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i hate it!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by fred, Mar 12, 2004.

  1. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I prefered the hand parking-brake in my Civic, but that was a manual tranny. I never use it in the Prius. I just put it in Park. Fargo is flatter than Kansas.

    I'd like the Power button in a more convenient location, so I would not have to reach around the steering wheel.

    I finally figured out that if you push those midget radio knobs they pop out and you can turn them. Except I never use them. I use the other controls instead.

    I like the shift knob.

    I wish there was an easy way to get outside air into the car without heating or cooling it, other than opening a window. The car lacks a simple "Vent" setting.

    These problems are so annoying that I'm going to sell my Prius ... as soon as Toyota comes out with the next major model revision in 5 or 6 years with (hope, hope, hope!) extended EV range.
     
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Daniel,
    I can help you with this one...there IS a way to get to the Vent setting. It's a little circuitous, but not bad once you figure it out.

    1)Hit the climate button
    2)Hit one of the fan buttons for the rate you'd like the fan to go--the AC will automatically turn on at this point.
    3)Hit the AC button to turn it off...the fan will continue without any heating/cooling.

    Lemme see if I can offer solutions to your other issues...
     
  3. joleta

    joleta Junior Member

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    No line-in jack for my MP3 player
    Must move the gearstick up to go backward and down to go forward
    Tan floor mats show a lot of dirt[/list]
     
  4. plusaf

    plusaf plusaf

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  5. glscheil1

    glscheil1 New Member

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    Daniel:
    Go to the climate screen, turn off automatic a/c. click on a fan speed and you should just get outside air.
     
  6. xlarimer

    xlarimer New Member

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    This is where I think it would be nice to have software connections to the computer (maybe via bluetooth?) that allows all the software guys to work on the accessories.

    Of course Toy should keep the actual drive (synergy...or whatever name they use) computer away from the hackers! :)

    I would first love to have scripts that knows that you could set for each key / user. It would also be tied to the "I agree" screen which would be disable so i don't have to press it each time I get in and power it. (On my first long trip WA state thru OR, NV, and CA I must have pressed the I agree so many times that I can do it without thinking about it.) We shouldn't have to do this. I find it more distracting because I'm not paying attention if I'm in D or R when I'm taking off when I'm pulling out of my place. I've routinely had it in R even though I put it in D. (It blinks a bit before it actually takes and if you go before it actually sticks it won't...weird huh?)

    The next would be the "vent" kludge that I use which is to hit the fan and then the A/C on the wheel. I would make it so that the A/C doesn't come on automatically when pressing the fan speed.

    Oh I could go on...but I do love this car. Most of this stuff can be done by software. We just have to figure out how to mod it. ;)
     
  7. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Nope. If I do that it comes out HOT. I have to press the Temp Down button about a million times to lower the temp setting to where the heater does not kick in. Then, the next morning, when it's 15 degrees (formerly 30 below zero, a month ago) I have to hit the Temp Up button about a million times to get it back up to Max Hot.

    Sure, I can do that. But we're picking nits on this thread, and I want an easy way to do it.

    Even if I set it on, say, 70 degrees, the heater will kick in sometimes when I don't want it. The AC button shuts off the air conditioner, but there's no button (that I have found) to shut off the heater.

    That's what's needed: a Heater On/Off button.
     
  8. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    AC=Heater in the prius, turning it off turns it off, at least in my car....the air coming in is the air temp outside....you have to make sure the AC button on the climate screen is not lit up but that the light on the fan speed is selected...

    It works for me man.
     
  9. CHART

    CHART Member

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    I have been in love with my Prius for 3 months now. I have package 9 and I love all of the toys. I have found the navigation is also dead-on more often than not around here (Maryland-DC area.) The only probleem I have is I can't find a comfortable seat setting for the drivers seat! I have never had lower back problems in any of my previous cars (Mazda Miata, Honda Accord, Honda Oddysey.) The discomfort is not debilitating, but it is frustrating that I can't find a comfortable seeting that makes my lower back comfortable.

    Other than that, the car is butter!

    Rick
    04 Salsa Red BC
     
  10. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Absolutely wrong. I have had the AC off ever since I got the car. Until we finally got some above-freezing temperatures recently, I've had the Temp set on Max Hot. Turning on the fan turns on the heat, even though AC is off.

    The only way to have fan without heat is to bump the Temp setting down, but there's no easy way to do that. I have to hit the Temp Down button a million times*, or hold it down for about a year*.

