The only way to lock it is with the physical key.

 

I don't recall ever getting a physical key, just a key fob...am I missing something? 2014 HL Platinum.

 

You need to get yourself a remote start system, it's worth every penny.

 

This. I bit the bullet and had this put on mine. It really is worth the money, especially when the darn polar vortex causes the high temp to be -5!

The car will not shut off based on Key Fob location.

I am assuming that you have a push-button start. Both of my cars are push-button start and this is what I do when I want keep them running and lock them...

1. Start the Car
2. Open drivers side window
3. Get out and shut the door
4. Standing outside, Lock the car via the door lock button inside the car
5. Again, Standing outside, Close the window via the Auto up function inside the car
6. Walk away

When I return, I use the key that is in the key fob to manually unlock the door.

This sounds so bootleg, but way to think outside the box! :

 

Try it. Start car, leave keys in house and try and take car. See if it goes into gear without the key nearby or if it shuts off.


Please reply with results.

 

The car will not shut off based on Key Fob location.

I am assuming that you have a push-button start. Both of my cars are push-button start and this is what I do when I want keep them running and lock them...

1. Start the Car
2. Open drivers side window
3. Get out and shut the door
4. Standing outside, Lock the car via the door lock button inside the car
5. Again, Standing outside, Close the window via the Auto up function inside the car
6. Walk away

When I return, I use the key that is in the key fob to manually unlock the door.

 

You can also use the manual key.

1. Lock all doors with interior lock.
2. Manually unlock the drivers door.
3. Get out and lock the door with the manual key.

 

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...camry-hybrid/696065-how-do-i-lock-my-doors-keep-engine-running.html#post8321754

What you might want to do and should work is to remove the mechanical key from the fob and have a blank key cut - http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLADE-SPARE...mart-Key-Blade-For-Avalon-Camry-Corolla-Highlander-4Runner-Prius-/221262827741? - they should have a standard style key like this that you could have cut, but I don't know what your key looks like.

Then you can either have that on a quick-release keychain or on a separate keychain so you can use it to lock and unlock the car with it running.

 

thanks everyone.

Kenyork, I had done that. No problem. Can drive off fine, but as soon as you shut off the car, you are clearly out of luck. To prevent this from accidentally happening, the car flashes and buzzes and lets you know that no key fob is detected.

 

Wow - I didn't know you could do that. I thought the car would shut off it the key is out of a pre-determined range. It would suck to start your car, forget your keys at home, then drive to work.

 

It would definitely suck to drive far away and realize that you left the key at home; in winter and in Canada. That would be something. Not sure why they would not program to make the car refuse to drive away ( no gear shift) if the key is not present.

You know, I have not get my car yet and it will be my first ever push-start car and this came across my mind. What if I drive the car and forget the key in a pocket at home in winter. What would happen? Now I know.

 

I will say that the car makes it very hard to forget your key at home. Flashing yellow light on the dash would be hard to miss, but I do wish it was locked in park unless the key was present. It would be nice being able to know that it could not easily be driven off.

 

They have tried to prevent you from driving the car without the key by not allowing it to start without it. Then we are coming up with all kinds of ways to fool the car into locking the doors while it is running and we're worried about leaving the keys at home and blaming design? Imagine if you didn't have the key and the car shut off while driving? Cannot happen. Car will run till you push the button.

 

Agreed with all points, but some of the early systems were more poorly thought out. I know some of the early Fords woudln't start without the key Fob, but if you left the Fob in the kitchen - it was "in range" to start the car and there was no warning until you left work and tried to start it and realized you didn't have the fob with you.

(New Fords do give you a No Fob Present warning.)

 

It's a bit out of the norm to lock through the window...but I don't really use this for warming up the car. Our Highlander is a Hybrid, and on trips, my wife usually ends up in the back sitting between the kids. Since she can't really reach the front doors from the back and I don't like to shut the vehicle off since the engine shuts off most of the time, this method works great for me.

 

With a 1 year old and being a canadian winter I've been trying this too. The window thing sounds best. Will have to try that.

 

what you have to do is disarm (or disconnect the start key) then lock the door with your key. while the engine is running, then use the key to unlock the door when your ready. to disarm the smart key, hold down the lock and unlock buttons at the same time. then again to re arm.

 

a word of caution, because it happened to me. luckily i did't have to walk far as the Lowe's food store, and the Lowe's home store were close together. i had dropped my wife off to food shop while i drove over to the home store. when i came out, i couldn't start the car and realized i forgot my smart key. (my wife had hers but i forgot mine) and i had to walk quite a ways to get her key. the car will not shut off automatically when out of range of the smart key!!

 

I just do the manual key lock thing when I need to leave the car running with the dog inside. On a side note, The key is pretty good at knowing when it is in and out of the car, but not in every case. I had my oil changed at a Jiffy Lube. When I went to get my car, they drove it out and left it running, so I hopped in and left. I figured the key was in the car where I left it, in the drink holder. When I got home and turned the car off, I couldn't find it. But I could turn the car on and off so I knew it was in there somewhere. I spent over an hour tearing it apart and looking in every nook at least 5 times. Even checked under the hood. I gave up and called to ask them where they put it. They told me to check the windshield - and there it was. Those A-holes actually left it on the windshield wipers. Said that is where they leave them sometimes. I explained what a stupid idea that was with a smart key. That $300 dollar key would have been gone if I cleaned the windshield or it started raining. I don't think they do it anymore.

 

Glad you found it, but nothing the idiots at quick-lube places do surprises me anymore.

http://jalopnik.com/lazy-idiots-at-lube-shop-cut-hole-in-audi-s4s-aero-pan-1748394648

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/what-the-hell-jiffy-lube-1782172003

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/all-four-wheels-fall-off-immediately-after-jiffy-lube-b-1777154744

/and back on topic

 

I've been reading through this post, and have actually learned a bunch about my car! (2015 XLE) Thank you! I too would like the feature of having it idle while I walk out of sight. We have brutal summers in AZ, and when I have my dog in the car with me, I never stop anywhere, but, being able to keep the car and A/C running makes it possible for me to make quick stops.