Key protection

Franklin · July 29, 2023

Now to this site, I have a 350NXh 2023, when I collected the car from dealership I went to Halfords for a Faraday pouch to keep the key in when at home, just found the pouch is not protecting the key from transmitting. Can open and start car with key in pouch. Any ideas on how I can either disable the keys at night or best pouch to use when storing the key.

Hayzee · July 29, 2023

1 hour ago, Franklin said:

Now to this site, I have a 350NXh 2023, when I collected the car from dealership I went to Halfords for a Faraday pouch to keep the key in when at home, just found the pouch is not protecting the key from transmitting. Can open and start car with key in pouch. Any ideas on how I can either disable the keys at night or best pouch to use when storing the key.

Take a look at this thread from the Toyota forum .....I imagine this applies to new Lexus cars as well and if so should put your mind at rest

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/208235-motion-detection-key-fob/

wivenhoe · July 29, 2023

We keep the keys in a small biscuit tin well away from the car. I have a tracker but that isn’t a deterrent- it just tells you where the scrouts are.

Fusspot · July 29, 2023

I also have a new 2023 NX350H, and decent Faraday pouch for my key, and can confirm it works.

If I take the pouch with key out of the house next to the car, I've confirmed the car won't unlock. Remove it from the pouch and the car unlocks as expected.

But I agree with the previous posts, and always deadlock the car with the key when out and about, such that you have to use the key to unlock the vehicle.

This is the product I ordered from amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PP1X4MJ

LenT · July 29, 2023

5 hours ago, Franklin said:

Now to this site, I have a 350NXh 2023, when I collected the car from dealership I went to Halfords for a Faraday pouch to keep the key in when at home, just found the pouch is not protecting the key from transmitting. Can open and start car with key in pouch. Any ideas on how I can either disable the keys at night or best pouch to use when storing the key.

If that’s consistently failing, then I would take it back to Halfords for a refund. It’s clearly not fit for purpose.

3 hours ago, Fusspot said:

This is the product I ordered from Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PP1X4MJ

I have two of these and they work perfectly. I keep them in a Faraday Box.

Occasionally I test the security of the pouch by putting the keys in it when leaving the car - and then forgetting to take them out when trying to unlock the car!

It doesn’t work every time…proving that they do work!

Andy B · July 30, 2023

@Franklin

As well as taking note of the useful advice given here by other forum members, it may be helpful to learn that you can manually disable the key fob from transmitting signals by pressing and holding down the LOCK button on the fob and at the same time pressing the UNLOCK button twice. The small light on the fob will flash 4 times to indicate that the key has been disabled. Note that this will disable the keyless entry so you will need to use the key fob to subsequently unlock the car. I do this all the time and it soon becomes second nature. I personally trust this method over the Faraday pouch option. Plus it helps to conserve the key fob Battery.

Al D-Much · July 30, 2023

Don't get this issue at all.

I can have the car on the drive right up to the back door, picks up the house Wi-Fi outside, yrt if the car key is just the other side of the back door on the kitchen counter it will not open. On the odd occasion the car is still running it beeps like hell, key not found. All this over distance of no more than 3 feet!

any when put away for the evening it's nice and safe in the garage with it's tin roof and steel garage door, it's all tucked up in one huge Faraday cage anyway.

ColinBarber · July 30, 2023

2 hours ago, Al D-Much said:

Don't get this issue at all.

I can have the car on the drive right up to the back door, picks up the house Wi-Fi outside, yrt if the car key is just the other side of the back door on the kitchen counter it will not open. On the odd occasion the car is still running it beeps like hell, key not found. All this over distance of no more than 3 feet!

any when put away for the evening it's nice and safe in the garage with it's tin roof and steel garage door, it's all tucked up in one huge faraday cage anyway.

What happens when someone stands outside your back door and relays the signal from your key to a device placed next to your car? Answer - it unlocks. This is the issue people are trying to solve, not just moving the key further away from the car than its normal operating range.