    What you describe only works if the Temp is set below the temperature in the car. But now, with our night-time lows in the middle-teens and the occasional day above freezing, I still need heat in the morning. Your system works if you never need heat and can leave the Temp set low.

    * Okay, I'm exagerating; I have to hit it about 20 times, still a big nuisance.
     
  11. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Ok Daniel, I'm not sure what the deal is....there is a way to do it. Here, maybe, is the difference...I have mine at the MAX COLD setting....perhaps that's outside air venting. And MAX hot is engine heat venting in. Maybe not. I played with mine and got the same issue, you have to have the temp set above the inside temp to get the warm air venting and below for cool air...but it certainly isn't the same as the AC which is much more aggressive.

    Hmmm.
     
  12. whatshisname

    whatshisname New Member

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    Hey xlarimer! Your post amused me. First you say you're color blind (paragraph 5) then you say you don't like the colored interior lights at night (last paragraph) Just kidding. I know you love the car. We all do. Whatshisname. :lol:
     
  13. xlarimer

    xlarimer New Member

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    Whathisname,

    I do that all the time just to see if people notice. My favorite pasttime is to play the dumb blond and see how much I can get away with. It works more than it doesn't.

    Though ... I still think a nice blue or red interior hue would be a great modification to the car. My deal is that I can see the variation in the current color scheme (because of my color deficiency) and it seems that they DIDN'T put as much effort into the lighting effects that they could have on such an awesome ground breaking car.

    For instance, I would have replaced the 6 disc changer lights and location with a secondary LCD screen (ala most Toyotas or Hondas) that would show this information plus maybe other info like temperature and stuff depending on what is on the main LCD. Ya know?
     
  14. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    EXACTLY! Your system works if the Temp setting is at Max Cold. Then, turning the AC off gives you outside air, and turning the AC on gives you air that's been cooled by the AC. Turning the AC to Auto uses the AC and the heater as needed to keep the car at your set temperature.

    But with the Temp setting on Max Hot, there is no analogous situation: with the Temp setting on Max Hot you get hot air any time the fan is on. So if you want unheated outside air you have to bump the Temp setting down below the temperature in the car.

    And that's my complaint: you cannot go from Max Hot to Max Cold except by hitting the Temp Down button 20 times. I want a simple, one-press button that turns off the heat, the way we have a simple, one-press button that turns off the AC.
     
  15. macman

    macman New Member

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    I'd really like one of the glove compartments to lock. Comes in handy at valet parking and car washes.
     
  16. Bob Osgood

    Bob Osgood New Member

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    Yes, no vent is unacceptable to me as well. Moreso, the beat frequencies -if one opens only one window - are totally uncomfortable. Thus far, I haven't seen any resolutions to the issue with car washes. My local wash told me that they would have to hand wash it ($25) in the future because they could not get the car to move along the moving track on its own. One of the guys had to ride it all the way through the wash so as not to damage the car. What's up with that? My Toyota dealer's service shop had no suggestions. Anybody have a solution? Shouldn't it work to just put it in neutral, and leave the power on? Also, why can't we just press the drivers handle twice to open all the doors? Again, a software fix sounds in order. I dislike having to open my door and push the door lock button while everybody is standing there waiting to get in...
     
  17. jasond

    jasond New Member

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    Just a thought.. there may be a safety regulation that says that the car needs to be off (due to exhaust fumes) while the vehicle is in the wash area?

    There's a suggestion in a different thread that worked for me, though: Turn the car off, hit power twice to turn on the electric system, then shift it into neutral. Then hit park and power to turn it back off.

    Or go through a wash where they'll let you stay in the car..

    I had a different problem with my automatic wash -- The rear spoiler blocked the spray, leaving suds on the lower rear window.
     
  18. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Bob,
    You know, you can program the car to unlock all doors... Have you tried that or is that not what you're looking for?
     
  19. cyclone

    cyclone New Member

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    My biggest nit: Unlock one door / unlock all doors is set for all keys, rather than each key. I want unlock all doors, my wife wants unlock one door, but we can't set it individually.

    Of course, we'd also like power seats, or at least for the mirrors to reset to the last position of the key that's in use.

    Bill

    [/list]
     
  20. thockin

    thockin New Member

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    It really seems like Toyata hit the mark on a futuristic car, but they forgot to invite any clever software people. So many of these issues could be resolved with clever software.