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Backup Beeper & Rear Hatch Beeper

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by macguy, May 21, 2010.

  1. macguy

    macguy New Member

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    After being stonewalled and hassled by Toyota, the corporate office finally authorized a California dealer to change the backup beeper to the one-beep mode. That's fine but it cost me $50.00!
    But now, when I carry furniture or lumber, etc and tie down the rear hatch with a rope, the beeper beeps constantly as long as the vehicle is moving.
    So, here we go again! The dealer already told me "no way". They won't silence that beeper. OK... the answer is to disable the rear hatch door switch. Who knows where it is? Is it mechanical and integrated into the latch? Or is there a mercury switch somewhere in the hatch door itself? If so, how do I get access to it?
    I hope someone knows so it won't be necessary to disassemble the door and the trunk latch area.
    Help someone!

    Thakns
     
  2. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    A good number of dealers don't charge for customizing the Prius personalized settings so you've wasted $50 and your time by sticking to a particular dealer.

    The rear hatch beep isn't one of those settings that can be changed though.
     
  3. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    This is a good example of why one shouldn't rush to complete the satisfaction survey. I would contact the dealer's corporate office expressing my extreme displeasure over being charged $50 for this and that it will affect the survey. If you can't reach a satisfactory solution contact your salesman & tell him the same thing. If he can't make you whole then give every question the lowest rating possible.

    If they don't have a problem screwing $50 out of you then don't feel bad over whatever negative consequences TMC deems to bestow on them.
     
  4. tzh

    tzh Member

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    I don't mean to start a flame but does the beep really bother you guys? How often you do reverse anyways.
     
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  5. Flaninacupboard

    Flaninacupboard Senior Member

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    GAHHH!

    Every day, into my space at work. Every day onto my driveway. Many times at the weekend while shopping etc. It is SO annoying, and ridiculously loud. My car has parking sensors, but I CAN'T HEAR THEM!

    I -know- I'm in reverse, first because i put it there and second because I'm going backwards! I hate the beep so much.
     
  6. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

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    Toyota really got this warning "backwards". I got my dealer to silence the beep in the dash for both reverse and seat belt infractions for free. But when I use the remote to unlock the doors, I can hear an "outside beeper". What Toyota should have done is make the outside beeper sound off in reverse so a kid playing in the street or driveway would know the vehicle was going backwards.
     
  7. macguy

    macguy New Member

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    Your point is well taken about how often the rear hatch needs to be tied down.
    My answer is, it is often enough because I purchase lumber and gardening supplies at the Home Depot and other places. Since we just moved to North Carolina, we are also purchasing furniture. Gosh, we've made two trips to Furnitureland 1 1/2 hours away... bought a chair and a table and had to hear the rear hatch beep away for a long time on both trips. At least Toyota could give you the option of silencing it for each trip.

    Thanks for the comment.
    JV
     
  8. macguy

    macguy New Member

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    Before moving away from Torrance,CA... I contacted eight dealers about the backup beeper. They all told me to "go pound sand". My letter to Toyota corporate got the job done and Toyota gave me a $200 corporate credit.
    Don't get me wrong, I love the vehicle and it is even my second one. However, there are several things Toyota didn't get right...
     
  9. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Often enough?

    6.5 years and I still have yet to see a Prius being driven with the hatch open.

    As for wanting something that would intentionally compromise visibility of driver view and the center brake light along with allowing tailpipe emissions into the vehicle isn't something you'd likely find anyone willing to accept the liability for.
    .
     
  10. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    Longo Toyota did it for me free of charge and other LA-based Priuschatters have managed to get it done for free.

    I suppose you want Toyota to be like Lexus and have a policy of performing a one-time complimentary customization of the personalized settings but Toyota isn't Lexus.

    That said, you'll have the best luck if you locate a combined Toyota/Lexus franchise. Toyota dealers in such franchises must meet the higher Lexus standards.
     
  11. Flaninacupboard

    Flaninacupboard Senior Member

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    How about just have it user selectable? We've all got an MFD and various buttons, let us do it!
     
  12. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    I imagine it'll happen eventually as the 2010 Lexus RX has most of the personalized settings user-selectable in the NAV screen and Lexus features usually trickle down to Toyotas over time.
     
