Fix for difficulty seeing red arrows on Energy Monitor Screen in daylight (2010 Prius II)?

I seem to be the ONLY one that has posted on this Forum who has ACTUALLY had that setting changed to +2.

I've several posts in this Thread explaining that process, but, rather than make everyone reread all the posts to find those I've posted, I'll try to capsalize those posts.

In reading this Thread in its early stages, most were complaining about the difficulty seeing the Red Arrows, and some thought the increase to +2 would possibly solve that problem.

Before picking up the car I requested they make the +2 change, which they did.

Driving the car home, I asked my wife how the Red Arrows looked, she said RED! But, she did comment that the other graphics appeared mostly white, which I have read now that most of the other graphics in the Energy Monitor screen are white, so I'm assuming the increase didn't affect that portion of the screen.

Since she didn't see that display before we picked up the car, she has no basis of comparison. She does say the Red Arrows are VERY RED and easy to see. So maby the increase to +2 DID help!

Let me know how that screen looks when set to 0, so I'll have something to tell her to compare it to.

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

So I'm still a little unclear on the settings. Earlier in this thread I said that on page 583 the function is listed as "Sensor sensitivity for darkening the brightness of the meter, navigation system and instrument panel depending on the outside brightness" and the second half is, "Sensor sensitivity for returning the brightness of the meter, navigation system and instrument panel to the original level depending on the outside brightness" The custom ranges being from -2 to +2 and the default setting is 0 on both parts of this setting.

Should one be set to +2 and the other to -2?

 

In my P-III with Nav, the meters do not change brightness when the headlights are OFF (dim red or bright white arrows), but they dim to the setting of the "brightness" control wheel when the headlights are ON (when dim, red or pastel green arrows are seen).

The battery bars are all, always, white?

The light level detected by the daylight sensor does not affect the "intruments", but does determine if the interior lights fade ON as the fob approaches the car.

Is this correct, or an I mistaken?

 

Problem 07/09

 

I have had the +2 mod to my display, and it didn't much improve the visibility of red elements. Rather annoying that Toyota went backward on this from Gen II to III.

 

hmm....learn something new every day. i didn't even know there is supposed to be something red on the display. so i suppose i ought to check this out.

pearl

 

I have the same problem. During daytime driving when I have sunglasses on I can see the arrow from the engine. I always thought my car is running PURE battery

 

I believe that the always-dim red is most likely a programming error.

The other colored arrows (white and green) do change intensity from the bright to the dim settings. The red arrows are always dim.

 

No sabe!

 

I don't give a darn if I see red or not (mine is dim--I have another problem). Have damaged eyes from old RK surgery. I can only read my mph gauge when driving with my headlights on during the day--have the wheel turned up all the way. Turning off the headlights brings the brightness way up so I can read my mpg which I like to monitor. I had a Subaru Outback with DRL's before the IV and think they should be standard on a car of this price! Need them for safety in gray, rainy Oregon weather but I feel it is a safety problem not being able to read my whole display. Will hit up my dealer ASAP for the change and will report!

 

I too want to drive with headlights on for safety. However, with sunglasses on, I can hardly see how fast I am going. I have an electrician researching this. Hope it is as simple as unplugging a relay or something. I want the display the same brightness as when the headlights are off.

 

You don't need an electrician... If you'll just turn the 'instrument panel light control' up all the way, past the detent, your dash lights will be the same brightness level whether your headlights are on or off.

 

What exactly is the safety advantage of DRL's if everyone has their lights on. I used to drive the overseas highway between Key West and Miami every week when I was stationed in Key West in the Navy. This was before DRL's became the safety crutch of the day and I always used to drive with my headlights on particularly since there were two parallel roadways which could be interpreted (by the terminally dim) as a divided highway, so I wanted to make sure everyone knew which direction I was driving in. As more and more cars started driving with their lights on, I just really didn't notice them anymore and frankly, if someone is so dumb that they don't see a large metal object rolling along the highway, I am not sure that headlights on, except in low visibility, helps one bit as far as safety is concerned.

It sure doesn't seem to help motorcyclists. I think most motorcycles now have DRL's. I would make eye contact with people who would just turn right into me on my bike. Headlights on or off.

The more people who use them, the less effective they are, in my opinion. Darned copycats!

 

After I posted last night I found a thread in the Technical section with the "fix" for brightening the display--radiocycle posted it here. It does work--went out on a gray day today and now I can see the letters and numbers. Even the red line is a little brighter. Didn't try it with sunglasses--it was too cloudy and dark today!

If you don't use headlight in the daytime, or have DRL's, be careful in passing trucks, motorhomes, trucks pulling travel trailers, etc. We pull a trailer and really apprecite the improved visibility of those coming around us. Also consider how many old fogies (I'm one of them) that are on the roads and their eyesight is less than perfect--the life you save might be your own! JMHO

 

Regardless, the red used in all these displays is terrible. The whole display doesn't need to be brightened--just the representative shade of red so that it stands out easily like the rest of the display. No doubt there is some cheap cost saving trick Toyota gets out of this. Why else would they dumb-down the display and drop the light green and violet battery condition colors, and generally make it so uninteresting. Hey, maybe that's why? Maybe I'll just turn the display off and drive the car on Normal mode for the next tank of gas and see if there is any mpg difference?

 

Sheew.
I hate this screen. I miss the Gen II energy monitor. Why couldn't the put a small LCD screen in the Gen III like the Ford Fusion Hybrid? Why couldn't they make it colorful, and have leaves and flowers and EV gauges and wot not???

 

I do not want not f#cking flowers in my car, they give me a headache

 

WELL.
Thats your option.