Lexus question

[kindalazy]

Okay, we have a dog. She goes everywhere with us. Sometimes I like to either keep the a/c on, or heater on depending on season, like if we grab a bite, or do a shop, which requires the engine to run.

Our car is keyless. It's a GS450. If the engine is on, we can't lock the doors from the outside. I've tried every combination. Leaving one fob inside, both fobs outside, the lock button on the door. I know this is a great feature so you can't lock yourself outta the car, but is there a way to defeat this?

I want the doors locked, with the engine running, doggie comfy and safe.

Cheers.

ps. I know it may be considered a waste of fuel...

 

[countryguy]

Why don't you contact a Lexus dealer and ask them?

Gary

 

[kindalazy]

Dealer

The reason I posted here is because I was hoping there was a workaround. The dealer said you can't lock the car and leave the engine on, and so far, I was the only one that asked. Dog aside, this part of the country gets really cold in the winter and I've always left the car on to warm up (the cabin, not the motor). I know that's not environmentally friendly or economical, but I make up for it...

Any ideas would help.

Cheers.

 

[combo52]

Car questions

You can have a remote starter feature added to almost any modern car, and these do not unlock the doors when used. For winter warmups It is much cheaper and better for the engine to use an electric block heater to warm up the engine before starting in cold weather. You can have the heater plugged into a timer so it will come on however many hours in advance of the likely time you want to use the car. This way when you get into your car you get instant heat and windshield defrosting, also the electrically heated seats should have a feature where they can be programed to come on automatically in the morning at a preset time.

 

[countryguy]

The block heater is a good suggestion and works well however that process would only work when starting the car at home in the morning.  On our cold days when it does not get above -20 F, by the time noon time rolls around and you need to go out in the car or worse yet, the car sits at work all day and is not started until 4-5 pm then the block heater is of no use since there is no where to plug it in.    Gary

 

[countryguy]

I have a Lexus IS250 with pushbutton start and keyless entry but I've never tried locking the doors with the car running.  I'll have to try it later on today and report back.

 

Gary

 

[passatdoc]

In California, we don't have to worry about engine block heaters, of course, but we do have hot summer days here. My dog likes to go for rides and accompany me on errands, but I don't allow it during the warm months. It's simply not safe to leave a dog in a car here in summer heat. From about late October through April or early May, it's safe with the windows half lowered (she is 80 pounds, no one will mess with her) and a sunshade deployed on the windshield. Or, I try to go late in afternoon when I know I can park in shade on the leeward side of the building (e.g. the east side of our PetSmart). But where no shade options exist, and during the hottest summer months, I simply leave her at home. It's safer.

 

[kindalazy]

Thanks

@gary - thanks for checking out the engine thing, it's the same system as in my car, let me know how you make out. And I agree, a block heater won't work when I'm at the office, which is when I would need to heat up the car, but is secondary to keeping the dog cool in the summer. Did you get high winds yesterday?

@passatdoc - we think the same. If it's really warm, I leave the dog at home, but even in the shade, on milder days, like when it's low to mid 70's, the car still heats up, which is exactly why I leave it running when the dog is inside. Sometimes I just have no choice but to take her along, especially if we are enroute to a vacation destination, in a weird city or town.

 

[whirlcool]

Exactly the same. A few years ago the Houston police department lost one of its canine officers just like that. The officer left her in the car with the engine and a/c running. For some reason the engine on the car quit, a/c turned off and the dog was baked.

The only time I take any of our dogs in the car during the summer heat is when we are going to places that have drive thru's (bank, food places, etc.) where we are in the car all the time with them.

 

[countryguy]

I can't lock the doors on my car either when the engine is running. If I push the lock button manually with the driver's door open it automatically unlocks. If I use the lock switch, the doors unlock. Pushing the button on the exterior door handle does nothing and if I push the door lock button on the key fob with the doors closed there is a message on the console saying 'key not detected'. Finally with the doors closed, the window open, I reached in and locked the door manually and it stayed locked. However I was unable to unlock the doors with the key fob - it was like it was de-activated - so that would be useless.

