Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Toyota Prius Accessories & Modifications

Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
edited October 2014 in Toyota
Talk about accessories and/or modifications here!
«1345678

Comments

  • abennettabennett Member Posts: 5
    Does anyone know where to locate fitted rubber mats? I want to keep my 04 looking clean for as long as possible. I've searched online but can't find a front end protector (bra) or the mats for my Prius. I think I'd also like mud flaps. Any ideas where to get any of the above?
    Alice
  • little_pogilittle_pogi Member Posts: 149
    On the floor mats, I have the original carpet floor mats with the Prius logo. Went to a hardware store and bought clear PVC carpet runners. Cut these carpet runners about 1/2" beyond the original floor mats. I don't get my carpet mats wet when it's raining and don't get sand and dirt in it. It's almost invisible and the Prius logo still stands out. I also ordered some mudflaps on ebay for about $53 incl. shipping. I'll get them next week and will find out if they are exactly the OEM mudflaps available in Japan. A rear camera is also available overseas for the Prius. An EV switch is also available in ebay. I may have to get a wiring diagram manual to find out if the US Prius is prewired for these things.
  • maramara Member Posts: 3
    I have the Silver Prius with the light grey "sueded" cloth seats. I want to protect these with easy on/off plain cloth covers. I saw just what I needed in catalog but they were not able to provide them to fit Prius. Couldn't find anything on internet. Anyone know a good source for custom covers? P.S. I love driving my Prius but have not been able to get anywhere near advertised mileage. Salesman said "break-in" period needed first. How many miles break-in before I make complaint about mileage :}?
  • john1701ajohn1701a Member Posts: 1,897
    > How many miles break-in before I make complaint about mileage :}?

    Break-In is typically regarded as no sooner than the first oil change... which is when many owners do that first system modification: switching to synthetic oil.

    My first noticable clue of loosening due to Break-In was around 7,000 miles. And in the grand scheme of thing, the car (like any) is pretty new even then.

    JOHN
  • luvbeingreenluvbeingreen Member Posts: 5
    Hi! I am a soon to be proud owner of a 2004 Prius.
    I am in need of finding out what the base cost of a Platinum warranty for the Prius actually costs the dealer. I am already paying sticker price and really would prefer a reasonable deal on some part of this vehicle purchase. The dealer has been pretty good (read as, not selling the vehicle over the sticker's invoice), but I got a quote of $2552 (most likely this is a before tax price) for the combo 'deal' of the Platinum warranty and the environmental protection plan(also known as undercoating, scotch-guarding and paint protection). Supposedly it was a "really" discounted price, not sure if that will be the same if I finance with my primary financial institution rather than theirs.

    Please, if anyone has any info on this subject, I kind of need to know asap (as I need to call the dealer and finalize the financing and registration tomorrow (Th) morning.)

    Thanks so much for your assistance on this topic!

    TIA-

    luvbeingreen
  • grantgrant Member Posts: 3
    Hi Alice!

    Saw your request on the website.

    I just purchased two Prius vehicles.

    The carpeted mats sold by Toyota may look nice, but they are not practical.

    Toyota does sell a high endurance/high end rubber mat...but they are not out for the Prius as of yet.

    The company that makes the best high end rubber car mat with grooves that are sold in all the car stores...is called Weathertech....they are a Canadian company...

    They make them for the Prius. You can buy them direct through the internet at www.weathertech.com.

    A full set (front and back)..in matching colors...runs about $90 foir black and $100 for beige...plus about $8 shipping for each. I got a black set for my silver car (grey interior) and a beige set for my black car(has beige interior). It lasts forever and is worth every penny. It is a simple example of quality matching price.

