tfischer

Ever since I have owned my own cars, many years ago, I have always hidden a spare key outside the car. This goes back to when the "Hide-a-Key" magnet would stick to the inside of a back bumper. Today it takes a little more time to get the hidden key into a secure location, but it's there on both my SC and my RX. I had to use it once on my SC while on the road, and it saved me hours of delay and probably hundreds of dollars, and kept my blood pressure down where it's supposed to be. (Ninety seconds and I was on the road again.)
Keeping a spare at home or with a friend or a family member (popular easy alternatives) just aren't enough.
I'm not sure what I will do when I get a newer car with push-button start, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
In the meantime, it's like all forms of insurance: it's worthwhile to set up in order to be able to use it once every ten years in an emergency.
Highly recommended.
Or you could always just leave your windows down.

DunWkg

This the test I performed to help confirm that I thought the alarm would go off if the car were locked and you opened the door through the window.

I rolled down the driver's window, locked the car using the fob, then turned on wi-fi and connected to my home network and turned on bluetooth on my iPhone and put the fob and iPhone in the phone case. So the fob and iPhone were touching each other. I threw the fob/iPhone onto the passenger's seat. I reached in the window and flicked the lock button (the manual rocker switch by the door handle) to unlock. The car immediately went into alarm and the car flipped the rocker switch back to the locked position.

Next I performed the same test without the iPhone being around. Again the alarm sounded and the rocker switch flipped back to the lock position.

Now this proves nothing about iPhone interference with the fob. In fact, in the past when trying to hide the fob from the sensors on the car I've wrapped the fob in aluminum foil.

I do think it shows (at least in my 2012) opening the car through the window will cause the alarm to sound. This might imply the entire car may not have been locked for MNP in this particular gas station incident. So the question to MNP is did you try to get in all the doors or just the driver's door? Perhaps you only locked the driver's door when you got out to pump gas? Doesn't seem to likely to me you accidentally locked one door, so this auto locking is a mystery to me.

As Anita indicated, the car will auto lock if you use the fob to unlock the car and then don't open a door within a certain time frame. Pages 35-66 of the 2012 RX manual has an extensive discussion of locking and unlocking the car and specifically mentions gas stations may create problems.

RandomTech

Unfortunately, sometimes the key gets interfered with by gadgets. It's not something you can address other than by keeping the key off the dash (sometimes there is a dead spot there) or away from cell phones (another weird, intermittent issue). If you have another smart key from another vehicle, this can also cause intermittant issues.

If you get out of the car, leave the key in the center console tray/cup holder region by itself and you should be alright (assuming you have a functioning key battery).

tfischer

I don't have one of these swell new push-button start models, but I do have an '04 RX, and when I use the button on the key to open the back hatch while the car is in my driveway, a floor light goes in my living room (attached to a Radio Shack remote on-off button, because the light is way back in a corner behind the piano).
I don't know what that means other than clearly these signals are not unique or proprietary.
Maybe it means that if I plugged in the blender to that switch, I could have a Daiquiri ready for me when I got upstairs.

RXSF

^^ haha

that is not what the auto lock does. the car does not just auto lock so easily. It only happens if the car is already locked, and you press an unlock switch. If you dont open a door within 30 seconds, the car will then auto lock because it assumes you accidentally unlocked it.

tfischer

Even my old SC400, as well as my currently owned cars, do that.
If the car is locked, and it receives a remote "unlock" signal, the doors will unlock, but if a door is not opened within 30 seconds (or so), the doors will lock again. I think this is protection from the stray signal that might unlock a car at random by accident*, or, as noted, if you inadvertently unlock your own car and did not notice. With this, the car will not sit unlocked for an extended time.
[* or by my little Radio Shack remote that I use for the light in the corner.]

Sevn86

Had this happen to me yesterday except I was trying to get in my car. I had the iPhone in the same pocket as my fob, I was like I just changed the battery so why did my fob stop working. As soon as I took out the fob the car unlocked.

Cruzer1

All great information. I was unaware that my phone could impact the performance of my key fob. I will be testing these scenarios out myself. Thanks!

Dolphin

I think I have this worked out....but would prefer some confidence building by other RX owners....

With the key FOB system, I think its not possible to lock your keys in the car. I think I got this right, but maybe I am missing something, and this is a critical issue to me.

I would like to avoid locking the car with the FOB. Its a nice system where you NEVER need to remove your keys from your pocket. I am used to pressing the lock button on the door when exiting, just habit. My fear was, the FOB falls out of my pocket while getting out of the car, and I lock the key in the car. From reading, and experimenting, it appears this is not possible. If the FOB is in the car, and you exit, the RX gives a continuous tone, and will not lock the doors. If this is the case, and you learn that the car should never make that noise when walking away, it seems the system is pretty fail safe. But I don't want to find out the hard way that I am wrong...., I am missing something.... is there any quirks to this system? TYIA

UCSB

I have not tried all the combinations, but I think you are right. The best approach is to simply get out of the car, shut the door and touch the front of the outside door handle. This will lock the car and give you instant feedback that it is locked. If something goes wrong, you will know it immediately. If all is good, your car will lock. It is the best practice.

BarrettF77

I tried this, it won't lock. It's a proximity thing with the Bluetooth. Only way I think it could happen was if your battery in the fob was dead or low. Pretty fool proof design.

kitlz

I left the fob in the middle console once by accident, got out and tried to lock the RXh. Wouldn't do it. It really works. Now I had my cell phone disappear on me. I was pretty sure I had it when I got in the RXh. So I turned it on to see if the phone connected. Bingo, it did. The phone was stuck between the seat and console out of sight. That saved me from going crazy. Some of these features really come in handy.

Dolphin

UCSB, nice contribution, I just tried it, your method has a major benefit I overlooked...

When you touch the dimple on the handle, the mirrors immediately fold in, signalling all is OK. This does NOT occur when you hit the lock button on door interior. Sometimes in high noise environments, you don't always hear well, such as airports :-). If the mirrors do NOT immediately fold in after taping the dimple, you know there is a problem. Seems fail proof, other than the possible battery dying on FOB, which I am sure we would have plenty of advance notice.

The entry / exit sophistication is very useful technology, but, a learning curve if you were used to the old fashion systems :-) thx for input..

A simple question, not worth a new thread.... where can I find the voltage reading??

Droid13

In the strictest sense, the answer to your question is, yes, you can lock your keys in the car. But normally it shouldn't be a problem. It all depends on where your keys are. I once had the keys in a bag with some other stuff that included a cell phone and it was put right behind the drivers seat on the floor. The car did not recognize the keys there. A weak battery, interference, or placement can potentially be an issue. It has saved me a couple of times when I've left my coat on the passenger seat with the keys in the pocket, but 100% guaranteed idiot proof it is not.

Dolphin

Droid, that is the kinda of contributions that are VERY helpful....
I will experiment with this to get a better feel for it....
my goal is to avoid that nightmare scenario, which always happens at the worst times / places. thx