Questions re: Emergency Key

[SeanNelson]

On all my previous vehicles I've been in the habit of secreting a spare key in a hidden spot under the vehicle so that I had some recourse if I lock my main key in the car. This has saved my butt on a few occasions over several decades of driving, including one time when I was in the middle of nowhere without cell coverage. So I have a few questions about how this would work with the Bolt...

Firstly, is it possible for the Bolt to end up with all the doors locked if the fob is inside the vehicle? If not, then obviously locking it inside accidentally would no longer be a risk, although I'd still be concerned about loosing the fob somewhere while I was away from the vehicle.

Secondly, it seems obvious to me if I were to hide a fob on the vehicle somewhere that I'd have to remove the its battery so it doesn't unlock the doors. Is it reasonably easy to do that (and replace it) without tools?

Thirdly, on my current Prius C, which uses a conventional mechanical key with a transponder and remote door lock/unlock/horn buttons, I use a "valet key" as my emergency key. It's a mechanical key with transponder that does not have the remote buttons. Is there any sort of "valet key" for the Bolt, and if so what is it exactly?

Thanks guys!

 

[LeftieBiker]

To answer one of those questions, you can block the signal from the fob by storing it in an RF-blocking metal case. You can even use a wad of aluminum foil.

 

[SeanNelson]

To answer one of those questions, you can block the signal from the fob by storing it in an RF-blocking metal case. You can even use a wad of aluminum foil.

When it comes to not wanting my car to unlock itself in my absence, I think I'd rather stick with removing the battery from the fob...

 

[devbolt]

No Valet key.

The mechanical key in the key fob is only there to unlock the car's doors. If the battery dies in the fob, you still can operate the car since there is special place in the car where the fob can be placed that will allow it to be started.

You have to try really hard to lock a working key fob in the car. It's not something that can be done accidentally.

You could in theory hide a key fob in the car with it's battery removed, and use Keypass to unlock the car. Keypass only requires a Bluetooth connection to operate, no cell service needed.

I think I've only managed to lock myself out of my car 3 times in the past 30 years. With smart keys, it's gotten a lot harder to do that. I think the last time was nearly 20 years ago, long before I started carrying a remote to lock/unlock the doors, much less having a smart keyfob.

 

[SeanNelson]

Thanks for the info, devbolt. Keypass is an interesting idea, I hadn't thought about that. I've gotten the impression that it's been implicated in some of the infotainment glitches, so I'd been thinking that I might just ignore it, but you've given me some motivation to reconsider that.

Of course I find myself leaving my phone in the car far more often than my keys, so there's that... :roll:

 

[user 1340]

Keypass may not help you without a cell signal, or will it work if you are connected to the car's own wifi hotspot?

 

[devbolt]

Keypass may not help you without a cell signal, or will it work if you are connected to the car's own wifi hotspot?

Keypass works via Bluetooth. No cell connection needed.

 

[devbolt]

Thanks for the info, devbolt. Keypass is an interesting idea, I hadn't thought about that. I've gotten the impression that it's been implicated in some of the infotainment glitches, so I'd been thinking that I might just ignore it, but you've given me some motivation to reconsider that.

Of course I find myself leaving my phone in the car far more often than my keys, so there's that... :roll:

Keypass definitely was an issue with the earlier version of the Infotainment software, but things are much improved with the latest update to the software.

My phone is my life, sadly,, so I've gotten in the habit of making sure I have it with me when I leave the car. Of course, there's been times where I had to walk back to the car once I realized I'd left it in there, but I usually realize this within about 30 seconds.

I used to wear a fanny pack all the time (don't laugh), and it always had my car keys in it, so I never had to worry about forgetting my keys. And because the cars had smart key systems with push button start, I never had to take the keys out of my fanny pack.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Just so you know that the foil wad idea isn't just theory: I use it regularly in Summer when I want to go swimming alone. I take the mechanical key out of my my Leaf's fob, zip it into my bathing shorts, then wrap the fob in foil and put it under the false floor for the spare tire. It works fine.

 

[user 1340]

Keypass may not help you without a cell signal, or will it work if you are connected to the car's own wifi hotspot?

Keypass works via Bluetooth. No cell connection needed.

That's good to know. Thanks.

 

[drdiesel1]

I use a Faraday pouch to block my FOB. It fit's in my pocket and I never worry about the car being unlocked accidentally.
If you want to leave the FOB in the car, you'll need to remove the battery. You'll need to take the key out and keep it
with you to unlock the door to gain entry. I like my pouch and have one for my Ram pickup too :mrgreen:



https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hole-Faraday-Key-Fob/dp/B01M9GLNYI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497067155&sr=8-1&keywords=key+fob+bag