1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Carista for personalization

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Technical Discussion' started by GreenBean17, Jan 16, 2018.

  1. GreenBean17

    GreenBean17 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2018
    12
    28
    0
    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I would like to change some of the personal settings on my new 2017 Four. The dealership/salespeople are clueless. I knew much more about the car before buying it than they did. If I hadn't, there is no way they could have "sold" me on it.

    I would like to change some settings such as eliminating the back up beep which I find very distracting as well as painfully loud. I believe I have searched this site for the information I am seeking, but I don't see what I am looking for. From what I have read I think I would like to get a Carista ODB2 and probably just the one week pass for making adjustments. However, I am not technically knowledgeable and don't know if the interface for personalization items is dumb enough for me to understand. I also would like to know all of the items I can personalize: back up beep, moon roof open/close, door locks (beyond what is in the Owner's Manual), etc. The Carista site doesn't have this information and I haven't found it in customer reviews such as are on Amazon.

    Can anyone direct me to the information and perhaps even post a picture of the Carista (Android app) interface for making these kinds of changes? Thank you!
     
    nednvermont likes this.
  2. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2016
    391
    415
    0
    Location:
    Israel
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You can't turn off the backup completely - you can reduce it to a single beep - I suspect that it is a safety issue.
     
    GreenBean17 and RCO like this.
  3. ATHiker

    ATHiker Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2010
    642
    560
    0
    Location:
    Massachusetts
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    0nce you make changes with Carista, it can send you an email with a list of your settings.

    The list below is what Carista sent me after I made my changes on my 2016 Gen 4 almost 2 years ago. My selection is *bracketed*

    It is possible that the list has been updated by Carista to include more or fewer options.

    See below:
    ____________________


    The following settings were available specifically to your vehicle using Carista:



    Doors / Windows / Remote

    Blink turn signals when locking/unlocking with remote
    *YES* / NO

    Beep when locking/unlocking with remote
    *YES* / NO

    Volume of beep when locking/unocking with remote
    OFF / 1 / 2 / 3 / *4* / 5 / 6 / MAX

    Beep when opening/closing windows with remote
    *YES* / NO

    Warn when door can't be locked with remote because it's open
    *YES* / NO

    Warn when a window is still open when locking doors
    *YES* / NO

    Warn when sunroof is still open when locking doors
    *YES* / NO

    Panic function on remote
    *ENABLED* / DISABLED

    Re-lock doors automatically if you unlock, but don't open a door
    *YES* / NO

    Re-lock doors automatically if you unlock, but don't open a door within…
    30 SECONDS / *60 SECONDS* / 120 SECONDS

    Unlock doors via remote
    *DRIVER'S DOOR ON 1ST PRESS, ALL ON 2ND* / ALL DOORS ON 1ST PRESS

    Unlock doors via physical key
    *DRIVER'S DOOR ON 1ST PRESS, ALL ON 2ND* / ALL DOORS ON 1ST PRESS

    Unlock doors via smart key (door handle button)
    DRIVER'S DOOR ON 1ST PRESS, ALL ON 2ND / *ALL DOORS ON 1ST PRESS*

    Auto-lock all doors
    DISABLED / *WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR* / WHEN VEHICLE STARTS MOVING

    Auto-unlock all doors
    DISABLED / WHEN SHIFTING INTO PARK (P) / *WHEN DRIVER'S DOOR IS OPENED*

    After locking with smart key, allow re-opening within…
    0.5 SECONDS / 1.5 SECONDS / *2.5 SECONDS* / 5 SECONDS

    Smart key location to start car
    *FRONT SEATS* / ANYWHERE IN VEHICLE

    Open trunk via smart access button
    DISABLED / DOUBLE CLICK / *LONG PRESS*

    Open windows and sunroof by holding key in door lock
    ON / *OFF*

    Close windows and sunroof by holding key in door lock
    ON / *OFF*

    Open windows and sunroof via long-press on remote
    *ON* / OFF



    Instruments / Display / Dings

    Engine start indicator
    *ON* / OFF

    Display odometer after ignition is turned off for…
    *30 SECONDS* / 1 MINUTE / 10 MINUTES / OFF

