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Mystery Beep?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by edl37, Apr 20, 2005.

  1. edl37

    edl37 New Member

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    I've had my new Prius for a month or so, and have logged a bit more than 2500 miles already. I love the car and it has been trouble free. Today for the first time I heard a soft 'beep' while driving on the highway (It was quieter than the usual warning beep that I've heard to remind me fuel was low, or that there was some other error or warning). When I scanned the dash, I could not see any warning displayed on either the screen or the dash, and the car was in all respects behaving normally.

    Fuel was running a bit low (one or two squares left), and my initial thought was that perhaps it was an early fuel warning I never noticed before (I have seen the low fuel display warning once or twice, and the tone that accompanied it was louder). I filled the tank and it took about 9.5 gallons. A few mins after leaving the gas station I heard it again. It seems to repeat about every three to five minutes, and I don't see any other signals.

    I have not heard this warning before today, and don't think I was doing anything unusual or different. Perhaps one thing that was different today is that it got warmer in the northeast, and the A/C was running at a higher setting than it ever has in the past. It seems to have been working fine on the auto setting, so it is hard to see that as the source. The CD changer was playing, but it is often on, and again never made this sound before. I've also got the Toyota XM installation, but wasn't listening to XM, so don't see how that would be relevant either? The manual is also no help.

    Any suggestions on what's causing the tone to sound? I'm most concerned that I'm missing some kind of important reminder, but even if I'm not, it will be irritating to get a mystery warning tone every few minutes while I drive. I'd appreciate any suggestions or ideas.
     
    #1 edl37, Apr 20, 2005
  2. Pixie

    Pixie New Member

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    Just to rule out the obvious, you've established that it's not coming from a cell phone, right? I found my husband's cell phone in the center console the other day (where he had forgotten it) when I heard the muffled beep of his voice mail alert.
     
    #2 Pixie, Apr 20, 2005
  3. edl37

    edl37 New Member

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    Obvious, perhaps. But I think you are right -- there was an unanswered phone call on my cell, and I bet it was causing it to 'beep me' to alert me to the missed call. I've disabled the beep and I bet it solves the problem.

    Thanks!
     
    #3 edl37, Apr 20, 2005
  4. Pixie

    Pixie New Member

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    Sorry, I sometimes forget that not everyone is attached to an electronic leash. It's only obvious to me because I hear that beep all the time and am therefore trained to listen for it. A hazard of the job and all that.

    Glad to hear it wasn't a problem with the car. :)
     
    #4 Pixie, Apr 21, 2005
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    When I plug in my cell phone while it's powered on, it gives out three beeps.

    I had it plugged into my center-console plug and had closed the lid. You know, just letting it charge while I drove home. I stopped for gas and when I powered up the car, there were three unusual, muted beeps. I went over and checked the tire pressure on the other side of the parking lot. Again, when I powered up, there were those same beeps. By this time, I was concerned about driving the car if it was beeping at me.

    Then my phone rang and it occured to me that power to the cell phone is turned off when the Prius powers down. Reestablishing the recharge made the phone beep.

    Live and learn.
     
    #5 TonyPSchaefer, Apr 23, 2005
  6. edl37

    edl37 New Member

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    Part of the problem was that my phone has so many beep settings it took a while to figure out how to turn everything off. I suspect that part of the reason that I didn't think about the phone as the source is that I thought I had already turned off all of the alerts using the options menu. Turns out I missed the one that signals a 'missed call'. Without Pixie's help it might have taken me days to figure out what was going on (I often just leave the phone plugged in to the center console.)
     
    #6 edl37, Apr 23, 2005
  7. Flujo

    Flujo New Member

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    Any new ideas on this subject? I have heard this soft beep in my car...with and without cell phone present.

    Sounds like it is coming from under the hood?
     
    #7 Flujo, May 4, 2005
  8. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

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    As was stated in the thread, nothing should be beeping if the car is off and you aren't doing anything wrong. It was determined to be a cell phone.

    Even the warning beeps only last 10 seconds max, such as trying to lock the car with a registered fob still in it, closing a door with the car still on and a registered fob not in it, etc, and the buzzer for the beeps heard outside the car is under the engine compartment fuse box.
     
    #8 DanMan32, May 5, 2005
  9. chrism07924

    chrism07924 New Member

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    I also thought I had a beeping but I had a cellphone beeping from a low battery. Interestingly, I'm pretty sure I heard two different beeps, one quieter than the other, but I don't know for sure. May have been just the same cellphone beep as it moved in my pocket.
     
    #9 chrism07924, May 10, 2005
  10. Flujo

    Flujo New Member

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    the mystery continues...

    With no phone in car, I continue to hear a soft, muffled beep at approximately 20 second intervals....coming from firewall/underhood.

    Anyone?
     
    #10 Flujo, May 16, 2005
  11. plusaf

    plusaf plusaf

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Flujo\";p=\"89962)</div>
    does it sound like this....
    (listen to attachment).. at http://www.plusaf.com/prius/prius-sounds-4.wav

    (can't upload .wav extension here... so how do we explain sounds to each other?????)

    :roll:
     
    #11 plusaf, May 17, 2005
  12. Flujo

    Flujo New Member

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    Whoa...that noise is a bit scary. Is that your car? I hope not...

    And no, my noise is a very soft beep similar in tone to the "buckle seat belt" alarm but much softer and just one beep every 20 sec. or so.

    Thanks for the great effort!
     
    #12 Flujo, May 19, 2005
  13. adam640kb

    adam640kb New Member

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    I can go along with the people that say it's not a cell phone, as i've also heard the same sound, and it is indeed comming from "under the hood"...

    I however can't say it happens every 20 seconds or for that mater any "event" that occurs when i hear the beep. This is mostly because the music is usually too loud once i'm driving.

    Also of note it is even quieter than the car beeping on the outside (for instance if someone gets out of the car with your keys). Just so that's ruled out ahead of time.
     
    #13 adam640kb, Jun 6, 2005
  14. Mystery Squid

    Mystery Squid Junior Member

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    Hmmm...

    How's your sanity?


    :mrgreen:
     
    #14 Mystery Squid, Jun 6, 2005
  15. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

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    I'd say maybe the tech who changed your oil dropped his watch in the engine compartment, but it would have died by now.
     
    #15 DanMan32, Jun 7, 2005
  16. Flujo

    Flujo New Member

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    Appreciate the humor, but this is a real element of life with our cars. Nothing to be fearful of nor necessary to defeat, but a technical curiosity for sure.

    Where is Dave Hermance when we need him...
     
    #16 Flujo, Jun 9, 2005
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