SaniDel

After 3+ years, over 31K miles, several electronic key battery changes, more purse changes than my wife can count and a few embarrassments at the car wash line, I can say without reservation that the GX always knows whether we have our electronic keys!

We've never locked our electronic keys in the GX because it won't allow us to get out unless we take them with us. There may indeed be a "dead zone" where we could hide them in the vehicle, but I don't what to know where! More to the point ... why would you hide your electronic key so that neither you nor your vehicle could find it?

You may get "beeped at" and you may cause a scene at the car wash, but you won't get locked out. After a while, you just forget about it ... as long as at least one occupant has their electronic key. The GX doesn't care which or whether we have both, but you won't get far without at least one.
Regards,

SaniDel


P.S. The wiper 'stalk' is an ideal place to hang the electronic key for the car wash ... assuming you got the leather case with the black or gray cord. It dangles in front of the START button so anyone who tries to start the vehicle will 'discover' the key when they bump into it with their fingers. Don't worry about forgetting it and leaving it hanging on the stalk ... the GX will remind you when you try to lock the doors!

Eppieguy

I don't understand your comment "because it won't allow us to get out unless we take them with us. " I have left my fob and keys in the truck many times and even when I go to the car wash. How does it stop you?

As for hiding a FOB, well if you were to lose it in a mall or the beach or wherever you would have a spare and if you hid it I don't see how you wouldn't know how to find it again?

I leave my fob in the cup holder when I go to the car wash, never been an issue, starts for them every time.

SaniDel

Sorry ... what I meant to say was that you can't leave the electronic key in the GX and lock the door ... the GX won't allow that, but it certainly can't detect if you leave the vehicle. We've done what you described as well ... leave the electronic key in the vehicle, with or without the engine running, while we run a short errand ... although that is risky behavior!

I didn't appreciate the need to keep a spare key somewhere "hidden, but discoverable". We received two electronic keys with our vehicle. Each can be separated into the mechanical and electrical 'parts' but we don't have a spare or a 'valet' key. If we lost one, we would rely on each other's until we got a replacement, but that works for us since there are two people, each with a key. For one person with two keys, it isn't quite as obvious a solution!
Regards,

SaniDel


P.S. The guys at the end of the car wash line expect to find the fob in the cup holder and sometime remove it from the stalk and move it to the cup holder ;-)

Koz

You can leave the vehicle with the fob and leave the vehicle running. It will remain running but the engine can not be re-started if shut off.

Koz

SaniDel

Correct, but the GX knows the fob is out of the vehicle and will beep three times as a warning if the engine is running. Without the fob the vehicle can be driven, but not restarted. That's what I learned the hard way at the end of the car wash line, which is why I hang the fob on the wiper stalk. Otherwise, keep it on your person and you won't have to worry about it ... just use the "pinch points" on the outside door handle to lock.
Regards,

SaniDel

patgilm

Ok, I tried your scenario last night on my LS since my wife had the GX. If the car is running and the fob is inside somewhere, it will not let you lock the doors, it keeps unlocking the doors when you manually press the door locks on the door panel. However, with the car turned off and the fob inside near the drivers seat it will let you lock the doors manually but then when you close the door it unlocks them again. If you push the button on the handle it will sound a long beep and will not let you lock the door. The same thing happened when I put the fob in each back seat and passenger seat and tried to push the buttons on the handle and manually lock the door from the driver's side door panel.

However, I was able to lock the fob with the car off and the key in the back right seat somehow but only by using the passenger door panel manual lock button which was very strange since I couldn't do it from the driver's side door panel manual lock button and I couldn't open the door with the door handle sensors, I had to get my spare fob. While this is for a different car, I assume this is the same with the GX but now I am curious and will have to try it out on the GX. Either way, I think it is tough to lock yourself out of the car.

Quadro

I would think that if you do manage to lock the car with a fob inside (not the mechanical key way) it means the car thinks that the fob is outside and hence you should be able to unlock it by touching a door handle too.

The position of the fob is probably determined by triangulation (or similar) based on a signal strength received by car sensors located in different positions inside the car and this is probably why the owners manual mentions this theoretical possibility since the positioning can't be 100% accurate but good enough for any practical use (i.e. people not trying to trick the system).

patgilm

Forgot to provide an update. I tried to lock the fob in the GX even in a number of areas including the cargo area and it would not let me lock the doors any which way I tried so even if there is some chance it could happen it is highly unlikely.