    Reverse-gear beep
    *BEEP ONCE* / KEEP BEEPING WHILE IN REVERSE

    Seat belt warning ding (driver)
    *ENABLED* / DISABLED

    Seat belt warning ding (front passenger)
    *ENABLED* / DISABLED

    Turn signal click volume
    LOW / *MEDIUM* / HIGH

    Lane-change turn signal auto-flasher count
    OFF / 3 FLASHES / 4 FLASHES / 5 FLASHES / *6 FLASHES* / 7 FLASHES

    Remote low battery warning
    *ON* / OFF

    Front parking sensor range
    NARROW / *WIDE*

    Rear parking sensor range
    *NARROW* / WIDE

    Mute parking sensor when stationary for more than 3 sec.
    *YES* / NO

    Lower parking sensor beep volume when stationary for more than 3 sec.
    *DON'T CHANGE VOLUME* / 1 / 2 / 3

    Lower parking sensor beep volume when moving away from objects
    DON'T CHANGE VOLUME / *1* / 2 / 3

    Parking sensor beep volume
    *1* / 2 / 3 / 4 / MAX

    Activate parking sensors in neutral (N)
    *YES* / NO

    Auto-turn off parking display when moving away from obstacles
    *YES* / NO



    Lights

    Daytime running lights
    *ON* / OFF

    Coming-home lights duration
    *OFF* / 30 SECONDS / 60 SECONDS / 90 SECONDS

    Auto headlights activation threshold
    DARKEST / DARKER / NORMAL / LIGHTER / *LIGHTEST*

    Instrument lights dimming sensitivity
    DARKEST / DARKER / *NORMAL* / LIGHTER / LIGHTEST

    Instrument lights restoring sensitivity
    DARKEST / DARKER / *NORMAL* / LIGHTER / LIGHTEST

    Dim interior lights after…
    7 SECONDS / *15 SECONDS* / 30 SECONDS

    Turn on interior lights when you shut off engine
    *YES* / NO

    Turn on interior lights when you unlock doors
    *YES* / NO

    Turn on interior lights when smart key in range
    *YES* / NO

    Interior footlight (bright when doors open, dim when driving)
    *YES* / NO

    Turn on interior door-handle & center console lights dimly (flood lights) when ignition is on and shifter is not in park (P)
    *YES* / NO

    Interior light control
    *ENABLED* / DISABLED



    Heater & A/C

    Temperature dial calibration
    -2°C / -1°C / *NORMAL* / +1°C / +2°C

    Ambient temperature calibration
    -3°C / -2°C / -1°C / *NORMAL* / +1°C / +2°C / +3°C

    A/C ECO mode
    *ENABLED* / DISABLED

    Auto-increase blower speed when front defroster is on
    *YES* / NO

    Auto-turn on A/C when AUTO button pressed (if needed)
    *YES* / NO

    Deactivate front defroster when AUTO button pressed
    *YES* / NO

    Fan speed reaches its target…
    SLOWLY / *NORMALLY* / FAST


    Obtained with Carista 2.6 for iOS.
    Download app: Carista OBD2 on the App Store
    Facebook: Carista - Home | Facebook
     
    PtPri, Valiant V, GreenBean17 and 2 others like this.
  4. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I doubt you can customize anything beyond what is u the owner's manual. There is a Customization section there that details all the customizations, including those needing special software. They charted it out because there is now two places for settings that the user can customize - the little MID and the larger MFD.
    The backup beep can be reduced to 1 beep. My local dealer did that for free at the 5K check. I was so impressed with their work, I decided to do my own oil change at 10K to be sure it was done properly.
    Unfortunately, your local dealer appears to be as clueless as mine. They said all Trim Two had black interior. I ended up driving 150 miles to purchase from a Gen 1 Prius owner and salesman at a different dealer. A knowledgeable Prius salesman is a rare gem indeed!
     
    pilotgrrl likes this.
  5. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,041
    7,580
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I'd read about the reverse beep & that the open windows with Long Press of FOB before I bought my car - while discussing the price, I said - I want these fixed or I don't buy the car - "Yes, sir, that will be done". Which it was.
     
