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vehicle proximity notification system aka the noisemaker

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Habiru, Jan 31, 2012.

  1. Habiru

    Habiru Junior Member

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    hey all you 2012 owners i just put a down payment on my 2012 iii. trading in my 2010 because ... i want a blank one now :) i was wondering about the vehicle proximity notification system i've been reading about. is that on all of the 2012's or just the 2012 V's? not excited about the videos i've seen thus far on that. i actually really liked the stealth of the ev mode on my 2010! nothing like creeping up behind a coworker in the parking lot very slowly & seeing how long it takes them to notice you are wating for them to get out of your way :) i've also been trying to find a side by side pic of the front change from the 2011's to the 2012's.
     
  2. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    All 2012's have the noisemaker. I have heard it and it isn't a big deal. Here's a picture I found on the fly of the front:

    [​IMG]
     
  3. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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  4. sharol46

    sharol46 Junior Member

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    The noisemaker is very unobtrusive. I tried to hear it, and the only way I can identify it from inside the car is if I roll down the window and drive into my garage. Of course it stops the minute the car stops moving, so that is a challenge.

    It is very soft and very environmentally friendly. I was surprised about it. My salesman said he didn't think it had one because he couldn't hear it in the parking lot. :D
     
  5. Maverick Hiker

    Maverick Hiker New Member

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    I bought a 2011 Prius in part because I didn't want the noisemaker on the 2012's. While I may not have heard it in the car, I didn't want people outside the car to hear me coming like the Jetson's spaceship. I have read that it isn't that loud, but still I like my quiet 2011.
     
  6. Habiru

    Habiru Junior Member

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    thanks for the replies!! my 2012 will be here in a few weeks so pretty excited. glad to hear the noisemaker isn't too loud! i toyed with getting a 2011 because of that but thought hey why not get the newest one ... if i get too annoyed by the noisemaker there will probably be a way around that :)
     
  7. kalome

    kalome Member

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    Same with me. I bought a 2012 about 4 days ago and didn't even know about it until a comment made in the forum. I don't notice it at all. I will try to hear for it next time I drive.
     
  8. kalome

    kalome Member

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    After rolling the windows down and hearing it from outside the car it is really stupid sound.
    It sounds like a tractor beam from Star Trek. My friend was cracking up of how retarded it sounds...which I agree.
    Though with the windows rolled up, it isn't that bad you can barely hear it.
    I miss the silence when driving around low speed with battery.

    I wonder how you can go about getting rid of the noisemaker.
     
  9. Habiru

    Habiru Junior Member

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    So I've had the 2012 for about a month now. Overall I am glad I bought the car. The noisemaker is the worst part. The limited voice commands with the III included Navi is the second worst part. 1. I have to use the voice command to find a POI while driving ... I cannot enter in a POI by hand while in motion. 2. I must use my hand to cancel a current destination ... I cannot use a voice command. So Toyota kind of missed the point of forcing you to use voice commands while in motion imo.
     
  10. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Didn't they leave in the voice of commands of delete destination or suspend guidance, or something along those lines?

    Those work on the much older nav system of the Gen 2 Priuses...
     
  11. Maverick Hiker

    Maverick Hiker New Member

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    From what I've read you can't get rid of the noisemaker. At least not legally. The Toyota dealers won't take it off and they won't install an on-off switch either. Liability issues.

    Even if I couldn't hear it myself inside the car I don't want others outside the car to hear that spaceship noise coming from my Prius.

    I like the stealth mode in my 2011 Prius. I am hoping that by the time I buy my next Prius in a few years that the noisemaker issue will be resolved. I hope they have done away with the darn thing or at least having an on-off switch.
     
  12. kalome

    kalome Member

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    "Even if I couldn't hear it myself inside the car I don't want others outside the car to hear that spaceship noise coming from my Prius."

    Yeah, it is kind of embarrasing. I was going through the parking lot at work this morning and there are people walking to the building and it is very quiet early in the morning.
    They were probably thinking a UFO was about to land.
     
  13. Enceladus

    Enceladus Junior Member

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    Perhaps it does make your face red a bit. Of course those nice people could actually hear you and I note in your post you didn't say you ran them over. :rolleyes:

    Would you feel more than embarrassed if you'd hit someone? I know I would.

    I don't have a Prius yet - I am saving for one - and even so I find a change in my own behavior: I look around parking lots quite a bit more now as I know there are silent cars around.

    I know it's the driver's job to not hit anyone, but I'd rather not rely on someone else for my safety if I can help it.

    I'd be interested in the results of any studies that show the effectiveness (or lack there of) of the noise maker.
     
  14. kalome

    kalome Member

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    I have had a Prius before without the noisemaker and i managed to not hit anybody the whole time I had the car smart arse.

    I used the term "embarrasing" loosely. I was just making the point of how stupid the sound is and I rather not have it like the Prius I had before.
     
  15. d2mini

    d2mini Active Member

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    There has to be a speaker somewhere...
     
  16. kalome

    kalome Member

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  17. d2mini

    d2mini Active Member

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    Woohoo! There ya go. Someone give this guy a beer. :tea:
     
  18. ghosteh

    ghosteh Member

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    Now some clever person needs to come up with an easy mod involving a rocker switch and "on/off" ability
     
  19. WE0H

    WE0H Senior Member

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    I know the first thing I am doing when I get my car home :p

    Mike
     
  20. Maverick Hiker

    Maverick Hiker New Member

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    It's also the pedestrian's job to look around, not blindly walk out into the road because he doesn't hear a car coming.

    The noisemaker in my view an unnecessary "political correctness" modification in the car which detracts from the driving experience.

    I drive more carefully in my 2011 Prius because I know it is quiet so I am very careful around pedestrians. Also I have not noticed any shocked expressions when I get near a pedestrian in a parking lot, I think they hear the wheels on the pavement and know I am there, even when I am driving at low speeds.
     
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