How to Disable Your Toyota’s Smart Key System

Wondering how to deactivate your Toyota’s smart key system?

Regardless of the reason, we’ll explain exactly how to do it.

There are a few different methods and reasons for deactivating your smart key, so we’ll cover all situations. We’ll also talk about the deactivation switch location.

toyota smart key in hand with car in background

Methods to Disable

Most people want to deactivate their smart key so they can start their vehicle when the key fob is not working properly. However, there are a few other reasons why you may want to disable your smart key system.

The method you use to deactivate your smart key will depend on why you want to disable it.

In this section, we’ll cover three methods for deactivating your smart key, depending on your situation.

1. If Your Key Fob Isn’t Working

If your smart key system is not working, you may be unable to start your vehicle. This could be due to a dead key fob battery or some other smart key system malfunction.

Don’t worry! You can use Toyota’s smart key deactivation switch so you can start your car even if the key fob isn’t working.

As we mentioned before, the method varies depending on how old your Toyota is:

  • Toyotas less than 15 years old: Hold the key fob’s Toyota logo up to the “ENGINE START STOP” button.
  • Toyotas more than 15 years old: Press the deactivation switch on the dashboard below the steering wheel.

2. Long-Term Storage or Theft Prevention

You may want to disable your smart key for long-term storage (to prevent key fob battery depletion) or for theft prevention.

To do this, you’ll need to use a different deactivation method than we mentioned previously.

For more Toyotas, you can deactivate your smart key fob by performing the following actions on the fob:

  1. Hold down the lock button.
  2. Hit the unlock button twice.

NOTE: This process may vary by your vehicle’s model, trim level, and country. Check your owner’s manual if this method does not work.

Keep in mind that this is only a temporary deactivation. The key fob will reactivate when you hit any button on the fob.

3. Permanent Deactivation

If you don’t want to use the smart key system at all, there is also a permanent option to deactivate the smart key system.

Unfortunately, you cannot do this yourself.

To deactivate your smart key system permanently, contact your local Toyota dealership.

Be sure to talk with your Toyota dealer about how this will impact your vehicle’s functionality. There may be a different process required to unlock, lock, and start your vehicle.

Switch Location

Let’s clarify where the smart key deactivation switch is located. It varies depending on how old your vehicle is.

Vehicles Less Than 15 Years Old

If your Toyota was manufactured within the last 15 years, you probably don’t have a physical smart key deactivation switch. This is a general rule of thumb, but it may vary depending on your model, trim level, or country.

If your Toyota is less than 15 years old, the smart key deactivation switch is built into the Toyota logo on the key fob. It will communicate wirelessly with the vehicle to deactivate the smart key system.

diagram of wireless smart key deactivation switch

To use the wireless switch, hold the key fob’s Toyota logo up to the “ENGINE START STOP” button. A buzzer will sound, which indicates your smart key system is temporarily deactivated. Then, you will be able to start your vehicle.

Vehicles More Than 15 Years Old

If your Toyota was manufactured more than 15 years ago, you probably have a physical switch that can be used to deactivate the smart key system.

On Toyotas older than 15 years, the smart key deactivation switch can typically be found on the dashboard underneath the steering wheel. Simply press the button to deactivate the smart key system.

Why Disable the Smart Key

Let’s talk about why you would want to disable the smart key system.

The most common reason to deactivate the smart key is so you can start the vehicle when the keyless fob is not working properly. This could be due to a dead key fob battery or a smart key malfunction.

However, there are a few more good reasons why you might want to disable the key.

You may want to disable it for long-term storage so your key battery does not drain unnecessarily while it’s not being used. Your key is always trying to communicate with the vehicle, so leaving it enabled will cause the battery to deplete.

Additionally, many Toyota owners have concerns over keyless car theft. One way to help prevent this is by deactivating the key fob.

Lastly, perhaps you’re old-school and simply don’t like the keyless fob behavior. In this case, you may want to permanently disable the smart key and switch to a standard key.

Recap

Hopefully, this helped you learn how to disable your smart key.

We covered three methods for doing so based on different situations: if your key fob isn’t working, for long-term storage or theft prevention, and for permanent disabling.

Each situation uses a different method to disable the smart key, so you’ll need to review which method applies to you.

As a reminder, newer Toyotas will not have a physical switch but rather a trigger inside the key fob itself that activates when you hold it up to the ENGINE START STOP button. Older Toyotas will have a physical deactivation switch.

In the comments below, let us know why you’re disabling your smart key!

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