  6. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Yeah, I meant to mention about the reverse beep but I forgot and I knew they were short staffed on a Sunday.
     
  7. GreenBean17

    GreenBean17 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2018
    12
    28
    0
    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Thanks ATHiker! That's the kind of information I was hoping for, that I'd be able to read plain language (not techno) to make the changes. My Carista OBD2 was delivered today. I probably won't get to it until the weekend. I'm kind of excited.

    I have a strong feeling that making the changes would not be free at the dealership, especially because I want several.
     
    RCO likes this.
  8. nednvermont

    nednvermont Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    67
    73
    0
    Location:
    Vermont
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I appreciate your asking this GreenBean17 as I want to do the same thing. When you get a chance please give a review of your experience making the changes, as I'm also not that tech savvy.
     
    GreenBean17 likes this.
  9. GreenBean17

    GreenBean17 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2018
    12
    28
    0
    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Sorry that it has taken me so long to reply. Before discussing Carista specifically, I suggest that you review the customizable features that are listed in the table starting at page 748 (Chapter 9-2) in the 2017 Owner's Manual. The third column shows the features that the dealer - or Carista - can change. (I don't recall that the vehicle proximity sound showed in the Carista menu but I will re-check.) Many changes can be made without Carista by using the multi-function display controls. I especially wanted the screaming back-up beeper in chorus with the surround proximity sensor beeps to be eliminated/reduced. The back-up beeper can be reduced to one, quieter, beep and the sound of the other sensors reduced, which I did. I also turned off the passenger front and back seat belt beeping. Even though these are safety features (and maybe a dealer would not want liability for turning them off), I could not stand the sounds triggered by heavy weights, including rather large dogs.

    I forgot to check whether the beeping from not having the hatch door closed (which some here have complained about when carrying loads) could be altered. There was a customizable function for beeping if doors are not all closed when locking the car is attempted. I will check on sounds if trying to drive with hatch not clicked closed.

    As for Carista itself - I looked at several OBDII devices. They all seemed to be very similar. I chose the Carista which was the most expensive by far (almost four times the less expensive ones) because it offered a 30 day free trial. At least, that is what is described on Amazon and its website. The Carista app, if you don't buy the Carista OBD, is $9.99 for a one week pass or $39.99 for a year's pass. So, I figured that $40 for the device with a free month to figure out all I wanted to customize wouldn't be much more expensive or about the same as a cheaper device + app cost.

    There is no free month trial.

    I finally found the port. Despite seeing images and reading descriptions of its location, I couldn't see it. I used a mirror under the dash. There it was, looking just like the pictures. I installed the device and connected to the Carista app. The only way I could activate the device and app was to prepay $39.99 plus tax for a year's subscription. So, there is no free month's trial. There is a subscription costing $39.99 for thirteen months (I guess - there is nothing confirming that) instead of 12 months.

    I am returning the Carista device to Amazon because it did not come with a free month's trial as described. The device cost me $40 and my (now useless) subscription cost me $39.99. I will get my $40 back, but it cost me $39.99 plus tax to make the changes. I suppose that is less expensive than having the dealer do it, but I am still disgruntled. I will check on the hatch door beeper before I return the device on Friday.
     
    PtPri, jimmcginnis, RCO and 1 other person like this.
  10. nednvermont

    nednvermont Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    67
    73
    0
    Location:
    Vermont
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thank you so much, GreenBean17!
     
    RCO likes this.
  11. GreenBean17

    GreenBean17 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2018
    12
    28
    0
    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    The Carista app has several of the items that only the dealer can change, but it does not have all of them. It does not have anything for the proximity sound thing nor the rain sensor. Maybe a few more but the format differs from what is in the Owner's Manual so it was too time consuming to go line by line. I could not find anything that seemed to be an adjustment that would turn off the beeping if the hatch is open such as when carrying a long load.

