I've seen a couple of threads suggesting issues with the Smart Key and a cell phone being "too close."

There are two places where there may be proximity -- on one's body (when options are limited) and in the car (where the cell is likely to be near the power outlets for charging and the key would often end up near there logically).

How big a deal is this? How do you handle it -- especially on one's person? I don't have my car yet and should know before delivery, I'd guess.

I only have this problem when my cell phone (or mp3 player) and the key fob are right next to each other. I would say that they would have to be around 1 inch away from each other to work again. It may depend on the cell phone though.

I had my phone and FOB together in one pocket and still everything worked fine but there is possibility of interference by doing so, also battery may drain faster due to constant interrogation of the signals emitted by both devices close to each other. Keeping one device in pants pocket and another in shirt, or something similar should avoid any problems, but honestly, in real life shouldn't be big deal. I keep both devices in separate pockets for totally different reasons: I want to have easy access to my phone in case of phone call, I want to keep my FOB in most secure pocket so I won't loose it: so keeping FOB in shirt pocket is out of the questions, too easy to fall out when running or bending down, for similar reason keeping phone in pants pocket is almost impossible to take out quickly when sitting. Even woman's handbag should have separate compartments and few inches distance should be good enough to avoid any issues.

According to the manual, if you leave a charging cell phone within three feet of the key fob, you will significantly shorten the life of the key's battery.

Other great tools:

• Toyota Online's iGuide
• 2007 Online Owner's Manual
• 2008 Owner's Manual PDF (download link)

If that's true (and I see it in the 07 online manual, as well as other warnings there), that's crazy. It would make it essentially impossible to keep one's cell phone charged in the car unless you pitch the key into the back seat somewhere while driving. Is this a serious concern or something less likely to raise an issue in real life?

This has never been an issue for me. I think the only concern is that close proximity to a cell phone may cause the battery to drain more quickly as it forces the transponder into an active listening state. I think that in normal use this won;t be an issue. I interpret the warning to more one of don't keep them next to each other for long periods when not in use.

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Randy