A garage with a metal roof and door is far from a Faraday cage - but I'd say it is very unlikely your car would be targeted inside the garage, too many easier targets to go after.

Eggie · July 30, 2023

Like Andy B states above. Turn the key off. It does not transmit a signal then. Reactivate by pressing unlock on fob. I have always used this method with my present and previous NX’s.

Brian R · July 31, 2023

Just a word of warning, not all Faraday pouches are born equal. I bought 2 highly rated pouches and one proved ineffective in less than 3 months, the other still works as it should a year or more after purchase. As Len says, you really need to check they still perform as intended and do so on a regular basis. Essentially, the more a pouch is used, the more chance the foil within it will get damaged and allow signals to pass in/out. Personally, I always switch the fob off to prevent a relay theft and for good measure also pop them into a pouch.

Al D-Much · July 31, 2023

12 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

What happens when someone stands outside your back door and relays the signal from your key to a device placed next to your car? Answer - it unlocks. This is the issue people are trying to solve, not just moving the key further away from the car than its normal operating range.

A garage with a metal roof and door is far from a faraday cage - but I'd say it is very unlikely your car would be targeted inside the garage, too many easier targets to go after.

The dogs would have had them first!
Seems to work for me, no signal in the garage from Wi-Fi, mobile reception, or data 4G or 5G.

Franklin · July 31, 2023

Thanks everyone I am now turning the key off at night and looking for a much improved Faraday holder . I do not recommend Halfords Faraday pouch, the one I purchased lasted less than three months, It was by pure chance I open my car with the key still in the pouch I. even started the car before remembering I had not taken the key out.

Gary H · August 1, 2023

I’ve got two identical Faraday pouches for my UX, which are a rubber-like material on the outside and a fabric-like silver material on the inside. They don’t have a zip, but a simple fold-over velcro flap. Unfortunately as I have a few keys on the keyring, I can only hold it over if I really squeeze them in and then, there’s gaps left either side of the velcro. I’ve always been a bit wary of that.

Whenever I’ve been away from home overnight (i.e - visiting my brother who lives in a flat) and had to leave my car in the residents car park, I’ve basically left them not only in the Faraday pouch, but also in his microwave overnight. I can’t comment on how effective that is - only I’ve heard what plenty of others have said over the likes of a microwave working in this regard.

On 7/29/2023 at 9:04 PM, Fusspot said:

I also have a new 2023 NX350H, and decent Faraday pouch for my key, and can confirm it works.

If I take the pouch with key out of the house next to the car, I've confirmed the car won't unlock. Remove it from the pouch and the car unlocks as expected.

But I agree with the previous posts, and always deadlock the car with the key when out and about, such that you have to use the key to unlock the vehicle.

This is the product I ordered from Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PP1X4MJ

I’m contemplating buying a new Faraday pouch when I finally collect my NX350h next month (...hopefully), so many thanks for the link. I do like the look of that one and certainly more substantial looking than what I have now. I will be doing some shopping around over the course of this month, I’d imagine.

AnthonyMac · August 6, 2023

My Faraday pouch only lasted a few months.

I have replaced it with a Faraday box, which is much more robust. It is also a tidy place to keep the car key.

I also turn the key off when I put it in the box. No harm in belt and braces, and it save Battery life.

Biffo · August 9, 2023

As Hayzee listed above (follow the Link in the post) there is motion detection built into key fobs. I closed and locked the NX, and put the key on the floor by the drivers door while I checked my tyre pressures. Around 5 minutes later I tried to open the door and it remained locked, moved the key on the floor slightly with my foot and door would then open. Looks like if the key (or keys) remain stationary for a few minutes they go to sleep and stop transmitting, hopefully preventing any relay thefts. Don’t keep my keys in my pocket when indoors so it will be stationary. My wife carries the 2nd key in her bag but it is deactivated so hopefully there is no transmissions from either key, so for me one less worry on how the NX could be stolen.

Model is NX350h Premium pack , delivered in September 2022 manufactured around June 2022 - be interesting to see if it’s standard on all NX’s or just those after a certain build date.