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Toyota Prius Dash & Instrumentation Questions

PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
Have a question or problems with your dispalys and readouts? This is the place to discussion them.
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Comments

  • supergamasupergama Member Posts: 1
    We took ownership of our 2005 Salsa Red, package 6 Prius 2 days ago. Since we bought the navigation system we have some studying to do. We are been learning all the bells and whistles.

    We ordered our Prius in May 2004 but with the order wait time we decided to not order a 2004 but wait for the 2005.

    Looking forward to having other owners to chat with now and then.
  • otncgirlotncgirl Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 2005 and I still havent figured out the navigation system. If you do, pass it on. I absolutely love my Lil P. I'm so glad I waited and finally got one. I guess I was desperate to have it because I got Package #6 (all the bells and whistles). Paid about $30,000.00 +, because I opted to get the extended warranty. I was so excited I didnt even care to bargain. I just knew I had to have it. I researched it for two and 1/2 years and knew this was gonna be my next car. I bought it on April 15th (Tax Day). Take that Uncle Sam because I will be writing ift off in 2006. My wait time was about 3 days or so. Everyone, friend, people I meet at the gas station etc. are just as excited to see it as they heard so many great things about the car. So looking forward to talking to everyone at this forum and learning all about my Lil P.

    Otncgirl (Sunny California) "> :)
  • mtransue1mtransue1 Member Posts: 15
    Hi:

    Loved your encouraging message. I have had a deposit on a Prius ... the red... without navigation system... and a combined package of 4 ad 5 since January. Since it is special order the expected time of delivery is June.

    I have to sell a Honda Civic... 2002 with only 13,000 miles on to be able to purchase this car which out the door, tax and all will be $ 24.750.. Does the price you paid include preparation fees and tax....

    My car was ordered in N.C. although I live 6 months here in Fl. where I am now. There are not too many down here but when I do see one I get very UPBEAT.
    I even saw a red one the other day. Actually it is more maroon than red.. but I never had that color car... always tans,silvers,white cars..

    Tell me on this board how you like it as you drive it. I didn't get the fancy disk player either but I got mats... heavy duty and a plastic thing to put in the back included in my price. I was thinking of the extended warranty too. Did your price of thirty thousand include that...

    Thanks for giving us all of the info. you did.
  • majors2000majors2000 Member Posts: 4
    Hello!

    I see you have a question about your Navigation system. Toyota and Lexus have the same Navigation system that is very user friendly compared to other systems on the market. I have worked for Toyota now for three years and have completed a Navigation System class to earn certification with Toyota. What questions do you have about the system? Your salesman should have made sure you understood the features of the car while taking delivery. ;)

    Eric
  • seekoseeko Member Posts: 33
    WHEN THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM SEARCHES FOR DIRECTIONS BY A PHONE NUMBER LIKE IT SAYS IT WILL IT DOESN'T. YOU PUT THE PHONE #IN AND PUSH O.K. AND THEN IT SAYS SYSTEM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE NUMBER! DOES ANYONE NO THE ANSWER TO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? PLEASE RESPOND. THANK YOU.
  • seekoseeko Member Posts: 33
    i have a question on the navigation on the 2006 prius .it says that you can put in a phone # to locate the address and take you to that destination and no matter what i do it says it doesn't recognize the #. can anyone reply to maybe help me out? thank you. :
  • devsiennadevsienna Member Posts: 70
    I believe the problem is that you can't put in just any ol' number to serach for directions by. It has to be a phone number that is already in the database of Points of Interest. I.e a retail business, hotel/motel, gas station, local government office, car dealership, etc. Putting in your cousin Frank's home phone number won't work.
  • seekoseeko Member Posts: 33
    thank you for your answer devsienna i new there had to be a reason for this and you explained it . thank you.pete
  • seekoseeko Member Posts: 33
    hi there just wondering if you figured out your navigation system yet? i have one also. just keep trying to figure it out. i got mine down pretty good i guess. at times it still makes me swear at it a little i guess. but i love the everything about the prius so far. sometimes it seems that it has a personality all of its own. i like it a lot. email me if you want sometime.i know a little about the prius .i've had mine since feb 8th. see ya pete :)
  • utleysfutleysf Member Posts: 2
    how can i get rid of the opening screen on my navigation system. somehow i feel in my own car i should not have to agree to drive safely everytime i get in the car. I find that screen insulting.....year 2005
  • seroqseroq Member Posts: 12
    The illustrated energy screen with picture of the battery charge. My battery charge determined by the number of blue stripes. I never get up to a picture of the battery with blue stripes getting to the top, indicating a full battery charge. Is this normal or does it indicate some problem with the battery taking a charge?
    Seroq
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    You asked the same question in two different forums, so I will link you to the answer I posted in the other forum. :)

