Key Fob Battery

Only flakey operations.

Yup, just stick the fob in the slot on the dash.

I have had my 03 Prius since December of 02 and only had to replace the battery three months ago. But YMMV.

As far as I know the battery is only for the remote transmitter. The function to start the engine is a passive device. Thibaud

Forgot the little test: remove the battery and try to start the engine. Thibaud

Thanks, Thibaud. Will do that one day when I get my courage up :)

For the NHW20 (04-09) the RFID is only passive when the fob is in the slot in the dash. For smart key equipped cars the RFID is active the rest of the time. There are at least 4 RFID transmitters on the car. 1 by each front door, 1 by the hatch (in the rear bumper IIRC) and 1 inside. Each sends a coded signal to the fob and the fob transmits back which one it "hears" the strongest to the car (along with its serial number and the rolling code) via the standard RKE frequency of 312 or 315 MHz (not sure which). The car will then only allow the proper operation to occur IE if you are standing behind the car it won't allow either front door to unlock via the touch sensor in the handle nor will it allow the car to power on, however it will let you pop the hatch.

For the ZVW30 2010 they got rid of the slot and you "merely" have to hold the fob up next to the power button to power on the car if the battery is dead.

Have you read your owner's manual of your shiny $25,000 toy?

Give him a break. Afterall, he asked a real Prius question and received reasonable replies. That doesn't much around here anymore.

but an unreasonable question.

"Can someone please read the owner's manual to me while you tuck me in?"

Pretty hard to grab a door handle when you're standing behind the car, of course. But yes, even if you pop the hatch, the doors remain locked.

You can just put the dead fob into the slot in the dash and drive the car normally. You might be able to use your second fob until you have replaced the battery (which requires a very small crosshead screwdriver to get at the battery). I plan to take mine to a jeweler when it needs replacement.

If you don't like to read unreasonable questions about Prius, you can always stop reading in this newsgroup.

I had been wondering about this. I knew how to do this with the 2005, of course, but not having a slot in the 2010 left me digging through the manual for a half hour to no avail. I suppose it's in there somewhere but the index was no help.

Are you saying that by definition, EVERY post in this newsgroup will be unreasonable--i.e., will be someone who refuses to reach for and/or open the owner's manual to his shiny new $25,000 toy?

You couldn't but someone else could. If being near any zone enabled them all then in theory someone could open the door, get in, and drive away with you still behind your car standing next to the cart full of groceries you just bought.

I find that "RTFM" is of no help at all when I don't even know what the manual calls something I'm looking for (not necessarily door locks, by the way). I find the manual nearly impossible to use when setting up for use of the Bluetooth interface with a cell phone--page after page of description, and I don't even know what they are trying to say in the first place.

I've written my opinion of the manual elsewhere--but I'll also point out that the manual is out in its case in the dashboard bin, and I'm here at my computer desk. I know you hold people who really don't want to go out to RTFM in the dark in contempt.

No, I'm not saying that EVERY post etc. I am suggesting that you seem to go to great lengths to vent your ire at people you feel are idiots, and unless you can figure out which are idiots in advance, maybe you'd be better off if you just stayed away.

Just sayin'.

By the way--the key fob battery is covered by a screwed-in plate, not something that most of us are equipped to deal with (certainly not me).

It doesn't take "great lengths" to point out to someone that the information is in his owner's manual, and that to come here and ask that the manual be read to him is RUDE.

And it doesn't take anymore effort or bandwidth to just answer the question, stick your head back up your a$$ and shut up, this group doesn't need morons like you, your the type of person that keeps people away. I've gone over some of your posts and the only thing I can figure is you had a very poor childhood or to much sex with your mother.