Converting US Prius to European standard

[forkarinsd]

I bought a Prius last year and now I have to move back home urgently to Sweden. I want to bring my beloved car with me and I've checked with the authorities back home and it seems like the main correction I have to make is to add signal lights on the side of the front. Does anyone know if the electrical setup is the same for the US and European cars so I easily can do this?
The other thing is that while I can change the speedometer to km/h I can't seem to change the odometer to calculate km instead of miles. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Karin

[Betelgeuse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Karin from San Diego @ Mar 17 2007, 06:47 AM) [snapback]407350[/snapback]</div>

I bought a Prius last year and now I have to move back home urgently to Sweden. I want to bring my beloved car with me and I've checked with the authorities back home and it seems like the main correction I have to make is to add signal lights on the side of the front. Does anyone know if the electrical setup is the same for the US and European cars so I easily can do this?
The other thing is that while I can change the speedometer to km/h I can't seem to change the odometer to calculate km instead of miles. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Karin
[/b]

I saw this post and knew I had read something on here about someone modifying their car with these side turn signals. Not surprisingly, it was theforce, one of the top Prius-modders on here. Take a look at this thread:

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=18616

You might also want to consider PMing him to get more details.

[Tideland Prius]

Not sure if you need rear foglights too.

[RobH]

The radio may have to be changed. At least the AM channel spacing is different. I'm not sure about FM. You'll get some stations, but miss a few others with a US spec radio in Europe.

[David Beale]

So far I haven't heard of anyone having luck getting the odo changed to metric. Dealers appearantly can't do it.

Sell your Prius before you leave and get a full metric one in Europe. You will also get all the "Touring" stuff and rear disk brakes.

[naterprius]

Odometer can be changed to metric. I don't remember how, but there is a simple process.

Nate

[pebi]

Well, I think I agree, it is probably better to get a new one here in Sweden.
So if you don't have any special emotional bands o your car, sell it in the states and get a new one here back home.

It costs to import cars,
if you have had your car for more than a year in the states and plan to keep in sweden for more than another year you can bring it in as "flyttgods",and you do not have to pay all taxes and customs fees, but it is still pretty expensive.
And insurance will probably be more expensive than for a car sold here (insurance companys really do not like all private imprted cars from germany, stolen and crashed etc etc, so all types of private imprted cars have to pay for that)
And for that reason the value of the car, would be alot less than for a car sold here (even f you can fix all hard and software to match the specs for a car sold here)

Another thing would be if it was a car that are not sold here, or at least a very exclusive car,

So my guess it that is a lot more economical to sell it and get a new one.

Välkommen hem då!

/Per

[lucky]

Karin,

I'm in a similar current situation and came to the conclusion it's better to sell my US prius than be uncertain about the modifications needed for Europe.

I posted a question for the Belgique Prius group http://priuschat.com/index.php?act=ST&f=13&t=23442 but no response yet if there is any idea on what the modifications to a US 2004 Prius might be for registration in Belgium.

My first thought was if the modifications were minor, the loss in selling a fairly new, but used car would about equal the shipping cost. In the interim, I determined my 100K warranty has no value in Europe but helps the sale here. And, the extra costs are not just a one-time event; they will probably lead to higher tangible and intangible operating costs such as higher insurance, time and aggravation every time there is a technical inspection, surprises about what doesn't work, etc. So, there will be a gently used 2004 Prius (22K miles) for sale in Albuquerque real soon.

It is probably heresy to post here, but if a late model Prius is not available in Belgium, I am thinking a Smart car would be fun.

lucky

[jiepsie]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Karin from San Diego @ Mar 17 2007, 12:47 PM) [snapback]407350[/snapback]</div>

I bought a Prius last year and now I have to move back home urgently to Sweden...[/b]

If you have nav, it will be useless here. Your car will be hard to sell in Europe (definitely worth less than a regular Euro Prius) when you decide you want to get rid of it. Keep that in mind and calculate if it's worth the money and trouble (shipping, modifications, missing features and depreciation).

[peter]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Karin from San Diego @ Mar 17 2007, 06:47 AM) [snapback]407350[/snapback]</div>

I bought a Prius last year and now I have to move back home urgently to Sweden. I want to bring my beloved car with me and I've checked with the authorities back home and it seems like the main correction I have to make is to add signal lights on the side of the front. Does anyone know if the electrical setup is the same for the US and European cars so I easily can do this?
The other thing is that while I can change the speedometer to km/h I can't seem to change the odometer to calculate km instead of miles. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Karin
[/b]

Sell it. We have prius-es in sweden too !
Apart from a huge cost in transporting you will have problems with spareparts and possibly service since
the car is spec-ed for US . Brakes, lights engine control and instruments will need modification, you might
get into trouble with radio reception, you might have trouble with spares. And you will
not get as much for it when finally selling in sweden. Rust protection migt be an issue.

And yes, we have no bladder in swedish models, so it's easier to fill with gas !