    Grant
    gmlitadog@aol.com
  • sherisheri Member Posts: 1
    Why synthetic oil? Just curious my last car was a Honda Civic Hybrid and was told to use synthetic oil...now my husband says its not really necessary.
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    Well...You can spend mega bucks or you can do like I did. Go down to your neighborhood MENARDS,LOWES, or BUILDER'S SQUARE and purchase a universal mat (vertical ribbed) that can be cut down to fit the 04 PRIUS. It cost less than $4.00. It works very well for the back to cover TOYOTA'S somewhat overpriced mat. Let's all save $
    $$$$$$$!!!
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    One quirk I've come across with the 04 PRIUS is a
    strange baffling noise that seems to irritate the ears when you open various window combinations. Sometimes it can be quite annoying.
    I'd be curious to know if anyone else has noticed this oddity. It doesn't do it all the time nor does it do it at all speeds. I've been thinking it has something to do with the aerodynamics of the car or possibly because it's a hatchback for 04. Anyone experience this quirk? jim
  • devsiennadevsienna Member Posts: 70
    James, let me take a wild guess that this only happens when you lower the rear windows and leave the front windows up. This is very common on modern cars. One term I've heard to describe this is called "helicoptering". The solution to the problem seems to be to lower the front windows as well and this usually eliminates the problem.

    If you use the Search Forums button up at the top of the webpage and use helicoptering as your search term for Message Text, you'll find a lot of messages about this problem.
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    Since this problem, as I stated, I wondered if the aftermarket rain shields that can be applied over each window of the PRIUS could possibly eliminate this baffling wind noise. I'm not sure the helicopter noise is one and the same as was mentioned. Maybe it has something to do with the interior cavity of the "hatchback" design. One thing for sure, it's annoying. Culliganman
  • jebsterjebster Member Posts: 6
    Greetings! Proud owner of 2005 Prius who lives in urban area with tons of bugs in the summer time. Anyone seen a bug guard for the Prius? Did not see anything on Toyota.com site. Really don't want a "bra" type of cover, but not sure what, if anything, is out there. TIA!
  • sparky1015sparky1015 Member Posts: 5
    Hi,hopefully, I'll be taking delivery on my 2005 Prius soon...I had a concern about the tires....I live in the Chicago area--we're known to get a little snow from time to time (LOL) How do the standard tires respond in the snow? I've heard that I may have to upgrade the standard tire to get traction. true?

     

    thanks
  • dszjgldszjgl Member Posts: 3
    Greetings,

     

    I've been considering the Prius for its mileage and ample cargo space but I'm concerned about 'bottoming out' on the dirt roads I frequently travel. The advertised ground clearance is as low as they come. Any suggestions whether or not the ground clearance can be modified via changes to suspension, or perhaps different tires?

     

    regards,

     

    Jim
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    Hello Sparky! Since we're neighbors (Northwest Indiana) I can appreciate your concern about tires. The original equipment tires are O.K. except on wet roads and (lately) winter snow & ice conditions. There are better tires out there that would improve roadability. You will sacrifice MPG's for those tires I'm told and that seems to be the general opinion. So...my next set of treads will be Goodyears.

    Culliganman (hope this helps)
  • yankeebelleyankeebelle Member Posts: 22
    Thanks for the website tip on the floor mats. My mom has been searching Toyota dealers for "winter mats" like you described for her '05 and they stare at her like she has 3 heads! (She lives in the South) She gave in and tried the cheap ones that not only don't hold the dirt and water in but the knubs on the bottom don't hold them in place and they get caught under her pedals. I will now be ordering REAL winter mats for her,I use them in my car and they are worth every penny!!
  • murphy8murphy8 Member Posts: 2
    Hi all -
    I purchased a 2005 Prius on Sunday but I cannot locate seat covers. There is one website that has 2005 Prius covers. I called the company - it is located in Hawaii but has an 800 number however they make the seat covers out of wet suit type material which I think would be too hot for Miami.

    I would appreciate any suggestions.

    thank you.
  • flj168flj168 Member Posts: 12
    We picked up a full set of seat covers (front and rear) for our 2005 Prius at our local Toyota dealer recently for $119 before our 25% discount. The set included fabric covers for each headrest and the rear armrest. Please be aware that you need special seat covers if you have side air bags.
  • labman1244labman1244 Member Posts: 2
    I'd like to install a trailer hitch on a Priysfor the purpose of using a hitch mounted bicycle carrier. The total weight involved would be less than 100lbs. Anyone have any experience with this?
  • labman1244labman1244 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone put snow tires on a Prius for the winter? How has this effected mileage and handling?
  • rayh1rayh1 Member Posts: 2
    I purchased a very well made Trailer hitch reciever for my 04 Prius at www.coastaletech.com. Their website is unders constuction this week so try them in a few days. Also I was aable to find an amazing bike rack for it at www.1upusa.com. This rack is without a dought the best bike rake on the market. ;)
  • rayh1rayh1 Member Posts: 2
    I ran Nokian Hakkapeliitta 2 studded tires on my 04 Prius this winter. You do have some loss in gas mileage but the improved traction is more than worth it if you're going to do much driving on snow. The car handles very well with these tires. You'll be passing other cars with confidence. However, they are fairly noisy.
  • pagilepagile Member Posts: 4
    We put covers from gtcovers.com on our 2005 Seaside Pearl and they look amazing. Make sure that you mention if you have side airbags or not. Good Luck, Jim and Kristy
  • mtransue1mtransue1 Member Posts: 15
    What are gtcovers ?