    Just click here.
  • navguynavguy Member Posts: 61
    The telephone number search is for publically listed business telephone numbers and other public entities. Private telephone numbers can't be used for destination input unless you have added them to 'My Places'.
  • seroqseroq Member Posts: 12
    Very occasionally instead of getting the blue stripes on the battery, I get green stripes which extend to the top of the battery. Can anyone tell me if this represents a problem?
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    I beleive that represents a fully charged battery, so is therefore certainly a good thing. :)
  • seroqseroq Member Posts: 12
    Ran out of gas: warning signal comes on too late. I want to know if I damaged the hybrid battery discharching it too much trying to get to the gas station on battery power alone. Does anyone know how to check the battery's condition; everything seems to work well depite this.
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    When you have used too much battery, it will shut down before you can do anything like fully discharge it, or it has been posted here. ;)
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Even when you repeatedly try to restart the car with no gas, the system will successfully protect the battery. You probably reached around 20% state of charge (SOC). That shouldn't cause damage. The computers will shut you down when the battery reaches about 20% SOC. The car appearantly knows when you put gas in, so it wouldn't let you try to restart until you do put in fuel. The only "dangerous" (for the battery) thing you could do is just put in a gal., then try to restart. Then put in another gal. and try to restart. I've read that you have two to three restarts once you reach the 20% SOC, so the above actions might get you dangerously close to no charge. If you have to carry gas to the vehicle to get it going, just make sure you put in at least three gals. (the amount several owners report is required for the fuel pump to pick it up).

    I don't know of any way you can test the battery, though I'm sure the Totota dealer could. If you just drive the car and note if it still works as it did before, that would be a good test.
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    I totall agree.

    And, of course, there is a battery check guage, included at no extra charge, in the instrument cluster. ;)
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "And, of course, there is a battery check guage, included at no extra charge, in the instrument cluster."

    Yes, but it is calibrated to show something other than the actual battey state. The battery is limited to 20-80 percent of charge, which the car shows as depleted to full charge. And we don't actually know if the software attempts to correct for battery degredation over time when displaying the power levels.
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    Well, since the battery in them has been shown to last 16 years or whatever, hardly a problem, is it? You generally keep a car 10+ years? :surprise:
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    Who Knows if any battery gauge or oil gauge is exactly accurate? Many cars only have an idiot lights for battery and oil nad most people will react to a red light, but never look a guage reading. I think Terry92270's rather subtle point is that if the battery gauge shows a low reading there is a problem. Some people don't look at any gauges (or manuals for that matter) when a simple glance or a simple read will solve the problem.

    A co-worker wife's car stalled in an intersection. So she left the car there, called a cab, and went home. The car was towed by the city and cost over $300 to recover. His wife was stubborn and wouldn't listen to her daughter or look at any gauges. The five year old said " Mommy, your gas gauge says empty".

    Power On,

    MidCow

    Goo Luck Carbon Based problems are the hardest to solve.

    MidCow
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    LOL :P

    Mind you, I would prefer at least having the option of real gauges.... ;)

    Truth is, though, so little mechanically is actually home repairable these days, either through it being way complicated, or warranty-voiding, other than idle curiosity, I do wonder if they would help.

    The car shuts down at less than 20% reserve. It will charge to 80% to allow space for regenerative braking. If the wheels spin too much and the battery or motor gets too hot, it will shut down. That of course makes us carbon units frustrated, but there is hardly a workable solution to insisting on running on empty, like you said.

    I used to collect Jags. After 8 years or so of mechanical hard labor, working to keep them running, I just gave up. Sometimes we just worry too much about cars we like. ;)
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    Terry92270 said: " used to collect Jags. After 8 years or so of mechanical hard labor, working to keep them running, I just gave up. Sometimes we just worry too much about cars we like. "

    I ran into the same problems trying just to own and drive American cars. While I am por-American, I also believe in best-of-breed so no I ususlly only drive the Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus line. LOL it extends to lawnmowers, yard equipmnet, generators and power washers also.

