be gone in an eyeblink, lock or no lock; about the only effective technique is one that actually disables the car totally.

Looking for instances, it appears there is a design that if unlock with the key fob but don't open door within 30/60 sec, the vehicle will automagically relock.

I couldn't find a factory instance that conclusively indicated to me it _should_ lock itself with the key in the ignition when just exiting the vehicle, but there were many complaints on user forums of such behavior.

Many of those seemed to end up as being various electrical faults in the locking electrical systems...

Reply to
dpb

On 25-Sep-17 8:41 AM, June Bug wrote: ...

See what wrote to smug Cindy as well, but I'd suggest reading the operators manual carefully; it _should_ describe the system functionality, _presuming_ there isn't an aftermarket security system installed--I saw several comments that some of those apparently do have such a "feature" that isn't factory.

If can't get satisfaction on whether this is expected behavior from that venue, I'd just go ask a dealer if this is supposed to be the way it behaves and how to reprogram it to a more user-friendly setting.

I found doc on the self-locking feature that is tied to the gearshift and moving or not and that has some four options one of which is "off" but that has no bearing on locking when ignition is off unless there is a failure in the system causing a spurious locking action.

What there may be in newer "smart" systems I couldn't really find full details on; hence the suggestion to read manual first, then go ask.

I also agree w/ Ed P, though; if it does that and I can't reprogram it to not, I ain't buying the vehicle.

Reply to
dpb

on the people who can't

unlock cars yet?

?  It looks like a couple

That was my theory too when I had a Fiat Spyder convertible and was living in Boston and LA. I figured they would just slice the top. So I put an alarm in and left it unlocked. Twice the alarm went off because someone had opened the door, nothing taken because there was nothing to take and no damage.

Reply to
trader_4

And leaving the car open to be stolen very easily. There have been civil cases where someone got killed or seriously hurt by a car that was stolen while the owner carelessly left it running while at the convenience store. PRobably have been some where the keys were left in it while it's in the driveway too. How liable that makes you for potential damages, IDK. But leaving keys in the car, when it's in the driveway isn't a good idea.

Reply to
trader_4

Most remote starters will allow you to exit the car and lock it. If you were to open it and try to drive away, engine dies. They will not allow you to start unless the doors are locked too.

Every winter cars are stolen by people that run out and start the car to warm up while finishing their coffee. In one town in one morning four cars were stolen like that. I know a guy that never took his keys out of the car too. Poor practice to say the least.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

the key.  The doors don't lock by themselves.  RTFM, google it or pester your Toyota service department.

thieving democrats lurking in the bushes and/or hiding under rocks.

Hahahahaaaaa!!! I don't leave keys in my vehicle either as there are too many thieves around but I don't have a clue as to their political leanings.

But as to why the original poster left the keys in the car is a mystery to me and it being a borrowed car on top of that.

I think the lesson learned here is to never lend your car. Especially to people who are careless with the keys.

Reply to
ItsJoanNotJoann

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