mute navigation when in a phonecall

[lfisher11]

Thanks for your help in the forums the other day... I got all the mods added today (VAIS Ipod adapter, EV mode, Auto Door locks, lockpick 3+) and everything works exactly the way it is supposed to work. It is very cool... Just thought you'd like to know!

[chrisspaulding]

Originally Posted by lfisher11

Thanks for your help in the forums the other day... I got all the mods added today (VAIS Ipod adapter, EV mode, Auto Door locks, lockpick 3+) and everything works exactly the way it is supposed to work. It is very cool... Just thought you'd like to know!

Cool. Glad to hear it all went well.
Very fun when the mods are first in. Love that feeling. A few weeks later and I think I'm finally getting the hang of them
Hows the auto locks working? I may add that to my DIY list
Enjoy!

[allenhuffman]

Originally Posted by lfisher11

The one problem I am having is when I make a phone call using the bluetooth feature, the telephone screen is displayed... but if also want to see the map and use my NAV i have to hit the map/voice button to get back to that screen. However, every time I hit that button while I am on the phone, my phone is completly muted (on my end and the other end so neither of us can hear anything) until the voice from the NAV finishes my next direction. I guess the voice button is meant to force the voice navigation and show the map, not just show the map. Is there any way around this? Can i make the map button only show the map instead of voicing the next direction? Please help!

This is a bug that may have been introduced with the 2006 model (as verified by someone in another forum). My 2005 did not behave this way -- it would mute the voice guidance during a call. In my 2007, any time the navigation system speaks, it mutes the call during the speech.

I orgiinally opened a ticket with Toyota about this on October 10, 2007, but they wanted me to take the car in to the dealer and I never had time. (I do my oil changes on weekends when the Prius techs are not working.) I re-opened the case on May 2nd, 2008, and finally got to take my car in a few weeks ago to demonstrate this bug to their service manager.

They spent some time on the phone with Toyota, and decided to replace the navigation unit. (This was probably due to an unrelated issue I was having, where the navigation system would go to a black screen for a second, then reset back to the "I agree" screen as if it rebooted -- maybe just a bad connection somewhere.)

They replaced my unit yesterday, and it has the same bug (of course).

I have a call in to Toyota to persue this, but it definately is a change in behavior that the '05 did not have.

If anyone else is having this issue, please let me know.

[9G-man]

Originally Posted by lfisher11

That's what these forums are great for! Thanks... I'll try it this morning and let you know if it works or not. Regarding the EV mode... I have a PO box which is about one half mile away and I often go to check it. I thought it would be smart to keep the car in EV mode for that 2 minute drive to and from my house. Thats why I purchased that mod.

Just be aware that if you use Ev mode for that kind of purpose at the beginning of a drive, and take the SOC too low, you will actually be robbing yourself of much further distances worth of glide and stealth opportunities. And if it's uphill in any way and you can't get there without depleting SOC, it's not worth it. The result will be reduced overall gas mileage.
Do in at the end of a trip would probably be better.

EV is best used for brief, short distance repositions, and linking glides and stealth that would not have been otherwise possible due to incline or acceleration demands that would cause the ICE to start.
ie: closley spaced stop lights, or stop and go travel to get to the crest of hill where you can then glide or regen.

IMHO, A good understanding of Prius operating mode manipulation, with your right foot , should be focused on before any EV switch is put to use.

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by allenhuffman

This is a bug that may have been introduced with the 2006 model (as verified by someone in another forum). My 2005 did not behave this way -- it would mute the voice guidance during a call. In my 2007, any time the navigation system speaks, it mutes the call during the speech.

Allen,

Are you suggesting what while driving and on a phone call, if a turn comes up the Nav chimes in to announce the direction without you pressing the Map/Voice button first?

I have an '06, and during calls the Nav voice stays mute for the duration of the call except if you press the Map button, it will repeat the last instruction and mute your call in the process.

As mentioned earlier, two ways around this are to press Menu -> Volume -> OFF to turn off the voice guidance before going to your Map, or else simply press DEST before pressing the MAP button, which skips repeating the guidance instruction.

If your call is being interrupted without having pressed the Map key, it sounds like some connection between the Nav & Bluetooth is amiss and you are right that Toyota should be looking into it. If so, in the meantime, I imagine you could press MENU -> Suspend Guidance when on phone calls to work around this issue...?

Hope that helps.

[allenhuffman]

Originally Posted by Sarge

Are you suggesting what while driving and on a phone call, if a turn comes up the Nav chimes in to announce the direction without you pressing the Map/Voice button first?
...
I have an '06, and during calls the Nav voice stays mute for the duration of the call except if you press the Map button, it will repeat the last instruction and mute your call in the process.
you are right that Toyota should be looking into it. If so, in the meantime, I imagine you could press MENU -> Suspend Guidance when on phone calls to work around this issue...?

I am sorry I missed this reply until now. I have had intermittant problems with this. Sometimes it gets in a mode where it actually works like it is supposed to -- i.e. bringing up the map does NOT interrupt the call. But, I have yet to work out what specifically triggers it.

Yes, I will be driving, on a call, and every time the Nav system goes to ding/speak, it mutes the caller. Very problematic when there are several turns in a row ;-)

I have tried various thing, while in navigation mode:

1. Make a call from phone handset.
2. Make a call from Prius touch pad on nav system (while car stopped).
3. Make a call from Prius using speeddial.

Occassionally I get it where switching to Map does NOT interrupt, but I'd say about 99% of the time it does.

Toyota has an outstanding issue with this, and they have completely stopped returning my call. I had to leave a message for my case manager, and usually she calls back the next day. I called in several times, each time told she'd call back, and never got a call, so who knows.

The problem for me is usually I am calling someone to tell them I am on my way, or almost there, then I want to switch to the map and tell them how long I have until I arrive. Or, worse, when I'm driving to a hotel, and I call to ask for some specific directions, but then get the whole mute-battle while I'm trying to look at the map. Very annoying.

I shall try the Dest-Map sequence and see how that does. It would be an acceptable workaround until Toyota makes it work like it used to. The official Toyota response is to turn off the speaking. That kind of defeats the purpose of having a car with a voice navigation feature. I almost never look at the screen when I'm driving other than a quick glance now and then to confirm a turn.

Thanks for the reply. I will certainly post a follow-up here if I ever get Toyota to return my call.

[CBarr31]

The reasoning for this is when you press the "Map" button on your steering wheel or next to your MFD the software interrupts this as "Help!!! I need directions." so it overrides your phone call to give them. At least that is how it was explained to me.

By far the easiest way to avoid the NAV talking over your phone call I have found is to be on the Map Screen BEFORE you make a call. Then after you start talking press your "Climate" button, as long as you have the auto-return function turned on after about 30 seconds the screen will revert back to your map. Then you can give the person you are calling your down and distance

There are a few other screens that when you "Exit" them do not cause the Map to talk over your phone call but the Climate one is the easiest my fiancee and I have found.

Hope this helps. Of course if you aren't on the Map screen when you make or receive a call it will revert back to the "Energy" or "Consumption" screen if you were there.

Chris