I am just asking. Are you sure you are doing it right as far as using the keyless entry? There is nothing really that different from 2019-2025 are far as Keyless entry.

No. I do not think you can disable it. I could be wrong but looked into this on another model

 

The sensor at the top of the handle is for locking the door. When you want to unlock the door, you don't touch that (I assume that is what you mean by "push the button spot"). The sensor for unlocking the door is on the inside of the handle. Just wrap your fingers around the handle to activate that spot.

If you grab the handle and immediately pull to open the door, the system doesn't have time to react and the door won't unlock. The proper way is to grab the handle and do not pull it right away; pause for a half second to give the system time to react, then pull the handle.

When I wash my RAV4, water seems to activate the sensors; I will spray water on the car and the car will lock/unlock if I have the key fob in my pocket. I have learned to leave the fob in the house when I wash the car.

If you wear gloves (or maybe even if your hands are very dry), the car will not unlock. That leads me to believer that the sensors actual work by current conducting across the slots, not a capacitive sensing like the radio screen. That also explains why water may trigger the lock/unlock.

When you open the hatch, the other doors are automatically unlocked. (Closing the hatch does not lock the other doors). If you don't touch the lock sensor at the top of the door handle, the doors won't lock.

 

For unlocking I was doing exactly as you said, but it doesn't always unlock even after holding it 5-10 seconds. I gave up after a week of trying and just use the fob now, and I'm fine with that.

The most frustrating situation is when the car is already unlocked (from opening a rear door or the tailgate), and when I go to open the drivers door it sometimes locks on me. My thumb is nowhere near the sensor on the top of the handle. That's why I'd like to disable it.

 

I wasn't clear. It will sometimes lock on me when I go to open the unlocked door. I'm in the process of grabbing the handle and may not have even touched it when it locks.

 

Like was mentioned. You only grab the handle to unlock. The top of the handle where the lines are, are for locking only.

 

I've also noticed water on the handle locks/unlocks if I have the fob on me. Makes me wonder if there's something on the sensors that's allowing electrical conduction so the car thinks you're touching it and it reacts as soon as the fob is in range. I would start by cleaning the handle really good, both the outer lock and inner unlock pads. Were it me I'd also try to replicate the behavior with my second fob and see if you can isolate if the car's sensors are the problem or maybe your primary fob is malfunctioning.

 

The smart key system can be disabled by the dealer. Look in your owners manual under "Customization" or "Customizable features"

 

Found it. Thanks!

 

I personally do not like using the key fob to unlock the doors. My understanding is that there are devices that can pick up and duplicate the coded unlock signal. I’m especially careful in large parking lots.

 

I knew about the ability to deactivate it, and realize there is communication between the car and the fob without pressing the button. I wasn't aware there was a security risk.

/Jim

 

Config in Techstream should be able to make the changes.