2010 - Help! Disabling Reverse Beep

[Bobsprius]

Originally Posted by bigcwill

If any Prius drivers truly need a CONSTANT reminder that you are in reverse, you truly don't need to be driving.

Hint: When you look out the window and you are not making forward progress...you are probably in reverse.

Hint #2: Since you just put the car in reverse... you are probably in reverse.

Clueless Me: I would have NEVER figured that out without BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP ... The miles just kept going by with no forward progress whatsoever.

Once again, the Prius saves the day. In a Pontiac, this would have turned out badly. But then again, you have to have a higher IQ to drive a Pontiac. I will never qualify.

BTW, my dealer changed mine to one beep without charge. Now I'm not sure which way I'm going, forward or backward. In the future, I'll have to watch for clues. It's all a deep, dark mystery. We drive at our own risk. Why can't we back up at our own risk?

The dealers that are charging to remove this annoyance are unethical. It would be like me trading in a vehicle with wheel locks and refusing to give them the key. "Well, if I'm going to have to reach into my pocket for the key, it's going to cost you $100".

BigCwill....I agree it should USER ADJUSTABLE, no delaer involved. I just guess I tune it out like anything else I tune out!
Now if Toyota would make these USER CUSTOMIZABLE, that would be GREAT! How do we make that happen????

[lenjack]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

First Post! I'm about to become a new Prius 2010 owner (still in negotiations), but I'm getting a much different answer about the reverse beep from my dealer. He is saying that the reverse beep is safety issue and the dealer is not permitted to disable it (and any dealer that does is in violation). And anyone that disables it themselves is voiding their warranty.

I've seen plenty of posts here from people saying they had their dealer take care of it and even one from (what looks like) an actual dealer confirming this. Here's my question: what chapter and verse from the Toyota bible can I point my dealer to so I can get him to disable the beeping when I purchase this car?

Your chapter and verse is on page 587 of the manual where it specifically states that your dealer may do this. Anything else is BS.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by lenjack

Your chapter and verse is on page 587 of the manual where it specifically states that your dealer may do this. Anything else is BS.

SWEET!! That is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks a ton! I assume this would fall under "Operation signals (Buzzer)". What other buzzers fall into that category?

[32kcolors]

Originally Posted by Bobsprius

Now if Toyota would make these USER CUSTOMIZABLE, that would be GREAT! How do we make that happen????

It's already happened in the Lexus via the NAV screen (2010 RX350 pictured here). If the past is any indication, it'll be a few more years before we see it in Toyotas.

[lenjack]

I wouldn't be surprised if someone finds an "Easter egg" for this.

[OliverWithPrius]

Hmmm. Just upgraded from a 2004 Prius to the new 2010 model, and of course the first thing I wanted to do was disable the reverse beep -- just as I did with his older brother six years ago. Figured -- why read the manual when you can just google for the steps, which then brought me to this thread and the disappointment that I now have to take it back to my dealer.

Very annoyed at Toyota for this "downgrade".

And (slightly off-topic, but it came up in this thread before) what's with those voodoo "push-and-hold-buttons while standing on one foot outside the car" steps to change the door opening settings? The car (well, my model IV at least) has a nice big touch screen display -- how about putting some "user preference" screens in the system?

[mgb4tim]

Originally Posted by OliverWithPrius

And (slightly off-topic, but it came up in this thread before) what's with those voodoo "push-and-hold-buttons while standing on one foot outside the car" steps to change the door opening settings? The car (well, my model IV at least) has a nice big touch screen display -- how about putting some "user preference" screens in the system?

because they *all* don't have a touchscreen..

[Phil Seastrand]

I just got off the phone with my local dealer (Roseville Toyota -- California) and they said it is now their policy to no longer disable the reverse beep due to liability concerns. Even when I told them the beeping only occurs INSIDE the car, it's their policy.

*sigh*

[hobbit]

That's ridiculous. You should call Torrance and say "this dealer
is making you guys look bad".
.
It sounds like there's high need to work up some sort of hack
for this -- the beeper is driven by some piece of the car's
electronics, perhaps the meter ECU, and gets a "reverse" signal
from somewhere. Appropriate logic could interrupt the signal
to the beeper at the right time. The simplest prototype would
be a switch in series with the beeper module, sort of like the
early NAV-enable switches ... with something fancier developed
as people start understanding the signals. [I.e. is it a
hardwire reverse signal, is it sent over the canbus, etc]
.
I'm not the right person to work on this as I don't have a genIII...
.
_H*

[gmalis1]

I brought in my car to Bredemann Toyota for my first oil change/filter/tire rotation.

I also told the service technician I wanted to change the "beep/beep/beep" to one beep. He agreed and informed me there would be no charge for the change. He also said the continuous beep was to alert others of me backing up, upon which I laughed hysterically and told him the beep was only INSIDE the Prius.

After the service, when I picked up the car...of course they forgot to change the setting for the backup beep. They had to bring a "substitute" service technician over because the "main" guy was at lunch. This guy had no idea and even told me so. He said he had never done this before.

After muddling through the myriad of menus on his portable laptop, "we" (mainly ME) found the setting and he changed it. His response..."well, I learned something today".

BTW, my other two vehicles (my wife's Lexus RX350 and my daughter's VW New Beetle) don't beep when shifted into reverse. Why does Toyota think my Prius needs some sort of warning? Am I that stupid?