Gary

 

[neptune]

My dad has a 2006 Nissan Altima and it does not let you lock the doors with a door open but if the switch in your Lexus is one of those that it can go up and down automatically by being pressed down or pulled up just try closing your door and locking the door through your window and pressing the switch to move your window up automatically. just make sure you have your second key handy.

 

[brisnat81]

With the Keyless push to start in the Australian Toyota/lexus variants, you can remove a physical key from the fob to lock the doors, so that you can leave the electronic fob inside the car, IE if you go fishing or swimming.

What happens if you leave the fob in the car and lock the door with the metal key?

 

[alr2903]

I think its designed that way to make it safer ... Why would you ever leave a living thing in a car anyway?

http://www.wmctv.com/story/15309699/suv-stolen-with-young-child-inside

 

[countryguy]

With my car there is no key - just the key fob and a little metal thing that can be removed and used to unlock the door in case the key fob does not work. 

 

Gary

 

[kindalazy]

@gary - my fob is the same, I think all models share it, since my partner has an LS and it's the same too. I appreciate your trying that out.

@brisnat81 - I would try that, but the cover to get to the keyhole is plastic, and would likely loosen over time. I think it may had been designed for the rare emergency only. But thanks for the great idea!

@neptune - Good idea. I will try this out later today. I just wonder if the 2nd fob will work with one already in the car. The opposite is true if you're trying to lock the car with one fob inside, and one outside. The little buttons on the doors won't lock the car, you get a long and steady beep, then you have to press the lock button on the fob itself before it locks... several times.

Cheers!

 

[kenmoreguy64]

A word of caution....

On two fronts.

Check your local ordinances. In Charlotte it is illegal (believe it or not) to leave a car running and unattended. When we have cold mornings and people want to start their car and go back inside to let it warm up, the city will ticket us on the premise that this encourages vehicle thefts and wasted pollution, even if it is done on private property. I've even seen the news media make reminders of this during cold snaps.

On another front, which is more plausible if you don't have the above legistlation, insurance companies if they find out your car was left running and unattended will fight you if your car is stollen as a result. The circuitry in your Lexus (my parent's GS is the same way) is programmed deliberately to fight theft and you're trying to debunk a well-developed system.

Gordon

 

[countryguy]

When I tried to lock the car with the FOB and got the long beep, my FOB was then rendered useless.  I had the window open and locked the door manually from the inside but when I tried to use the FOB to unlock the doors it would not work nor did pushing the button on the door handle.  So if the window had not been open I would not have been able to open the door.

 

Gary

 

[cadman]

I sincerely hope...

that this was either an oversight on Toyota's part, or a cost-cutting measure. Call me old fashioned, but I believe there are situations where the operator may actually encounter a situation that the software engineer or systems designer did not fully conceive.

Here in snowy Iowa (and I can only imagine the situation in MN), not everyone has a garage or even their own driveway to park in during the winter (I'm thinking renters), an winters get COLD! You don't just start your car to warm it up on those 0F mornings, you do so to get the defrosters going and clear the ice.

With a convenience store on every corner, many stop on their way to work for a coffee to go or to hit up the ATM, buy the paper, etc. Granted, most don't lock their doors, but dollars to donuts 9 out of 10 of those vehicles are running parked out front, heated seats warming, ice on the fringes of the windshield merrily melting away. Taking away the option to lock, especially a Lexus, is inviting trouble.

I suppose one could shut their engine off and when they return, stand out in the icy winds, rescraping and standing in salty slush while vehicles are trying to pull in and back out only inches away from you and with very limited visibility, but why when your alternator is already working to keep up with all the heating elements and lights at 6AM and your battery still isn't real happy that it had to crank over a vehicle that's been slumbering the past 12 hours in sub-zero temps.

Just an observation... : )

 

[countryguy]

I don't know where Lexus does their cold weather testing but obviously it is not up here!  I think it was an oversight for sure to not be able to lock the car with the engine running.  Another thing that I have found with both my Lexus and my 2 previous cars (Toyota Solaras) is that the auto climate control in the winter directs the heat to the windshield and floor initially when the car is started from cold but then it switches to floor only far too soon i.e. before the car is really warmed up. This then causes the windshield to start to frost over.  Of course I can change the setting manually but with having automatic climate control I don't think I should have to

 

Gary