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Horrible rear view visibility :(

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Chris Wolfgram, Nov 26, 2019.

  1. Chris Wolfgram

    Chris Wolfgram Active Member

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    So, as if the visibility out of my rear view was not terrible enough, I had to go on and put very dark tint on my 2019 Prius LE, and kill any chance of seeing anything useful out of my rear view ever again.
    I know their is an electronics section... and I thought I had asked about this already before, but didn't get any replies ?

    But anyway, I really want to get a nice, big, bright, LCD rear view display, that operates with a camera. Problem is, their are about a million choices, and each of these go on and on about front and rear recording, picture in picture, temperature, clock, yada, yada, blah blah.... NONE of which means jack chit to me, I already have a front facing and in cab camera recorder for ride share, and of course the stock backup camera.

    Here's what (all) I need; a big, bright, clear rear view which uses a camera. I guess if it had auto adjust for brightness, that would be okay. But whatever one I use, I want the default view to be the "rear view scene", nothing else. And I definitely don't want to have to hit any buttons, or mess with it at all, every time I hop in the car... or turn the car off and on.

    I know, I know, I'm probably going to have to buy something that will do everything including wash my dishes.... and I will never even use any of that cr@p... but so long as it gives me a big, clear rear view, and I don't have to mess with any settings every time I get in the car, Id be willing to pay $150 or so...

    Any suggestions ?
     
  2. The Professor

    The Professor Senior Member

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    I bought one of these for my wife's car (which doesn't have a reversing camera) and it works very well...

    Search for B072KR8GMB on Amazon UK.

    The camera clips over the top of the number plate, and a wireless transmitter is connected to a ground and the wire that powers the reversing light (but you could have it on all the time by connecting it to a 12V supply that comes on with the ignition, such as the rear 12V accessory socket).

    When powered up, the camera, which has IR for night vision, transmits to a separate screen. The screen is essentially a light weight rear view mirror which clips over your existing one. When the screen is off, it works just like a normal mirror. When it's on (i.e. when the transmitter is powered up) one half becomes a TV screen. It's not "big" though.

    Failing that, I'm wondering if there's a hack to keep the reversing camera on all the time on the navigation display. I vaguely recall that this was possible with a replacement head unit.
     
    #2 The Professor, Nov 26, 2019
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2019
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  3. Chris Wolfgram

    Chris Wolfgram Active Member

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    Thank you. But not displaying the rear view with the full screen is a deal breaker for me. Also, putting a screen "on top of my rear view" is a little cheesey. Id rather just completely replace my factory rear view.
     
  4. tucatz

    tucatz Active Member

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    Compared to a 2010 Prius, my last car, the visibility front and rear, all around, is improved, much. The windows, rear and latch, are already partially tinted, more than the front, and the, windshield. So tinting not required. Also, there is, backup camera, integrated into center console, does your model have one? One thing that I don’t like, the rear view mirror is too large and clunky, with plastic, and buttons, that obscure vision, and don’t help rear view visibility, and auto dimming function, doesn’t work well. Can I change this, the rear view mirror, is the post universal, the same as a, regular mirror?
     
  5. BAllanJ

    BAllanJ Active Member

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    I don't tint... but I improved the view in the rv mirror by raising the larger 2 of the rear headrests all the way which allows them to hinge forward improving the view out the back. I think this was intended just to allow the rear seats to fold flat even with the front seats are all the way back, but it does help rear visibility when no one is in the back seat.
     
  6. Chris Wolfgram

    Chris Wolfgram Active Member

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    I have people in the backseat nearly every day. So I can't mess with the head rests, but honestly, if I did completely remove them, plus if I had zero tint, I think the visibility would still suck.
    I'm convinced the only thing that would help would be a big, bright, clear LED lit screen with a rear facing camera. If only I could find the right one.... I don't need 9001 features.... Cameras... Bells , whistles.... Just a nice rear view....
     
  7. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    That would be illegal because the mirror is a factory installed required safety item on the car.
     
