Most cars still utilise traditional turn key locks in rider to restrict access and usage but a growing number of vehicles employ the use of keyless entry mechanisms such as the Toyota Prius and certain Lexus and BMW vehicles amongst others. Such systems usually include push button locking and the ability to start the vehicle with a start button all without taking the fob our of your pocket.
Of course, any wireless system requires power to work and when you leave a car with such a feature unattended for long enough you may find that you come back to find that the car has run its 12V battery flat. Furthermore, your trip home from the airport will be a bit longer whilst you wait for the RACV, NRMA or equivalent to rock up and provide a jumpstart.
Thankfully, there is a simple solution to this problem in the form of disabling keyless entry.
In the Toyota Prius that my wife and I own, the keyless entry toggle is located under the steering wheel above the footwell. A single push of the button will turn off keyless entry whilst another push will re-enable it. Other vehicles may have this switch located elsewhere so it is best to check your car manual for the specifics.
One thing to remember is that disabling keyless entry will probably disable the push button lock next to the door. In such cases, just lock the car using the fob and you’re good to go. When you come back just unlock the car with the fob, reactivate the keyless entry switch and you’re back to normal.
One final tip, if you want to at least sit in your car whilst you wait for your jumpstart to arrive then you might find a traditional key embedded in the fob (as is the case with the Toyota Prius). Sliding the little latch on the fob will allow you to extract the key which you can use to unlock your car the old fashioned way.
Follow Us!