[dmbc]

Smart key. Can I start my car to warm it up & lock the doors while I wait in my house

My car has a smart key.

It was so cold this morning So, I started the car today & I wanted to inside the house to stay warm while the car warmed up.

I was unable to lock the doors with the engine running. I tried to take the key with me inside the house and lock the car. Later I tried leaving the key in the car & using my spare key to lock it. Neither option worked. Is it possible to do this? Or do I need to buy an auto start?

Question # 2. When I took the smart key in the house with me the car beeps and the security light blinks. However, I was able to drive the car away without the key. I was thinking the car would stop running if it sensed the smart key was not in the car.
THANKS!

 

[DVS]

#1 -- Although I haven't tried this myself because I personally believe leaving a vehicle running unattended is a really bad idea, and is illegal under any circumstances where I live anyway, I believe there is exactly one way to lock the doors when you have the engine running with the SmartKey:

1) Get in the vehicle and start the engine.

2) While in the vehicle with the engine running, use the button on the armrest to lock all the doors.

3) Open the driver's door, get out and shut the driver's door. The driver's door will now be unlocked.

4) Take the metal key out of the SmartKey fob and lock the drivers door with that metal key (see this video for help with that):

This should leave all of your doors locked while the engine is running. Leave all SmartKeys indoors and go back out and see if you can get in the vehicle. Please report back to let us know how it goes.

(Incidentally, there is a sister video about how to start the RAV4 when the SmartKey has a dead battery as well. Basically, hold the SmartKey up to the Start Button and press the brake pedal for about 10 seconds. It will induction-charge the key just enough to read it's ID code.)


#2 -- Again, I haven't tried this myself, but my understanding is that the RAV4 *WILL* let you drive it away without the SmartKey and will not shut off automatically at any point. If you think about it, that makes sense from a safety perspective.

Of course, it will not let you start it again without the SmartKey, so YES, you can get abandoned if you're not careful. Again, that's just my understanding.

There is a light on the dashboard that shows a key with an exclamation point through it. I don't know if it lights up to alert you that you're driving without a SmartKey, or if it's only there to tell you if there is a problem with the SmartKey system. I also don't know if there's any other indicators to alert you to the fact that you're driving without a SmartKey, as I've never tried it.

Hope that helps.

.

 

[ravenuer]

Sigh.......... I miss keys.

Actually I don't, as I have a base RAV. But still.......someday.....

 

[JuneBug]

Here's how it can be done:

Start the car normally. Lower the driver's window fully. Exit the car, reach in and lock the doors with the button on the armrest. Pull up on the driver's window switch and remove your arm quickly. The window will go up and all doors are locked while the engine is warming up.

 

[dmbc]

DVS - great idea. I was thinking about that too.

Junebug - better idea. I never thought about that.

I was hoping the car would NOT be able to drive away without the key. At least this way the car can't be stolen & the owner will never get stranded. But, yes, the car beeps & flashed so nobody should drive away without the key in the car.

How do one of those auto start/remote start things work? It starts the car for you without the smart key. What if someone breaks into the car? Car they drive away & steal the car? Or does auto start/remote start prevent this somehow?

 

[DVS]

My admittedly vague understanding is that with the OEM (Toyota) remote start, when you open the driver's door the engine shuts off. I believe other 3rd-party remote start systems do not require that, but it's probably a good idea to have that feature to help prevent theft. Not sure what happens if you open any other door and climb into the driver's seat, probably the same thing?

So with that system, you have to have the SmartKey with you to restart the RAV4 before you can even leave.

The previous solutions provided by JuneBug and myself for just locking the door while the engine runs do NOT prevent someone from breaking the driver's door window (or any other window), unlocking the driver's door with the armrest button (or somehow otherwise picking the door lock), and driving off, though.

.

 

[TonyDEasternMass]

Smart key. Can I start my car to warm it up & lock the doors while I wait in my house

My car has a smart key.

It was so cold this morning So, I started the car today & I wanted to inside the house to stay warm while the car warmed up.

I was unable to lock the doors with the engine running. I tried to take the key with me inside the house and lock the car. Later I tried leaving the key in the car & using my spare key to lock it. Neither option worked. Is it possible to do this? Or do I need to buy an auto start?

Question # 2. When I took the smart key in the house with me the car beeps and the security light blinks. However, I was able to drive the car away without the key. I was thinking the car would stop running if it sensed the smart key was not in the car.
THANKS!

KI believe it will run, but once you stop and shut the engine down, without the key you will not be able to restart it.

 

[NoMoreDomestic]

FYI: the question was asked almost 9 years ago.

 

[TonyDEasternMass]

FYI: the question was asked almost 9 years ago.

Internet is slow here.

 

[JuneBug]

Internet is slow here.

Grandma said “In my day, we got the internet in the mail.”