vlad_a

It is possible with another set of keys. Say, if your wife leaves her purse with the key inside, you can still lock the car using buttons on your key fob. If you tap on top of the door handle, it will produce a long beep, but not lock. That's how you can tell if a key is left inside (useful feature). Should you lock your vehicle with the button on the key fob, the door handle will no longer unlock the car, only the unlock button on the fob will, or the physical key.

Dolphin

Interesting vlad !
This makes perfect sense....as my read on this....

the car is "possibly" protecting someone inside the car (who has a key FOB) from a stranger opening a locked door with the handle. As the car must consider safety first, and two key owners in the same car, at the same time, is not uncommon. Nice safety feature I was unaware of.

vlad_a

As interesting as it may be, there are times when all of us go somewhere and the car will not lock because the 2nd key is inside. So I have to make a call whether to carry 2 keys in my pocket or just to lock it from the remote.

1sWt2GS

iTrader: (6)

Try it while you have a spare. Im really jealous of my friends 2is, as he cannot lock his keys in the car (or trunk).

Once I was grabbing something from the trunk, and it kept popping open as I shut it off. There was actually keys in the trunk preventing it from shutting off. Boy did I wish the 2gs had that

Dolphin

vlad, for me, this is almost never the case... (dual FOBs in play) but regardless, as you suggest, we must be aware of this.

I amended this post, after your excellent response below.....
I just tested your response below... dead-on! Yay !
fully agreed on the convenience factor, which is what I was pursuing, safety and convenience with one locking method.
thx for shaking this out for us newbs :-)

good thread....

does anyone know how much a replacement FOB costs?
Does the FOB link to memory seat settings?

vlad_a

I would say that using the door handle to lock the vehicle is the most secure method.
It will ensure you have at least one key on you and will make you aware if there is one inside.
It makes a very long beep to let you know you can't lock the vehicle, same as when a door is still open.
The loudness of the beep is user-adjustable.
It is also more convenient.

Dolphin

I would suggest to moderator....

Condense this information and make a sticky. This was not clear to me at Lexus training as it is now... car locking / unlocking is critical issue. For those of us coming from low tech locking / unlocking, this is a lot to digest from Lexus literature, which does not make this as obvious as vlads simple post, with the explanations for loud beep and no mirror foldings - I like the fact you have audible and visual signals. High tech. locking technology will prob. catch a lot of people by surprise...its a lot easier to read something as concise as this, vs. trying to figure it all out :-)

I would also mention, my RES+ is a last line of defense to unlock car, if something goes way wrong.

mac12

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is what I was going to say.

vlad_a

I'm glad our "experimenting" with multiple keys were helpful in some way.
BTW, there would be a message on the dash indicating why the doors would not lock.

If all else fails, there is the old tech method - the physical key that is inside of the key fob. One could have a spare of those made just for such a purpose. A dealer can cut one based on VIN.
Although, it is very difficult to lock both keys inside, so it is really not necessary.

I use an old low-tech trick (I learned from a valet) if I leave a vehicle for short while and want to absolutely be sure it will stay unlocked: just leave the window slightly open for the hand to get through.

Sevn86

I feel it is possible to lock your key fob inside if u keep ur fob and iPhone together. It for some strange reason doesn't sense the key inside when u do that. Idk if it's something that's happened to me or if it's been experienced by others but it's happened. That time I locked my car using the button on the driver door and that's when I experienced this.

EMSLEXUSRX

My daily habit is to lock the RX using the inside lock button on the driver's side armrest, and every time, except one time, when I forgot the key fob inside the car, it doesn't let me lock the door and beeps at me. One time, though, a couple of years ago, my purse was on the passenger side floor board and somehow I was able to lock the door the same way I always do. I couldn't get back into the car. But somehow I was able to get in through the cargo area by opening the tailgate and had to crawl through, put the middle seat down and was able to reach around and open the door from inside. I thought this was a bit strange, but I've never had this problem ever since

Dolphin

I am starting to suspect, this key entry system is perfect 99.8% of the time :-)
I am curious, can you buy the key portion of the FOB, but in a FLAT credit card thickness design? I have seen pix of these, but am unsure what Lexus they are for ?

OK, tracked it down on Sewell, and did some further research (long learning curve on this stuff), this seems like an amazing option....


At a bear min., it seems the flat key component for $65 + cut fee, is quite the bargain, assures you can always enter and start your car if you loose your key FOB or leave it in car, and car fails to detect it. Cheap insurance IMO....


Then, a step more, add convenience.... smart key system with electronics built in... For $255+$65 for key, + cost to cut key (I think I have this right from previous threads)....
you keep this smart key in your wallet, supposedly a bit thicker than a cc, now, you no longer need to carry your BIG key FOB. In my case, the benefits seem impressive....

1) I always have my wallet on me, and if I forget my wallet, I can't start the car, nice crosscheck. Also, no need to carry FOB, which is big n bulky in your pocket.
2) I never leave my wallet in the car (different for purse users, as above, can accidentally....)
3) The Smart Key has the hard key as well, in the event the electronics fail. (car warns of low battery though)

the only downside as I see it, you loose the other functions of the FOB, which in my case, not that significant, I can live without...

the lock / unlock is easier with the dimple lock / door handle unlock, so no big deal there.
You do loose remote panic, engine start (which my RES+ can do), and rear hatch. A little spendy, but if you use this for 6+ years every day, for me, well worth the reduced hassle factor, as well as full confidence I will never leave keys in the car and have it lock me out on that rare occasion car may not detect key inside. More importantly, never carry FOB, just bring my wallet, which I need anyway, and occasionally forget.
Any thoughts, experience, comments?

Droid13

My RX450h came with the flat key fob in addition to the 2 standard fobs. I used it for about 2 weeks but stopped for 2 reasons. I missed the power liftgate button. Also, it is much stiffer than a credit card. If you keep the card in your wallet, and your wallet in your back pocket, you will feel it, like sitting on plywood. Even putting 3 credit cards together, which is about how think this is, they will at least still flex. When I had it in my wallet, I was concerned either my butt cheek would break or the key would break

If you don't carry your wallet in your pocket and don't use the power lift, then its more handy then the standard fobs.

BertL

I received one of these flat keys with my 2006 RX400h, but my 2013 RX450h did not come with one. I guess this is another of those "little things" Lexus excluded from the 2013 refresh.

Anyway, I agree with Droid. The thing is too stiff and thick for a guy to practically keep in his hip pocket, and I don't miss not having one with my 2013. I originally thought the one I had with my 2006 might be great for when I hit the beach, but given it also should not get damp or sandy, there was little benefit to deal with another sort of key than what I normally carried. I ended up putting it in my home safe, and it was never used. (Maybe that's why Lexus does not include them any more as standard. Great idea, but not perhaps enough so for the larger majority targeted when determining the base price of their vehicles.)

kitlz

Our fellow RX owners up north get the card key in addition to the two fobs. But I'll take the US prices any day over that I can understand the convenience of the card key for guys. Me not so much. Plus I can't use remote start with it.