More on USB/Safety Connect

Hi everyone,

Wanted to update you on an important option code change that is happening due to Safety Connect and USB. This is NOT an equipment or packaging change, just a "code name" change.

We will be changing all the option codes - so no more NV, SR, AT. Instead, these will be the new codes going forward:

• Prius V: AY = AT with SC and USB
• Prius IV/V: NY = NV with SC and USB
• Prius IV: SY = SR with SC and USB
• Prius III: NW = NV with USB
• Prius III: SW = SR with USB

Everything clear? Great!

Our Toyota.com configurator will show these new codes when there is enough stock for it to register. The first units hit Portland this week!

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

I just purchased a 2010 Prius III Tuesday in Florida that had a manufacture date of Aug 12th. It came with the USB option. Does that mean it is an NW? Is there somewhere on the vehicle that shows that designation?

I assume Safety Connect is only for higher models. I didn't see that feature anyway. I am always finding new features though. I didn't even know about the backup camera until I had already bought it, got home, and put the car in reverse(big surprise to me . The dealer didn't even mention it.

It's not technically an NW, but it effectively is. USB also happens to be a DIO, or dealer-installed option. So either the dealer did it, or the regional distributor (SET) added it. But essentially you got the same feature as an NW. You could check for sure by looking at the Monroney sticker, if you still have it.

Now, the manufacturers date of Aug 12 is not correct, for sure, because a vehicle built on Aug 12 would take nearly a month to get from Japan to Florida. Not sure what doc you are looking at, though.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

I want to give you a great big thumbs up, thanks a bunch, whoot whoot, thingy but I really don't know what the heck you just said to me.
Perhaps I need to get out of the big kid forums and go back to my newbie "yeah, it's a hybrid, that means it runs on gas AND electricity" forums.

With this new USB thing being installed, does this remove the 3mm/headphone-jack input? I really hope not, because if my eventual Prius comes with it, I will go to great lengths to NOT use the USB input. I have used these in other cars and it is easily one of the worst, most dangerous on-road ways to maneuver through the Ipod. The Ipod itself have one of the simplest user interfaces and the interface on all systems that take over for the Ipod take all of that simplicity away. There's more time spent and attention devoted to trying to get around the kludgy interface than using the simple Ipod interface. I cannot understand why people think these are an upgrade.

From everything else that I have read. It does replace the 3mm jack.

Personally, I look forward to eventually getting it for my prius. Since it will tie into the steering controls, I can easily skip a song or two, and thus not have have to look at my ipod to change the music.

Does it at least give you the option to not use it and use the Ipod's controls? Please, please tell me that it does. I know every car is going to come with it and any hope of finding one with just a 3mm jack is going to be impossible. The car was perfect before and with things like this it starts to become a little less perfect. The 3mm jack was PERFECT! People with cell phones could plug in, people with Ipods could plug in, people with Zunes could plug in. What happens now? Only Ipods can work with this? Toyota, why not offer both?! Is it that hard to simply stick a 3mm jack in there along side the USB?

I just test drove a 2010 here in Savannah and it had the USB jack and right next to it was the 3mm jack. Unless this was a special install, it appears they have both. Also, the screen showed both an AUX and USB tab.

Hope that is helpful.

It's in the same location as the aux input, but contains both a USB and an aux input.

Again,

Per the Prius Team, and 2010 Prius in the U.S. which already have the USB option in them are not Factory installs on the USB. They have been available aftermarket, and as a dealer / port install for a while now.

The vehicles that will have this shipped from the factory are not here yet, and are still a few weeks out.

As for the 3.5mm plug, I have not seen anything here which would indicate that they are doing away with this feature. Please remember that not all cars will have the USB as an available option, but all cars are shipped with the 3.5mm audio jack. I assume that they will still be made available on the vehicles which have the USB port factory installed.

I thought that the USB Factory install was under the center console, near the seat heater switches, while the 3.5mm jack was in the center console, under the armrest. Is this not the case?

I was poo-pooing the USB before, but now I think it would be easier to sell the vehicle when the time comes because it will be standard in most cars.
So now I am thinking about getting it dealer installed, but I wonder if there will be an updated version in the future that would be worth waiting for?

It's in the center armrest console, in the same location of the aux input.

Do you have a photo of this? And is this the case only for the factory USBs or also for Dealer Installed USB? Asking because other posts on the forum indicated it would be near the 'Seat Heater' buttons.

cpatch has some videos that he posted in the big USB thread. They show the USB next to the AUX and he had it dealer installed.

I wouldn't buy unless YOU are going to use it or YOU want it. Buying it for the next owner is not worth it because it will not increase the value of your car. The moment you drive that car out of the lot, you will have lost any equity in the whole deal.

I also remember originally reading that it would be by the seat heater buttons, which made no sense because then your iPod or USB drive would be in view for all to see.

cpatch posted a video review in another thread, which shows it replaced the original aux input in the center armrest console.

This is correct...I bought the kit and had it dealer-installed and the original aux input in the center armrest console is replaced with a new combo USB/aux input as shown in this video:



And no, you can't control the iPod directly unless you disconnect from the USB port and plug into the aux port. It's a major shortcoming of the kit, especially considering how unusable the nav interface is.

Thanks for the information. I think that I will wait for Apple to update the bluetooth streaming software on the iPhone, so that I can control the iPod as well, through the system. This should be out (potentially) by the end of September.