  8. Chris Wolfgram

    Chris Wolfgram Active Member

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    That would be the last thing to be concerned about in Sacramento. Just about like tinted windows. Cops around here are so overwhelmed with murders, armed robberies, car jackings, etc, that they just don't have time to mess with some little cr@p like this... Heck, same thing with speeding. One of the main streets through Sac is Watt Ave. Speed limit is posted as 35-45 mph. Yet people commonly drive 60+mph, and yet I have never heard or seen anyone get pulled over for a speeding ticket, in the 4 yrs I've lived here. I guess this is not necessarily a good thing, but it is what it is.
    BTW, its pretty goofy that doing something to greatly increase your visibility / safety, would be considered illegal...
     
  9. Zeppo Shanski

    Zeppo Shanski Active Member

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    I'm curious here. How do these heavy tints increase your visibility / safety? I thought from the OP that your visibility was screwed-up because of the tint.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  10. Chris Wolfgram

    Chris Wolfgram Active Member

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    The visibility is mostly screwed because of the design of the car. The dark tint only made it a little worse.

    BTW, I was driving my GF's Kia Soul earlier, and I was reminded how fantastic the visibility is in that car... And how spunky that 2.0 motor is ! Handles great too for a boxy little car. I actually enjoy driving it a lot.

    Now, the polarizing film I have on my windshield actually does help, whether it be a bright sunny day, or dark, rainy night, it removes a lot of glare either way.
     
    #10 Chris Wolfgram, Dec 2, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2019
  11. Zeppo Shanski

    Zeppo Shanski Active Member

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    I guess I'm even more of a dinosaur now than I was yesterday. My Prius is really cool because it gets over 50-mpg. I've never noticed bad visibility. I'm not saying that it's not possibly poor by anyone else's standards though. I never did understand that heavy tint style, unless you're in some jam that you need to hide from. The Cops by me pull over those kinda cars just for the GP of the issue. Thanks for the explanation. .
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I don't know why they slope up the car's beltline, front to rear. It doesn't look natural. To the best of my recollection it start with the dang Echo: put the instruments in the dead-center of the dash, and make it look like a rolling doorstop. Customers will lap it up.
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Dec 3, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2019
  13. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    At least you still have a rear wiper, unless Eco trim. Or did they delete the rear wiper from other trims now?
     
  14. Chris Wolfgram

    Chris Wolfgram Active Member

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    It has a wiper, but it makes zero difference. Honestly, except for seeing headlights at night, the rear view is completely useless.
     
  15. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I agree with you 99%, that's why I don't miss not having a rear wiper on my PRIME. But just other days when we had wet snow coming down I felt if I had rear wiper at least I could see the headlights of a car behind me. This is 1% of the time I wish I had a rear wiper like Gen4.
     
  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah, I use our rear wiper about as often as the fog lights, and it seems about the same degree of usefulness.
     
    kithmo likes this.
  17. Chris Wolfgram

    Chris Wolfgram Active Member

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    Yea, but those fog lights look cool at least I want some. I'd probably have my mechanic wire them straight in with my headlights so they came on all the time my headlights were on.
     
  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I was advocating people wanting fog lights (to replace the punishingly ugly flat-black blanks Toyota imposes on you), to just get the cheapest possible, and don't bother to wire them up, it's just for show anyway. Someone commented though, that if you have lights, but they're non-functional, that can fail you in an inspection, in some areas.
     
  19. Chris Wolfgram

    Chris Wolfgram Active Member

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    Punishing ugly :) lol That's for sure ! Here in Cali, they don't even do a vehicle inspection. Instead, they just charge $400 registration for a Prius ! And it has to pass smog. If it doesn't, you have to get a Cali approved (dealer only) catalytic converter, with install, for about $3000 !).... heck, its like $1500 a year for a Cadillac Escalade !
     
  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Someone here, @Frederickdawg I believe, did an exemplary nose-thumb at Toyota's fog light blanks. He removed, sanded, primed color, clear-coated and put them back.

    Looked dynamite, looked like Toyota forgot to do something with their flagship vehicle. I mean: what's the difference between the fog light covers and the tow-bolt covers? :confused:

    upload_2019-12-4_12-37-2.png

    Too, looking at the above, why the heck do the fog light blanks need to masquerade as "intake ports".

    Ah, I'm off my meds now. :ROFLMAO:
     
    #20 Mendel Leisk, Dec 4, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2019