    I really like the feel of German engineering, just don't like the maintenance cost and soemtimes lack of relability.
    Especially in the Electrical area.

    For that fact, I think the better long term hybrids will be Honda and Toyota. However, it is still TOO SOON to tell. In another 2-3 years we will see how the early Prius and Insights fair as the cars and their batteries age. Then the 20/80% HSD charging philosopy hypothesis will be proven or disproven.

    Cheers,

    MidCow
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    MidCow....

    I am still holding out for those small, breadbox size reactors! ;)
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "I am still holding out for those small, breadbox size reactors! "

    I think they are called "Mr. Fusion" in Back to the Future... :P
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    It's even in my book, "Atoms for Peace". ;)
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I thought Atoms for peace was Ike's speech to the UN.
  • terry92270terry92270 Member Posts: 1,247
    Well, that is the trouble with Web searches, isn't it? :P

    edited by Joseph F. Pilat
    foreword by Mohamed ElBaradei
    Woodrow Wilson Center Press 12/2006

    $55.00 hardcover

    Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace
    by Ira Chernus
    Hardcover - 1ST
    ISBN: 1585442194
    Pub. Date: November 2002
    Series: Library of Presidential Rhetoric


    Aside from the above, back in the day dozens of industry groups published the speech, along with other materials, in small books, like I have.... ;)
  • mzxmzx Member Posts: 1
    The master system warning light comes on intermittently (flashes and beeps) in my 2006 Prius. Usually, it's when I'm braking on a downgrade. I've had the dealer do a couple computer scans to determine the source of the problem, but each time, the scan comes up clean. No record of a problem, no record that the light came on. And of course, when the technician takes the car out, he can't duplicate the problem. Has anyone else had this problem?
  • frank883frank883 Member Posts: 6
    Can anyone explain why while trying to go from Vista,Ca to Bakersfield,Ca our new 06 Prius took us WAY out of the way and tried to put us on sidestreets before we finally cancelled direction and drove the route we knew?
  • bonniejerrybonniejerry Member Posts: 2
    Probably because the nav route options did not have all options selected...you might have chose "no freeways".
  • frank883frank883 Member Posts: 6
    I could have missed that but I dont believe so...
    Thanks for your reply.
    I do have to say the Nav in the Prius did a Fantastic job handling the back roads around Vista. Believe me thats no small task considering all the construction and at night. and
  • lorraineylorrainey Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I have a 2004 Prius with the GPS. The day before my 60,000 mile checkup, my screen went berserk and showed little or nothing - and radio and heater stopped working. I brought it in, paid $400. for the checkup and was then told that they'd have to order a part to get the GPS and all that's attached to the screen controls, radio, heater, monitors. That part and the installation would cost around $1000.
    After I went ballistic, I've been trying to find out who I complain to about highway robbery. One part! $1000. I'm only a teacher but I do know that unless it's gold or diamond-encrusted, it shouldn't cost $500-1000.
    I love my Prius and the mileage - but I'm really questioning the Toyota engineering system. By the way, they said that after 3 1/2 years, that part is out of warranty.
    What do I do? Thanks, Lorrainey
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    A quite a few of these went bad. Most under warranty. I guess Toyota saved a few bucks on this one. That seems to be the going price. This is why so many folks buy the extended warranty. Many more very expensive parts to go bad. You are not alone in this problem.
  • beaudbeaud Member Posts: 3
    Okay, so this is a small problem but one that nags me. I have a 2006 Prius and the outside temperature reading on the main display is very slow to react. I live in the desert where temperatures are extreme. To give an example of what I mean, I exited my cool (85 deg.) garage and travelled 5 miles or about 10 minutes of driving. The outdoor temp reading was 86 deg. when I left the garage and still 86 deg. when I exited the car 10 minutes later. The trouble was that the actual outside temp was 110 deg. Now according to two separate Toyota dealers, they claim that a slow temp response is normal. It takes 15-20 minutes to obtain a correct reading. I find that to be a bogus explanation. They said this is common on the Prius and Solara models. I find that hard to believe and would like to know if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Well I don't know what Toyota does re the temp reading, but in my previous car it was programmed to read only once every 10 min or so. It's a digital computer controlled thing. It could do whatever the engineers wanted. They do this so it doesn't fluctuate too much due to engine heating when stopped. Mine seems to change faster than what you are reporting. Perhaps every 2-3 min. But I'm running in much cooler temps than you.

