GOOD use of Cell Phone

[Nelson Bradford]

FYI, this may not work on your vehicle!

But it works on our new Toyota Camry - yippee!

Yesterday evening I went out into the garage and locked the car doors.

I then called the house from my cell and exclaimed: HELP! I'm locked out of the car!

To which my lovely bride of 58 years scoffed, then held her car door key near the mouthpiece while I held my cell phone near the car door. She clicked the UNLOCK feature on her key and BINGO - the horn honked, the inside lights blinked on and the door unlocked.

YIPPEE!

Isn't modern techie stuff amazing and wonderful?

8-)

-neb

ps - this may not work on your vehicle!

[Jim Poteet]

FYI, this may not work on your vehicle!

But it works on our new Toyota Camry - yippee!

Yesterday evening I went out into the garage and locked the car doors.

I then called the house from my cell and exclaimed: HELP! I'm locked out of the car!

To which my lovely bride of 58 years scoffed, then held her car door key near the mouthpiece while I held my cell phone near the car door. She clicked the UNLOCK feature on her key and BINGO - the horn honked, the inside lights blinked on and the door unlocked.

YIPPEE!

Isn't modern techie stuff amazing and wonderful?

8-)

-neb

ps - this may not work on your vehicle!

Drive a mile or so from your house. Repeat the procedure described above. You will find that it will not work.

[Jim Chabot]

Drive a mile or so from your house. Repeat the procedure described above. You will find that it will not work.

I think that Jim may be right here Nelson. I believe that the remote uses radio frequency and may have worked from within the house without the phone. Give it a try to be sure.

[Nelson Bradford]

it worked FOUR miles from the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jim Chabot]

it worked FOUR miles from the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that is interesting and valuable information! I wonder what technology they use to make this possible.

[Everett Johnson]

COOL!!! I have to try this with my new Camry

[Nelson Bradford]

COOL!!! I have to try this with my new Camry

PLEASE let us know if it worked, Everett. It seems like some around these parts may be in doubt.
8-)

[Jon Twitchell]

I don't doubt that it somehow worked for you... but there's no documentation of this anywhere that I can find.... so I guess I number myself among the doubtful. Interested to hear anyone else who can get this to work!

[Bud Pugh]

I've done it from inside a shopping mall, well beyond normal range.

[Jon Twitchell]

I've done it from inside a shopping mall, well beyond normal range.

You've done what? Used your key fob? Or used it over a cell phone connection as was described in this thread?

[Bud Pugh]

You've done what? Used your key fob? Or used it over a cell phone connection as was described in this thread?

Cell phone call to someone standing near the car. Pushed the fob button into the phone and the doors unlocked outside.

I just asked my wife about it and she said, "We tried that once and it worked but we tried it again and it didn't."

We heard about this from friends 4 or 5 years ago who said the wife had locked her keys in the car at the store. She called her husband who tried the fob over the phone and the door unlocked.

I just did a quick check around the 'net and find that the word is that no, this doesn't actually work. We must have been closer to the car while in the mall than I thought. And my friends may have been relaying someone else's urban legend.

[Nelson Bradford]

Maybe it's recall time...when I initially stated this may not work for your car. But I would stand in a court of law with my right hand raised and my left hand on the Bible, this has worked for me with three Toyotas...including the 2012 Camry we purchased April 30, 2012.

This is not an urban legend - it works for some cars, but obviously not all.

All I can say is try it. And if it works then celebrate with me.

If it does not, I'm sorry, but I will not apologize for spreading the truth.

Ever.

-neb

[Jon Twitchell]

Maybe it's recall time...when I initially stated this may not work for your car. But I would stand in a court of law with my right hand raised and my left hand on the Bible, this has worked for me with three Toyotas...including the 2012 Camry we purchased April 30, 2012.

This is not an urban legend - it works for some cars, but obviously not all.

All I can say is try it. And if it works then celebrate with me.

If it does not, I'm sorry, but I will not apologize for spreading the truth.

Ever.

-neb

Just to reiterate what I said before:

I don't doubt that it somehow worked for you...

[Nelson Bradford]

two - perhaps - KEY issues?
Both of them "t" - I own a Toyota and have T-Mobile as cell phone service.
8-)

PLUS this has worked for all four Toyotas, 02 Camry, 97 Avalon, 03 Avalon and now 12 Camry.

[Jim Chabot]

Maybe it's recall time...when I initially stated this may not work for your car. But I would stand in a court of law with my right hand raised and my left hand on the Bible, this has worked for me with three Toyotas...including the 2012 Camry we purchased April 30, 2012.

This is not an urban legend - it works for some cars, but obviously not all.

All I can say is try it. And if it works then celebrate with me.

If it does not, I'm sorry, but I will not apologize for spreading the truth.

Ever.

-neb

I'm with Jon, I'm intrigued by this. Most assuredly I am not doubting "you" Nelson, rather I'm curious as to why this works. My understanding is that "most" remotes work on radio frequency which of course would not transmit through a call phone. (I think). So I'm curious as to whether Toyota is using some sort of sound frequency based system, and like Jon, I haven't been able to find out anything on it. Call me "intrigued" but not doubting, your report of FOUR miles is enough for me!

[Dana Grant]

We just tried it with our Dodge and it worked. But I think I was still in range for it to work without the phones, too. LOL

Car was parked on one side of the house. I went to the extreme other end of the house inside the guest bedroom -- a pretty LOOONGGG distance.

but, again, it was probably still in range. It didn't work, however, when I just tried to unlock the door without the phone connection. So, who knows....

[Jon Twitchell]

For me, I'm not simply satisfied to know THAT it works... I want to try to figure out WHY it works.

Anyone who has an RKE unit should want to know not only IF it works, but WHY it works... because it is a potential security vulnerability which might be exploited. While I can envision circumstances where it might be a good thing... I can also envision circumstances where this ability could be a bad thing.

Understanding HOW the technology works will help people know how easily it can be exploited.

[Jon Twitchell]

We just tried it with our Dodge and it worked. But I think I was still in range for it to work without the phones, too. LOL

Car was parked on one side of the house. I went to the extreme other end of the house inside the guest bedroom -- a pretty LOOONGGG distance.

but, again, it was probably still in range. It didn't work, however, when I just tried to unlock the door without the phone connection. So, who knows....

That's a good test... very interesting that it would work with the phone, but not without. I wonder if you could duplicate it with walki talkies or those FRS/GPRS units.

[Gina Stevenson]

For me, I'm not simply satisfied to know THAT it works... I want to try to figure out WHY it works.

Anyone who has an RKE unit should want to know not only IF it works, but WHY it works... because it is a potential security vulnerability which might be exploited. While I can envision circumstances where it might be a good thing... I can also envision circumstances where this ability could be a bad thing.

Understanding HOW the technology works will help people know how easily it can be exploited.

Yes, and some of those analytical minds ~~ like yours seems to be ~~ also happen to be on the wrong side of civility. Would say most hackers, & the likes, also tend towards the analytical, rather than sanguine, side of things, to be able to figure how to break into things like they do.