Smart Start night time interior light trick

[captnslur]

I have discovered a nifty thing the Prius does with the interior lights at night.

With the Smart Start/Entry system (I don't know if the non SS/SE cars do this) at night with the car locked if one walks up to the car with the SS/SE key fob, even with out touching it or handling the door handle, the interior lights will come on. Cool! If one walks away from the car a few feet, they will go out after about ten seconds or so. Walk back up to the car and the lights go back on, allowing one to see the contents of the car with out even doing anything.

We've had the car for over 11,000 miles and we are still discovering nice new things about it. Now I know what that light sensor on the left front dash is for.

[roger]

wow.. you only just noticed that? I noticed that when i had the test car overnight before I bought one..

Weird how some things we don't discover until later on... makes me wonder what I havent noticed yet! although I did read the manual from cover to cover (naturally) so maybe there isn't anything

oh, and... what light sensor on the left front dash? only thing I have there is the gps thingys.. the interior light coming on would have nothing to do with any light sensor anhoo.. it is just activated by the fob

[bruceha_2000]

oh, and... what light sensor on the left front dash? only thing I have there is the gps thingys.. the interior light coming on would have nothing to do with any light sensor anhoo.. it is just activated by the fob

Except that it doesn't happen when it is light out. :-)

[roger]

are you sure?

[bruceha_2000]

I guess I can look at the interior lights this afternoon before I open the door. Can't do it in the mornings as it is DARK.

[roger]

ya, I'll check mine in the morning too.. I just assumed it would come one every time because I thought installing a light sensor just so the interior light doesnt come on during the daytime when you approach the car would be a bit much, unless you can think of some other use for the light sensor?

[FourOhFour]

I don't know about the Prius, but cars with automatic climate control generally have light sensors (if the sun is shining directly on you, it needs to work harder so you feel the same temperature)

[roger]

a light sensor for that? surely that would be prone to false readings.. and what about in winter when it is sunny but really cold? would it turn the heater off and start the air con to cool you down because the sun hit the light sensor??

I think the prius uses temp sensors for that. One at foot level and one higher up, because I have noticed that after a while of cooling, it will change the air con to come from the top vents only, as the lower ones are no longer needed because the cooler temp has been reached at floor level first.

[priusham]

captnslur !

Now you know why I'm a big advocate of never reading the owner's manual and not paying attention during the walk-around with the salesperson. You get all these little surprises for the next few weeks!

I think I had mine for a month before I realized that the little black button on the door handle would lock the car! I kept using the inside switch or the fob ops:

A lot of folks are discovering the hidden drawer in the console MONTHS after taking ownership! I bet some people will NEVER even know that it's there. Or that ALL the seats fold flat, creating an undriveable but HUGE storage box. :mrgreen:

[bruceha_2000]

I think I had mine for a month before I realized that the little black button on the door handle would lock the car!

I had a couple of people lock the car trying to open it, thinking the black button was supposed to be pushed with your thumb as a catch release. :-)

Or that ALL the seats fold flat, creating an undriveable but HUGE storage box.

It can store sleeping people who can then reset the seats and drive it later! :-)
I used that feature this weekend ( but not the driver's seat ;-) ) taking stuff to cover the boat. My friend had borrowed her partner's Matrix and tried to do the same. Found out it doesn't work. Another Prius Plus!