    I wanted an inside temp reading as well, so I purchased a National Geographic inside/outside temp gauge ($10) and stuck it on the dash with velcro. It tracks the temp instantly, but is not controlled by the computer, sending the data on the CAN bus like the car.
  • gfr1gfr1 Member Posts: 55
    I have a "S-model" Mercedes and it is much the same way. When started, it will maintain pretty much that temp for several minutes, before updating. Once the updating starts, it will then respond fairly quickly, but not during the initial operation. I asked the Mercedes service why that was and they said that the input was used for other computer services that didn't want the early and fast reading changes, but I don't recall what they were. I haven't paid any attention to the wife's Lexus RX330, because you have to bring up an info page, but it likely is similar. GR
  • beaudbeaud Member Posts: 3
    Can anyone tell me if they have successfully disabled the "Agreement" message on late model Priuses prior to accessing the GPS maps? I was told by Toyota that the early models could be disabled but they eliminated this disabling feature in the later models ('04-'07). I am sure someone has figured a "hack" to get it disabled.
    GAWD it is annoying..............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • frank883frank883 Member Posts: 6
    Im all for the Hack...as long as it isnt a warranty - disabling event
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Well, if you really want that, this device does it.
    http://www.coastaletech.com/LOCKPICK_MAIN.htm

    I don't think it can be done in software. This is a hardware fix. They have to remove the motion pulses from the system.
  • beaudbeaud Member Posts: 3
    Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. I know Toyota won't do it. There's too much liability involved ! ! ! ;)
  • kooshiakooshia Member Posts: 3
    Someone I know :cry: ignored their GPS warning message, and as a result I lost my wonderful-300hp tuned WRX wagon. The GPS is pretty engaging, and psychologically a lot of people can't get themselves back on traffic. The Suby saved her, but lost its own life. :sick: Now I drive a Prius.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "Someone I know ignored their GPS warning message, and as a result I lost my wonderful-300hp tuned WRX wagon. "

    Yes, but many systems won't even allow the passenger to operate the GPS; they lock the controls while the vehicle is moving. Stupid, since all vehicles have passenger seat weight sensors that could be used to deactivate the GPS motion locks when a passenger is in the front seat.

    Of course, people could put a heavy object in the right seat, but then, people can also drive the vehicle into a telephone pole, or through a red light, if they want. There is no fixing people who just want to drive badly.
  • suirpsuirp Member Posts: 4
    My 2004 Prius with 26000 miles and out of warrenty 6 mons. has inoperative display screen as described in another post. Will Toyota honor TSB to replace screen after warrenty expires? They quoted me $4000. to repair. I will contact dealer tomorrow with info. I took off this site.

    Disgusted with what I thought was a dream car.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "My 2004 Prius with 26000 miles and out of warrenty 6 mons. has inoperative display screen as described in another post. Will Toyota honor TSB to replace screen after warrenty expires?"

    What makes you think it is the TSB? Electronics break sometimes...
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    I think you misunderstand "TSB". It stands for "Technical Service Bulletin". It is not a warranty notification. It simply says in effect "be aware, this could be an issue". The 2004s were the only ones with this problem, and it's possible Toyota might be persuaded to pick up -some- of the costs for replacement. But it would generous of them if they did, so contact them with that in mind.
  • suirpsuirp Member Posts: 4
    there is no misunderstanding on my part re: the "TSB" for this failure. Obviously, if the 2004 was a problem they corrected it in later models and should repair the defective ones. It is not a matter of generosity, but good will to a loyal customer who will be driven away by their indifference. So far, Toyota will pick up half and I am waiting to hear from my dealer about the regional distributor on the other half.
    If they install a refurbished screen, as I suspect they will, it will be a $400.cost. Certainly that is a small price to pay for "GOOD WILL".
  • suirpsuirp Member Posts: 4
    Just a follow up on the failed display screen, it was replaced by the dealer yesterday at no charge to me!! A little determination and no backing down got the job done.

    Just persevere and don't take NO for an answer.
  • pat55pat55 Member Posts: 1
    just bought a 2002 prius...how do you set the stations, and how do you remove the radio to add a satellite radio
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