With the Smart Key system, your RAV4 is simple to enter and exit thanks to a remote proximity key fob. When you go away, it automatically locks and when you get close, it unlocks.
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Do the doors on a RAV4 lock themselves?
There are so many innovations and features in modern cars that it’s simple to miss some of them. In this post, we’ll examine the 2021 RAV4 and some of its features, many of which you probably weren’t aware of.
The fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 is one of the most well-liked SUVs available for a variety of reasons.
It offers many different engine options, such as a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, plenty of space for passengers and cargo, a full range of standard safety systems, and a ton of fascinating features.
There are some of these traits that are well recognized and visible, but there are also those that are less obvious and that you probably weren’t aware of.
The RAV4 has a few choices for customizing the automatic locking and unlocking of the doors. By default, the doors lock when the vehicle reaches about 12 mph (20 kph), although they can unlock when the gearshift is in park (P).
When you switch from P to D or R, the automatic lock feature can be modified to lock the doors. Additionally, the auto-unlock feature can be modified such that opening the driver’s door requires pulling the interior handle.
You must first hit the Menu button on the infotainment screen to enter the Setup, Settings menu, then scroll down to Vehicle Customization, tap it, and then select Door Lock Settings.
A little Prius-inspired innovation dubbed S-Flow is included with the RAV4. In essence, it greatly improves the effectiveness of temperature control by sensing the number of passengers within the car and adjusting airflow accordingly.
Additionally, when Auto or S-Flow modes are used, a solar sensor mounted on the upper side of the instrument panel senses the position of the sun and assists in directing more cold air to the side of the car that is being hit by more sunshine.
It’s not a new feature, but I bet few owners are aware of it because this kind of sensor has been used for years in numerous vehicles, including earlier iterations of the RAV4 with climate control.
The quantity of cargo space you receive in this SUV is one of the primary selling points. You occasionally have to transport products that stain the carpet in your cargo area because they are dirty or moist.
The problem can be fixed by purchasing an all-weather mat, which Toyota dealerships provide for about $300.
But Toyota designers were clever enough to provide a cool alternative if that’s too expensive and you haven’t had time to buy an aftermarket one. In order to prevent the mess from being lodged in the carpet, the floor deck is specifically reversible, allowing you to easily flip it from the side covered in carpet to the side made of heavy-duty plastic.
The 2021 model of the fifth-generation RAV4 has all of these features and is currently on sale at dealerships for a starting price of about $27,500 for the base LE grade with front-wheel drive.
Does my Toyota lock on its own?
You have the option to alter the order in which the doors lock and unlock depending on the mode if you own a modern Toyota model with power locks and an automatic transmission.
The car may be configured in a mode that you do not like, in which case this change will help you “correct the issue.”
There are four pre-programmed settings available to you for the vehicle:
- Mode 1This mode connects the door’s automatic lockingbut noticeably not unlockingwith the shift position. When you shift out of “Park with the key in the ignition, in the “On position, and with all the doors closed, they will lock themselves.
- Option 2: In this mode, the feature is only disabled. It won’t be possible to lock and unlock doors automatically.
- Mode 3
- This setting relates the door locking and unlocking to the shift position, same as Mode 1. Every time the shift lever is moved out of “Park with the key in the “On position and all the doors closed, the doors will automatically lock. In turn, anytime you return the shift lever to “Park,” the doors will automatically unlock.
- Mode 4
- This option links the automatic locking and unlocking mechanism to both the shift position and the key position. When you shift out of “Park with the shift lever, the doors will automatically lock with the key set to “On and all of the doors closed. When you turn the key to “Off while the shift lever is in “Park, all of the doors will automatically unlock.
Switching between modes
How do you switch between them now that you are aware of your options? the following six steps:
- Look at the dome light’s control knob. Move the cursor to “Door.
- Ensure that all of the doors are closed, and set your shift lever to “Park.
- Place the ignition key in the lock and turn it to the “on” position “On.
- after entering the “Push the driver’s side door lock switch all the way down and hold it there for 5 seconds when in the on position.
- The mode that the automatic locking system is now set to can be determined by counting the number of flashes that emanate from the dome light. A single flash indicates that you are in mode 1, while two, three, and four flashes, respectively, indicate that you are in modes 2-4.
- To switch to another mode, press the switch. For you to be aware of the new mode, it will flash. Push the switch repeatedly until you find the one you want.
You now know how to switch between any of the four automatic locking and unlocking modes on your Toyota car, one of which (Mode 2) fully turns it off if that’s your option. Again, even though this is not a Toyota repair, completing this project will provide you better control of the vehicle and the opportunity to make any necessary adjustments if you are unhappy with the way this automatic feature is now set up.
Note that if the car battery dies or becomes disconnected, the car computer will forget your preference for auto-locking and auto-unlocking mode. If it happens, the car will switch back to Mode 1.
Toyota News & Information
Now that you know how to change your mode, you can decide how your automatic system locks and unlocks your doors. Now that the tutorial is through, let’s move on to some recent news stories that you as a Toyota owner might find interesting:
- Toyota tops the 2018 Consumer Reports list with four awards.
- Toyota creates an environmentally friendly EV motor.
Toyota wins 4 crowns in 2018 Consumer Reports list
Consumer Reports lists the best automobiles every year, and Toyota’s performance on the 2018 list is excellent.
Not all recent Toyota news has been favorable. Its sales volume has fallen behind Volkswagen and Nissan/Renault/Mitsubishi, which now dominate the world market. Nevertheless, this Consumer Reports ranking demonstrates that the automaker is a solid option for consumers, with critical evaluations (drawing on hundreds of viewpoints) that do not take a car’s popularity into account.
