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I'm just wondering...

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by prisonteacher, Jul 2, 2008.

  1. prisonteacher

    prisonteacher Junior Member

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    We picked up our Prius last Monday evening. (Driftwood Pearl #3) Of course, we really like it. The manual, OTOH,...

    First thing is kind of silly. You figure a big company like Toyota would employ some good proofreaders. I mean, I'm used to seeing instructions for computer equipment made somewhere else in a non-English speaking country. It's really funny if the impaired instructions don't impair any important information. I just didn't expect to see it from Toyota.
    (Everyone have their manuals out?;))
    On page 159, "When a nozzle become block..."
    And then the same mistake is made on 161!
    (Dang! There was another real funny one - now I can't find it. I'll post it later.)

    But there's something that really digs at me about the manual. In discussing the audio system (beginning page 219) it discusses it from the point of view of either having an AUX adapter or not having one. Well, we have an AUX adapter, but, our console display (the one that shows the backup camera's view, the different information, basically the touch screen) does not look like the one on 219. It looks like the one on page 222, where the manual discusses the audio system that doesn't have an AUX adapter.

    What the heck? Why doesn't ours have those extra buttons?

    I do not know...the manual (atleast where I read) doesn't even discuss how to put the car in "accessory" mode. I found that out by calling the dealer.

    I tried to explain it to somebody today at the dealership, but I couldn't explain it very well over the phone. But hey, at least our phone was synched up nicely, by our sales consultant even.

    Sigh...I guess I'll have to take the manual to the dealer next time I'm in that area.
    Sigh...
     
    #1 prisonteacher, Jul 2, 2008
  2. Joekc

    Joekc Member

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    The manual for the map system is far worse, so count your blessings.
     
    #2 Joekc, Jul 2, 2008
  3. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Did they at least remove the duplication? Poor English was bad enough but reading it twice was awful. It is indeed a shame Toyota couldn't find someone who spoke English as a first language to write or edit the book. Maybe if they didn't spend the money & effort on the reverse beep...
     
    #3 JimN, Jul 2, 2008
  4. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

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    :D
     
    #4 TonyPSchaefer, Jul 2, 2008
  5. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The Prius manuals are pretty bad. I don't know why they don't hire a native English speaking writer to clean them up. It wouldn't be very hard.

    Tom
     
    #5 qbee42, Jul 2, 2008
  6. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

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    The Prius manuals are written in Janglish. CAUTION: JANGLISH WARNING! Reading this manual will jangle your nerves.

    Take a look at John1701a's user guide, much friendlier.
     
    #6 Bill Merchant, Jul 2, 2008
  7. Joekc

    Joekc Member

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    Here's my favorite (in the Navigation manual):

    "Touch register of the memory points."

    And try to figure this out:

    "Accurate current vehicle position may not be shown in the following cases:

    When driving on a small angled Y-shaped road [can't quite picture this]
    When driving on a winding road.
    When driving on a long straight road." Huhhh? Well when exactly will it be accurate?
     
    #7 Joekc, Jul 2, 2008
  8. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    No argument here. Toyota should outsource the writing of their manuals to Honda. The manual for my GF's Civic is a masterpiece of clarity. (In exchange Honda could license the HSD... I know, I know, but a guy can dream, can't he?)
     
    #8 richard schumacher, Jul 3, 2008
  9. FrankZ

    FrankZ New Member

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    Well, I guess when you're driving on a short, straight road? I guess I've come to expect crappy manual-writing, cause I missed most of this, but it's funny stuff.
     
    #9 FrankZ, Jul 3, 2008
  10. pdhenry

    pdhenry It's HEEERE!

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    I know what this is - if the road splits (e.g., an offramp) with only a slight angular difference between one route and the other, the GPS can guess wrong and show you on the main road while you're on the offramp or vice versa.
    Like my Garmin, the Toyota GPS apparently uses direction of travel to improve the accuracy of the displayed location.
     
    #10 pdhenry, Jul 3, 2008
  11. beckaloulou

    beckaloulou New Member

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    I am a teacher and we are always looking for fun interesting things for us to edit ....I will keep this in the back of my mind for a great lesson plan ahahah then maybe we can submit it to Toyota!!
     
    #11 beckaloulou, Jul 5, 2008
  12. Whiteyprius

    Whiteyprius Active Member

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    I don't know what's up with manuals these days, but it's almost universal in my experience. They're not only wrong at times, but they don't even give you the instructions on how to operate the blooming thing - thus resort to PC for info on how to do stuff like turning off the reverse beep! Speaking of manuals, have you ever tried to learn how to use a BlackBerry with the manual? Rots of Ruck.
     
    #12 Whiteyprius, Jul 5, 2008
  13. prisonteacher

    prisonteacher Junior Member

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    Heh! Heck, we rarely go any place new so we didn't figure that one was worth it! :rolleyes:
     
    #13 prisonteacher, Jul 5, 2008
  14. prisonteacher

    prisonteacher Junior Member

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    Nope, the duplication is there. Yeah, I'm about to the point of my first "mod" and taking out the beep. Is that most people's first one?:)
     
    #14 prisonteacher, Jul 5, 2008
  15. prisonteacher

    prisonteacher Junior Member

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    Hey that user guide is great! Has somebody made that link a "sticky" yet? A user guide written in American - what more can one ask for?

    Thanks for the info, Bill.
     
    #15 prisonteacher, Jul 5, 2008
  16. prisonteacher

    prisonteacher Junior Member

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    I'm probably going to take it in for some VIN etching in the next week or so and you can bet I'll be having some discussion about the manual then. :smash:
     
    #16 prisonteacher, Jul 5, 2008
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