    I amnot able to comprehend your message because I don't know to what you are referring.
  • pagilepagile Member Posts: 4
    gtcovers.com is a great website that has good prices on seatcovers fot the prius
  • pkapka Member Posts: 56
    What covers did you get? Color? Were they easy to install? Any major tools or installation procedures?
  • pagilepagile Member Posts: 4
    pka, we got the covers for the front only in color N6 beige and they go great with the seaside blue tan interior. they include covers for the headrests and console too. they look professional and look great. they include instructions. rear seats look difficult to install. by the way...good luck, pagile
  • lconnorlconnor Member Posts: 3
    Does anyone know how to kill that annoying beeping in Reverse for a 05 Prius? Does this fix have any other side affects? Thanks! Larry & Karen
  • vmccaulvmccaul Member Posts: 27
    1. Power on the car to IG-ON or READY. IG-ON will do for this purpose.
    2. Using the Trip/ODO button, set the Trip/ODO display to ODO (not Trip A or Trip B)
    3. Power off the car.
    4. Now power the car to READY (brake on). This is required so that step 6 works correctly.
    5. Within 6 seconds of powering on, press and hold the Trip/ODO button for 10 seconds or more.
    6. WHILE STILL HOLDING ODO *after* the 10 seconds, shift the "gear" selector from P to R, then back to P. Now release the Trip/ODO button.
    7. If the last step was successful, "b on" or "b off" should be displayed in the location where the Trip Odometer or Odometer is normally displayed. "b on" is beep on, and "b off" is beep off.
    8. Press Trip/ODO to toggle the mode.
    9. Now power the car off to exit the toggle mode.
    10. Power the car on to READY and confirm the reverse beep status by shifting to R. The beep should not be audible if "b off" was selected, and should be audible if "b on" was selected

    This should work if follow the directions carefully. V.
  • stavridestavride Member Posts: 2
    thanks, i'll try the reverse beeping canceling sequence.

    anyone know how to cancel the seat belt reminder beeping?
  • vmccaulvmccaul Member Posts: 27
    I think that cancels both...I haven't really noticed! I know the seatbelt warning light still goes on.
  • stavridestavride Member Posts: 2
    The procedure worked like a charm on the reverse beeping. Thanks! Unfortunately, it didnt remove the seat belt beep.
  • vmccaulvmccaul Member Posts: 27
    Strangely, I no longer have any noise with unfastened seat belts, only the flashing warning light... I disabled the backup beep on the first day of owning the car, so can't remember if there was any seatbelt beep before that.
  • gdfgdf Member Posts: 2
    Anyone know much about the work that the guys at calcars (http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html) are doing with the Prius. Saw this article originally on the NYTimes web site. Does anyone know if Toyota ever plans to implment a "gas-optional or plug-in" hybrid?
  • hikaru1hikaru1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, Alice--

    If you haven't gotten them already, go to http://www.mats.com for your floor mats. As far as front end protection, I recommend having '3M clear bra' as opposed to the traditional black plastic 'car bra'. I lived in Colorado for 7 years and that was a big issue as CO uses pea gravel on the roads instead of road salt. The problem is that debris and moisture will get under the car bra and corrosion will form. The 3M product is, well, a gigantic piece of tape, which does a commendable job of protecting your car from debris and will prevent the corrosion issue as well. Sorry I can't help w/mud flaps.