    I did get the back up beep down to a single beep which was most important to me. I made a few other adjustments as noted above. Overall it probably was not worth it to pay the $39.99 to change the back up beeper, though I don't know what the dealer would have charged. I think I can get a much less expensive OBDII device and use the Carista app with it, but I'm not sure. I don't even know if I really have 12 months to use the app because I received no email or other acknowledgement of the payment. It would have been nice to be able to play with some of the adjustments such as remote open and close of the windows and moon roof to see if I liked them but since I was returning the device I didn't want to be stuck with an adjustment I didn't like.

    It also would have been interesting to me to learn what any warning lights mean just to be sure the dealer was being accurate if a problem arises. (When I had my first car, a very old VW Beetle, a warning light came on. I took it to a dealer, paid a lot for something, and the warning light was still on when I went to the car. I drove it back into the bay. The mechanic came over, cut the wire to the light, and said it was fixed. I was only 17 and 2,500 miles from home, so I didn't know what to do other than drive away - and learn to to do a lot of maintenance and even repairs on my own. That was the olden days, though, before computers.)
     
    Valiant V and RCO like this.
  12. benagi

    benagi Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2012
    525
    280
    4
    Location:
    Utah
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    The Carista app does have a free month trial for their app. They won’t charge your credit card until the 30 days are up. You have the option to cancel before the 30 trial is up at which time you will not be charged.
     
    RCO likes this.
  13. GreenBean17

    GreenBean17 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2018
    12
    28
    0
    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Not so for me. My PP account was charged through playstore which was my app download site.
     
  14. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2016
    3,709
    5,182
    0
    Location:
    Cornwall
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Maybe it's paying through PayPal that jinxed you.
     
  15. will the engineer

    will the engineer Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2019
    238
    119
    0
    Location:
    LA
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I just wanted to reduce the reverse beep down to 0 but 1 is the only option I got..okay then.

    Now i want to lower the lock and unlocking sound the car makes. IMO its too loud.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  16. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    The user manual that came with your car has a section called Customization. It lists all settings that can be changed and whether the dealer needs to make it.
     
    will the engineer likes this.
  17. ekpolk

    ekpolk What could possibly...

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2006
    548
    176
    0
    Location:
    Pensacola & Vero Beach FL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Two Eco
    Yeah -- I ended up teaching my salesman so much about the Prius that after we made a deal, I toyed with the idea of demanding an additional "tuition reduction" from the price to compensate me for sharing my knowledge with said salesman. . .
     
    Prodigyplace and krmcg like this.
  18. ekpolk

    ekpolk What could possibly...

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2006
    548
    176
    0
    Location:
    Pensacola & Vero Beach FL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Two Eco
    Remember, some of those things are required by law (mostly by regulations as opposed to directly statutory, I assume). For example, there's now a reg (I can't cough up the citation at the moment) that mandates the proximity sound generator for hybrids and electrics that we've learned are just too quiet (who'd have thought THAT was possible 20 years ago?). Accordingly, at least as to the Proximity Sound feature, I'm sure they've programmed the car so you CAN'T deactivate it. As for me, I'd just like to HACK it -- replacing the "polite, inoffensive car approaching" sound with, say, the sound of a straight-piped Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Now THAT would be amusing -- watching the reactions of pedestrians trying to process why that Prius sounds like something from an outlaw biker club! :D
     
  19. ricomtl

    ricomtl Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2015
    137
    39
    1
    Location:
    moon
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Technology
    Hey! I just bought the Carista OBD2 and completed my customization.

    There is one option that I have no clue what it does. I can't find any documentation on this one...

    Engine start indicator
    *ON* / OFF

    Any clue?
     
  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Ant ideas @Tideland Prius ? you have the manual.
     
    ricomtl likes this.