  13. ruggb

    ruggb Junior Member

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    I don't understand......
    Does this not work anymore ... or hasn't anyone here seen it
    Let me know if it doesn't work now - it does on my 2007

    Prius Beeper disable
    To eliminate the beeps from seatbelts and reverse, follow these steps:
    1. Power on the car to IG-ON or READY. IG-ON will do for this purpose.
    2. Using the Trip/ODO button, set the Trip/ODO display to ODO (not Trip A or Trip B)
    3. Power off the car.
    4. Now power the car to READY (brake on). This is required so that step 6 works correctly.
    5. Within 6 seconds of powering on, press and hold the Trip/ODO button for 10 seconds or more (there is no indication... just count)
    6. WHILE STILL HOLDING ODO *after* the 10 seconds, shift the "gear" selector to R, then press the P button. Now release the Trip/ODO button.
    7. If the last step was successful, "b on" or "b off" should be displayed in the location where the Trip Odometer or Odometer is normally displayed (front dash area). "b on" is beep on (default), and "b off" is beep off.
    8. Press Trip/ODO to toggle the mode.
    9. Now power the car off to exit the toggle mode.
    10. Power the car on to READY and confirm the reverse beep status by shifting to R. The beep should not be audible if "b off" was selected, and should be audible if "b on" was selected.. ​
    Note: The Repair manual page states that if the the 12v battery is disconnected, the beep will reset to the default of on, and this procedure will need to be performed again - I have confirmed this to be true!. The repair manual also is not clear that Trip/ODO should remain depressed while shifting. ​
    Additional Note: The driver and passenger seatbelt reminder chime can be disabled or enabled (respectively, defaults are driver on and passenger off) using similar steps. Instead of shifting from P to R to P in step 6, simply buckle then unbuckle the appropriate seatbelt while continuing to depress the Trip/ODO button. Might want a helper for this one!





     
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  14. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    ^ doesn't work on the Gen 3.
     
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  15. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

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    I think I found a way to disable the hatch-open warning system:

    Open the hatch and turn on the hatch light. Now as you open or close the hatch, that side light will go off or on depending on the latch position.

    Look inside the lower oval slit where the upper hatch loop goes into - you will see on the left side a small movable square (flips from left to right) that automatically secures the hatch latch when you close the hatch.

    Using a small screwdriver, you can "flip" this square over to the right without closing the hatch. Then using the screwdriver, "flip" it one more notch to the right and you should see the hatch light go off. I'm guessing this should fool the system so the hatch warning beep won't sound off if you want to travel with the hatch partially open for a load. Perhaps a small bungee cord with hooks could be used to bring the hatch onto the load thru the latch loop and then just under the bumper on the plastic lip.

    To reset the process, just press up on the latch release button as you would normally do to open the hatch and the "square" described above returns to its normal open position. Now you can close the hatch.
     
  16. tzh

    tzh Member

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    All and all that can't be more than 5% of total driving. I drive 40 min go to work and maybe just 30 sec reverse into parking space.

     
  17. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    That's beside the point. Why do I need constant beeping when just one beep is sufficient to inform me that the car has engaged in reverse and my brain can tell whether I'm going forward or backward?
     
  18. Bica2go

    Bica2go New Member

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    I hope this works. I had to drive from Lowes to home, about 10mi, with the hatch ajar because I had 2 storm doors in the back and they just missed fitting by an inch +/-even with the front seats pulled WAAAY forward. The continuous beep beep beep was enough to drive me crazy (as if I'm not a gonner in that dept already). I may meet up with cousins to hand over our old storm door for them to reuse at an old cottage in VT if I can't convince them to take a detour and stop by the house. I can't get it up there, I'd never last driving 3hrs listening to the beep, beep, beep, beep.....
     
  19. kawita

    kawita Junior Member

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    phoenixgreg's suggestion will work, you can even turn the lever with your finger to latch it.
    It had a thread on this last year.
     
  20. macguy

    macguy New Member

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    Phenixgreg,

    Your suggestion works like a charm. The only caveat is that if the latch is in the "Fake-Out Mode" and you slam the hatch closed, the latch will probably break. However, I am going to make a section of wood with a metal loop mimicking the actual hatch loop. The wood will be a short piece, maybe 10" long, painted yellow and will have black stripes. Now, when I want to defeat the hatch beeper, all that has to be done is insert the "Fake-Out Loop". The yellow with black stripes will alert me to not bust the hatch latch when it is time to restore the hatch properly.
    Your suggestion is what the value of Prius Chat is all about!

    I can't thank you enough!
    Thank you...

    JVulgan
     
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