    Claire
  • jdonarumajdonaruma Member Posts: 1
    My toyota dealer doesn't carry these covers. Who makes them? Can I buy them direct? What state do you live in and what dealer did you use, maybe I could buy them and have them shipped to me. Any information will be appreciated - thanks.
  • jastertxjastertx Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had an XM receiver installed in an '05 Prius? I want to add one to mine, but wonder if there are any issues concerning electrical connections that might cause a problem. The kids at Best Buy and the like are clueless. Anyone had experience? Thanks.
  • nc_drivernc_driver Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone purchased the CD changer for the Prius? Where does it attach, and can you control the music through the LCD panel, just as the you can with the single CD player? I'm thinking of buying the changer, or just get an attachment for my iPod, which would probably be a lot cheaper and more flexible.
  • kwik_silverkwik_silver Member Posts: 3
    A few days after I bought my '05 Prius, I saw a little piece of dust on the dash, in front of the driver's seat. I lightly swpied it with my (clean!) finger and a white, slightly powdery mark now traced the line my finger took to swipe away the dust. I then tried using a cloth to rub away the mark. No luck; the white mark got bigger. I went to the dealer's detail people. They tried Windex, a bit of water, and finally something to condition the dashboard material. That mostly got rid of it, until I decided to test it and another whitish area appeared. The detail people said that perhaps the discoloration is from my skin (!!). They claim they haven't heard of this before. I tried doing the same thing on two other Priuses in the lot, and one of them showed the same discoloration.

    Has anyone else out there had this problem? If so, what should I do to condition the dashboard? It seems ridiculous that a dashboard should be so sensitive to the touch and so difficult to get back to its original condition!
  • furtherfurther Member Posts: 2
    I want to tow a 650lb Hot Dog Cart, honest!! Can my 04 Prius do it? And what do I need and where do I find it?
  • furtherfurther Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I am wanting to tow a 650lb Hot Dog Cart, can my 04 prius do it?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I am sure that it can pull a wiener wagon. The catch is getting past the Prius warranty. I would not wire anything into the Prius without written approval from Toyota.
  • castalusoriacastalusoria Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for the command series-- it stopped the Reverse beeping! I still get the seatbelt warning beeps, and would love to disable those, too. :shades: Will keep looking for advice on that!
  • flipperzdadflipperzdad Member Posts: 3
    Has anyone found a satisfactory off-the-shelf roof rack for a 2005 Prius? I know there's a lot against it: the humped roofline and door gutters that don't look promising for securing strap hooks. Any suggestions? I would hope to carry a light boat or canoe, or perhaps some lumber from ye olde hardware store...
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Welcome to the forum. Both Thule and Yakima make roof racks with adapters for the Prius. Anything on top will knock the heck out of your mileage.
  • flipperzdadflipperzdad Member Posts: 3
    Many thanx Gagrice. We found out about interfering with the slipstream and the resultant mileage dip when we carried two bicycles a couple hours to the beach on a rear bike rack. (Actually, the rack is a Yakima, so I shld have known to check them out anyway).
    Flipperzdad
  • joshuarrjoshuarr Member Posts: 2
    I'm 6'4" tall. I want a Prius, but when I sit on the factory seat, the rearview mirror (with its extra 1/2 inch of gadgetry on its bottom edge) takes up too much of my forward view. (Try putting your head at eye level with the mirror and you'll see what I mean.) Can anyone tell me where to look to get an aftermarket seat with a bit of bucket to it so I can safely drive the Prius? Thanks.
  • jacqueusijacqueusi Member Posts: 55
    Are the ISOFIX/LATCH mounts setup for mounting a child seat in the middle of the rear passenger compartment?

    What about airbag deactivation for the front passenger?

    Thanks!
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    joshuarr:

    It would no doubt be less costly to skip the idea of changing seats. Instead, why don't you first see if you can adjust the inside mirror higher, using both balljoints. Secondly, if the "extra 1/2 inch of gadgetry on its bottom edge" is a concern, you might want to dump the OEM mirror and install a basic mirror that is not as high.
  • suzie2suzie2 Member Posts: 2
    In the forum, I noticed many are using the hitch-style rackor the roof-rack. Would it be somehow damaging to the car or dangerous to use a Yakima Mo-Jo trunk rack other than the loss of MPG?
This discussion has been closed.