Mysterious trunk door openings - Page 3 - GreenHybrid

wdmark · #21 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 06:55 PM

Sounds like you may need to contact the Ghost Whisperer. ...hope the Dealer/Toyota can figure it out.

hycambrid · #22 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 09:07 PM

David: Can you rule out accidental opening/locking with the remote, i.e. fob kept in a place other than your pocket after you left the vehicle?

David Price · #23 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 09:22 AM

Quote:

David: Can you rule out accidental opening/locking with the remote, i.e. fob kept in a place other than your pocket after you left the vehicle?

Hycambrid: I thought it was an accident the first time when the trunk open while my wife was at work but this time it was no accident, cause unknown.

One other thing I forgot to mention, some time age, we were in the house an the alarm went off without any known reason. Again, the car was in the garage.

rmorrow · #24 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Price

Hycambrid: I thought it was an accident the first time when the trunk open while my wife was at work but this time it was no accident, cause unknown.

One other thing I forgot to mention, some time age, we were in the house an the alarm went off without any known reason. Again, the car was in the garage.

But where was the smart key fob for both of those occasions? If it was in a pants pocket, I submit that it is very easy for the fob to be squeezed in your pocket, even if nothing else is in your pocket (especially if you are sitting, laying down, or bending over), causing a signal to be sent. Likewise, in a purse, other objects striking or rubbing against it can also do this. The only way you can realistically rule this out is if you know the fob was hanging up somewhere with no possibility of anything touching it at the time.

David Price · #25 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 06:55 PM

rmorrow: The FOB was in a locker at my wife's work place when the trunk opened. At home, the FOB was on a coffee table, by the way, we have no kids at home now. Good idea but no payoff.

hycambrid · #26 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 09:45 PM

I think there are two distinct issues here.

1. David is the first to report that trunk openings (and other events) occurred while the fob was located where it could not be accidentally triggered. To me, this is a very serious problem.

2. Others explain the unwanted openings as probable pocket accidents, backed by some experience. If such accidents are possible, I think that this is also a serious problem. The smart key system and remote openers were designed for convenience, but worrying about having a pocket accident that will expose your trunk to either the elements or thieves seems rather inconvenient to me. I don't want to use the manual key all the time, and I don't want to worry about storing the fob away from the danger zone of my pocket as soon as I exit the car.

Whatever the cause of unwanted openings, either accidents or some other reason -- or both, I'm counting on Toyota to solve the problem(s). Does the fob need to be redesigned? Re-engineered?

chestr · #27 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 07:48 AM

I keep mine in a jacket pocket almost all the time (with other keys separate from the fob, separate keyring--fob has no keys attached to it). Since I rarely need to take it out, as long as I can keep it consistently on my person I'm fine. And it eliminates needing to make sure to transfer it from pocket to pocket except for seasonal/jacket changes. This cuts out most possible pressure-type events as there's nothing pushing against my stomach generally. I've never had any accidental button triggering while carrying it this way so far anyway. And that's going on 1.5 years.

rmorrow · #28 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hycambrid

I think there are two distinct issues here.

1. David is the first to report that trunk openings (and other events) occurred while the fob was located where it could not be accidentally triggered. To me, this is a very serious problem.

2. Others explain the unwanted openings as probable pocket accidents, backed by some experience. If such accidents are possible, I think that this is also a serious problem. The smart key system and remote openers were designed for convenience, but worrying about having a pocket accident that will expose your trunk to either the elements or thieves seems rather inconvenient to me. I don't want to use the manual key all the time, and I don't want to worry about storing the fob away from the danger zone of my pocket as soon as I exit the car.

Whatever the cause of unwanted openings, either accidents or some other reason -- or both, I'm counting on Toyota to solve the problem(s). Does the fob need to be redesigned? Re-engineered?

As to 1. I agree - if that's what's happening, it needs to be fixed.

As to 2. I've had remotes for my last three cars (the TCH is the first with smartkey), and I've frequently opened the trunk, set of the alarm, etc., with each one, due to "pocket accidents".

I don't see that as a defect - I see it as user error, and deal with it.

rmorrow · #29 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chestr

I keep mine in a jacket pocket almost all the time (with other keys separate from the fob, separate keyring--fob has no keys attached to it). Since I rarely need to take it out, as long as I can keep it consistently on my person I'm fine. And it eliminates needing to make sure to transfer it from pocket to pocket except for seasonal/jacket changes. This cuts out most possible pressure-type events as there's nothing pushing against my stomach generally. I've never had any accidental button triggering while carrying it this way so far anyway. And that's going on 1.5 years.

This too was my solution. Unfortunately, in the warmer weather, it goes back into my pocket. As long as these things have actual mechanical buttons, I don't think that problem will ever go away.

Ormond · #30 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 12:45 PM

I have had mine pop open twice while driving. The fob was in my pocket, and I think that my other keys were pressing against it. I no longer wear those pants.