Because it does not accept any potential prejudice created by marketing or by receiving automobiles from automakers instead of buying them from dealerships, Consumer Reports is taken very seriously. Its subscribers provide information about performance, ensuring that all of its data is as scientific as possible (both objective and derived from a large sample).
Toyota was in charge of 4 out of the 10 categories in the publication’s 2018 Top Picks. The winners and categories were:
- Corolla, a small automobile
- Camry, a midsize vehicle
- large SUV
- Highlander
- minivanSienna.
According to Consumer Reports, the reliability of the vehicle, the emphasis on safety features, and the design’s accessibility and general appeal were the three key factors that contributed to the automaker’s success with this 2018 list.
Jake Fisher, the magazine’s director of vehicle testing, emphasized that in order to distinguish the brand from its rivals, “very impressive reliability across the board was important.”
Fisher also noted the automaker’s success in standardizing the use of safety technologies across its lineup, particularly forward-collision warning systems and automatic emergency braking.
Toyota develops more sustainable EV magnet
Electric vehicles (EVs) are viewed as a solution to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, or at the very least, as a new type of car that doesn’t require regular fill-ups at the gas station. But one major problem with zero-emission electric vehicles is that they need neodymium, a rare-earth element (REE). Toyota is worried that we are extracting this material too quickly in order to meet the rising demand. It is currently working on motor magnets that will reduce the quantity of neodymium required to construct one of its hybrid or electric models in half.
The scale of Toyota’s decision plus the company’s announcement that all of its vehicles would be available in electrified form within seven years make this move exciting news for environmentalists. The automaker has switched to lanthanum and cerium, both of which are more readily available and less expensive, to lower the amount of neodymium.
Neodymium has traditionally been employed by magnet developers because of its amazing ability to maintain magnetization over a wide temperature range. The crucial magnetic properties would be diminished, therefore just adding more cerium and lanthanum in place of the neodymium would not have been adequate. Since the project was not straightforward, Toyota made a significant investment to develop ground-breaking technology that would enable the motor to function just as effectively with only 50% of the neodymium.
The fact that this novel magnet technology can be used for devices other than autos is arguably its most enticing feature. This new technology might be applied to appliances, robotics, and any other items that could benefit from a high-temperature motor that is both economical and sustainable. Beginning about 2020, these cleaner motors will be employed in cars that are in production.
Honest Toyota repair in Boulder
The ease of changing locking settings and the excellent Consumer Reports ratings indicate that Toyota vehicles are user-friendly. Additionally, the company is simple to like thanks to its sustainability efforts. However, regular Toyota maintenance and repairs are occasionally required. You want a mechanic who is trustworthy and honest for those jobs. 90% of the work we do at Independent Motors, Boulder’s local auto repair shop for 35 years, is repeat business. View our approach to Toyota repairs.
When parked, do cars automatically lock?
If you get out of the car and move away, it won’t lock on its own. However, the car will lock again after around 30 seconds if you unlock it but don’t get in (open a door). It merely performs that action automatically.
As technology advances, our lives become more convenient, but are we also putting ourselves at risk? With this question in mind, we’ve asked Mark Barclay, E-commerce Manager of GSF Car Parts, to walk us through the pros and cons of keyless car technology to find out whether the convenience is worth the risk.
Despite the rising use of keyless locking systems in automobiles, current government statistics reveal a surge in car theft in England and Wales of 15% since 2016/17 and 40% over the previous five years (The i). Modern keyless entry systems may be practical, but they make our automobiles more prone to theft. Such that vehicle tracking company Tracker revealed that, up from 66 percent the year before, 80% of all stolen vehicles they recovered in 2017 had been taken without the owner’s keys. I’m going to describe how keyless technology operates in this essay and examine both its benefits and drawbacks.
How does keyless entry work?
You will have a fob with a special identifying chip in place of a regular key that watches for signals coming from your vehicle. The car will broadcast a radio signal when you use the door handle or a button on the door. The fob will reply to the signal from the automobile if it is close enough, telling it to unlock the door for you. Push-button ignition systems operate similarly in that the car won’t start until your fob is within range of the sensor. With the addition of sensors to the rear bumper on some automobile models, you can open the boot automatically by waving your foot underneath it. This idea has been developed even further.
Benefits of keyless technology
Being able to enter your car without a key can be a lifesaver, whether you’ve got your hands full with groceries, a sleeping infant to carry, or you can’t quite remember which bag you placed the car keys in. The doors and boot can be simply opened with a press of a button or a wave of the foot as long as you have the fob with you and are close to your car. Every automobile owner has experienced the moment when they leave their vehicle and wonder if they actually secured it. You should not worry about it with keyless technology because the car will lock itself once the fob is out of reach. This convenient feature makes it impossible to ever unintentionally leave your car unlocked and unattended. Some more sophisticated capabilities allow individual fobs to have varied preferences for the in-car radio and climate settings. For parents who want to make sure their children aren’t getting into any trouble when they borrow the car, some even let you set speed limits for specific fobs.
Cons
There are some drawbacks to keyless technology that you will need to take into account, as with all new innovations. While classic theft methods like lockpicking are clearly less likely with keyless fobs, the biggest worry is that hackers might be able to exploit the technology and steal your car. Because of the way keyless technology operates, hackers can easily gain access to your car by using specialized software to make it seem that the right fob is close. The fact that your car’s engine won’t shut off automatically when you are outside of range presents another possible concern. Actually, this is a safety function that keeps you from becoming stranded if your key fob loses power while you’re out and about. The unintended consequence of this is if you mistakenly drop off your fob and someone takes it with them. The ignition will still be on, allowing you to drive away, but you won’t be able to start the car again later. Manufacturers will come up with new solutions to address the keyless technology issues as technology advances. Does perfection ever exist? Although doubtful, this is the direction the industry is moving towards.