Briefly Locked Out at the Mountain

@TA2016 This is great! Even if I didn't have to worry about keeping the key warm this beats having stuff in my pockets.

 

I think it is a lot more likely that the locks were frozen than the key battery was too cold. I also have three pedals and a real key. Just this week I replaced the battery in my fob because I was noticing that the range for locking and unlocking was getting less and less. (In my '22 it required a CR2016 battery.) Did you hear the lock or unlock response beep when pushing buttons? If so, the signal was getting there.

I just went out and tried locking and unlocking with the key rather than the buttons. I do agree that it seems like a solenoid is what locks rather than a strictly mechanical tumbler - which does bring up the question of how to enter a locked vehicle with a dead battery. Next time I do electrical work and have the battery disconnected I will try that out.

 

You didn't by chance unhook the battery and try, did you?





9

Cable
69750-04030
Toyota
Positions: Left
Description: Inside lock.
MSRP $37.52
$26.85
10

Cable
69710-04030
Toyota
Positions: Left
Description: Outside control.
MSRP $33.85
$24.22
11

Lock Rod
69311-04040
Toyota
Positions: Right
MSRP $13.25
$9.47
11

Lock Rod
69312-04040
Toyota
Positions: Left

 

@MagicToolbox & @jmneill

I initially didn't beep. I need to go check with battery disconnected, but I do think it was likely user error. Or just cold/delay.

I found a video for how to unlock with Push Button start when the battery is dead, by using the emergency key hidden in the fob. I can't imagine Toyota would create a failsafe for that, and then leave Manual Transmission owners SOL if their battery dies.

But I need to check it out, and see what happens.

 

Cold kills batteries, I'd put a fresh one in your key for the season. Weird that you couldn't manually unlock it? But as you said could have been user error or a fluke.

 

Unfortunately no as that would've confirmed things.

I could be wrong and I hope so, but when the key is turned to unlock and lock you don't feel a mechanical resistance in the tumblers like you do in the tailgate. Also, even slowly turning the key, the lock actuator clicks rapidly versus a rod slowly pushing it unlocked.

I hope I'm wrong as that means a dead battery would leave me locked out.

 

Hey Jalapeno - If you continue to have this issue you might want to check this out. It could apply to you.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2024/lawsuit-toyota-door-lock-actuator-recall.shtml