# Lost Key **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 11, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969 "2008-11-11T19:29:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pat\_Jay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@Pat\_Jay](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Pat_Jay)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/1 "2008-11-11T19:29:09Z")
Help, and I know this sounds stupid, so don’t start, OK?! I “hid” my 2005 Prius key in my house somewhere, and I can’t find it. I was going out of the country on vacation, and I didn’t want to bring it with me and lose it (ha ha, joke’s on me, all right already!). I came back and went to where I thought I’d put the key and voila, it wasn’t there. I have looked and re-looked everywhere. My question now is, how the heck do I find it? I have the other key, so I’m using that, but this is one of those big honking electronic keys. I’ve called Toyota, which tells me that there’s no way to find the key, and yes, I’ve taken a metal detector throughout the house, but it goes off with any other metal around. Has anyone run across something like this? I was hoping there was a way to somehow take the key I have and find the missing one. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/2 "2008-11-11T20:45:31Z")
The key only transmits to the car not the other way around. Keep looking. Hopefully its not too expensive. My wife’s key loss cost us $150 for dealer to reprogram key to car computer, new FOB and blank key itself. ---
**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/3 "2008-11-11T21:14:38Z")
“I was hoping there was a way to somehow take the key I have and find the missing one.” LOL, I think you’re thinking of a divining rod. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/4 "2008-11-11T21:57:22Z")
We’ve even hidden christmas presents from ourselves. Found two years later when the kid had outgrown it :)🙂 Keep looking, it will actaully be in …the last place you look ! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/5 "2008-11-13T23:31:52Z")
It’s on the top of the entertainment center? or cabinet behind the a little ledge? or else to save bucks with our fords you could buy a key that the dealer cut and program it yourself in the car, $30 or so, vs $120 at to have the dealer do it. ---
**Author:** ![mshugna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@mshugna](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mshugna)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/6 "2008-11-13T23:34:28Z")
check a jacket pocket…the one you haven’t worn in a while… ---
**Author:** ![BarryNNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@BarryNNJ](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BarryNNJ)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/7 "2008-11-14T04:02:01Z")
The car’s immobilizer system transmits to the key, the key wakes up and replies, then goes back to sleep. That all happens during the starting sequence. What you need to do is bring the car inside the house - put it in a shopping cart or something. Get a plain metal key cut to fit your ignition switch and put it in the switch. Move the shopping cart around the house while turning the plain metal key. When you are within range of the lost security key the car will start. That will help you narrow down the location considerably, and then it should be no trouble to remember where you left the key. Let us know how this turns out. ---
**Author:** ![clammppit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@clammppit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/clammppit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/8 "2008-11-14T04:39:15Z")
If only I can find my glasses to read this ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/9 "2008-11-14T16:03:29Z")
They’re on top of your head. ---
**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lost-key/21969/10 "2008-11-14T21:33:24Z")
Rarely do things on this board make me laugh, but THAT is funny. 🙂