Observations on my new '06

As posted in the Order Tracking forum, I picked up my new Seaside '06 Option package #8 on Saturday. After a day of playing with it (actually, less than that -- still had to hang the Christmas lights!), here are a few observations that others who received their '06 Prii earlier have not mentioned:

1) Although the Roadside Assistance Plan has apparently been canceled for the 2006 model year (per the Toyota press release), my '06 still shipped with a sticker on the window highlighting the roadside assistance phone number. No bother, we already have AAA anyway. Just a little odd...

2) While Toyota tentatively confirmed to me earlier that the California emissions warranty information posted on their web site (showing a shorter warranty than earlier model years) was incorrect, I was a little leary until I could see something on paper. I can now confirm from the actual warranty booklet that I received that the California emissions warranty (which covers, among other things, the batteries) is unchanged.

3) The diagnostics menu found via the Display, upper left, lower left, upper left, lower left easter egg is different than explained by others on this site for earlier model years (I've personally never seen the diagnostics screen from an earlier model). Now, it brings you to a screen that has various component tests, LAN tests, options to clear codes (good?), and memory (bad?), as well as a secondary menu (no easter egg required) that has multiple options like GPS info, etc. Similar to before, but with a few things like the LAN test that are new (?). I am willing to post pictures of these new diagnostics screens, if there is interest. Please respond to this thread or send me a personal message. I won't bother if folks don't care.

4) Another curiosity, especially for those tracking versions of the Navigation DVD. As reported elsewhere, when getting the DVD version number from the "normal" non-diagnostics menu, the version is given as "05-01" (doing this from memory, and there was an earlier thread on this, but it seemed to be the same as recent '05's except with a leading (non-significant?) zero). However, if you go into the Navigation diagnostics sub-menu on my '06, the DVD version is reported to be "5-03-14". I know the unit is under the seat, but I didn't bother to try to figure out how to get to it to check the label on the DVD itself.

5) By the time we did the paperwork at the dealer, it was evening, and I drove it home in the dark. I was very dismayed at how bright the LCD screen was. Later, I discovered they left the dash light switch on full brightness, keeping the LCD from being dimmed. The switch from white maps with dark roads to the opposite at night (black map background with light roads) is MUCH better!

Still learning about it. I hope to post more things that may be of interest, if and as I learn them.

 

Doc,

I couldn't agree more that we need to have a tried and true '04/'05 owner look at an '06 first hand. Otherwise, we're just talking at cross purposes.

There was NOT an override button on the screen where it apparently used to be. In fact, if I understand some of the other, more dangerous, items on that screen, they are gone as well, I think.

I see a button on one screen that turns off MFD beeps when you select a virtual button, but I did not see one to turn off the reverse beep (also have not tried the '04/'05 method to turn it off either). Frankly, when you get to the diagnostics screens, the buttons are not labeled with user-friendly names (not surprising) and given some of the problems people have gotten themselves into, I was being cautious so as to not ruin things on Day 2 of ownership. (I was also in the garage at night when the temp was in the 30's, so I was a bit rushed)

I will post pictures of some of these screens, since there seems to be interest. I am a bit surprised regarding the request for the Energy and Consumption screens, but that's easy to do as well.

 

Now I am confused as to which Easter Egg is which (and I am not near the car), but isn't the Info-lights-on/off screen the same as the Display-upperL-lowerL-upperL-lowerL? In any case, I will try all the tricks in the recently added posting in the Knowledge Base that addresses them all, and take shots of the various screens.

No, there is no longer an override button, that I can find. I have not played with the Nav enough yet, especially the voice commands. If, as advertised, there is now the ability to enter a destination (not one of the saved 6) via voice recognition, then its no big deal. If not, then the '06 is lacking in that regard, at least until someone else finds the override...

 

One other observation that I forgot to add last night. I don't think it was mentioned elsewhere, but for most option packages, the "splash" screen that appears when you hit the Power button does not say Prius, but rather Toyota (with their logo). The only exception is the option package(s) that get the lower res '05 screen (I think that is only Package #1, or maybe #2 as well -- see the thread on this topic) -- the splash screen is unchanged for those option packages (EDIT- Per the '06 manual).

In all the documentation of Easter Eggs, hacks, and various things we talk about on this venue, we now need to keep track of whether its an '04/'05 or an '06 (I know, the same issue exists with Classic -- just don't see as many folks posting that the Classic these days), AND which MFD the particular option package has...

 

As of yesterday, no, it was not yet available on Techinfo.

 

As requested, I have posted pictures of the Diagnostics menus and the Navigation Voice Commands for the '06. These can be found in separate threads.

See

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=13329&hl=

for the Nav system voice commands, including the new commands that let you enter a destination while driving, and,

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=13328&hl=

for the Diagnostics menus/screens.

 

Hmm... Considering there seemed to be so much interest, including quite a few PMs, it doesn't look like this ended up being information that was useful to people. I'll hold off posting more then. More time to learn the new car...