Programming of Customizable Features Refused By Dealer

For those of you that made these changes after delivery (likes days after), and had to pay, what was the cost? Should I expect to pay around $47.50?

 

It was the first 2010, and the Service Manager had his shop foreman do it. They saw it as a nice learning opportunity.

 

I think you're right !

 

Tumbleweed,

FMVSS 208 S7.3(a) states:

So, technically, the seatbelt warning chime is law, at least in the USA.
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Are you sure? I may have missed something but I think seatbelt beeper still meets the requirement of the law when it is disabled. Mine is disabled and it still beeps for 6 seconds and the red warning light on the dash stays on for over 60 seconds (I just checked it to be sure). Unless I am missing something that meets the requirements. What is disabled is the beeping that takes place after that period. I do not believe Toyota would offer a "customizable option" that would violate the law if customized.

I don't pretend to be a legal expert but I did read the part you posted, I also went to the reference and rechecked it and I think the beeper requirement is 4 to 8 seconds and the warning light requirement is for greater than 60 seconds. That is for the driver's seat, I found nothing requiring a beeper for the passenger seat.

 

To continue (from the top of page 3, column 2):

Additionally (from page 31, column 1):

So, what I'm garnering from this is the following:

- S4.1.2.3.1 states that whatever applies for the driver applies for both front outboard seating positions (e.g. passenger seat);
- S7.3 states that there is to be much beeping if the belts are not fastened when the ignition is keyed to either "on" or "start".

Now, what I didn't see is a duration as to how long these shenanigans are to occur. Experience has shown me that after approximately 60 seconds with someone unsecured in the passenger front seat, the beeping stopped. I haven't tried it with the driver's seat because I don't move the car unless I'm belted in (having previously totalled a Gen1 Olds Aurora whilst cutting through a K-Mart parking lot in the rain one evening).

 

Have to agree with Chris here. It's a convuluded law, subject to one's interpretations I guess. But if you read the one section it appears to be clear as to the content??

(b) In place of a warning system that
conforms to S7.3 of this standard, be
equipped with the following warning
system: At the left front designated
seating position (driver’s position), a
warning system that activates a continuous
or intermittent audible signal
for a period of not less than 4 seconds
and not more than 8 seconds and that
activates a continuous or flashing
warning light visible to the driver for
not less than 60 seconds (beginning
when the vehicle ignition switch is
moved to the ‘‘on’’ or the ‘‘start’’ position)
when condition (A) exists simultaneously
with condition (B), and that
activates a continuous or flashing
warning light, visible to the driver, displaying
the identifying symbol for the
seat belt telltale shown in Table 2 of
Standard No. 101 (49 CFR 571.101), or, at
the option of the manufacturer if permitted
by Standard No. 101, displaying
the words ‘‘Fasten Seat Belts’’ or
‘‘Fasten Belts,’’ for as long as condition
(A) exists simultaneously with
condition (C).
(A) The vehicle’s ignition switch is
moved to the ‘‘on’’ position or to the
‘‘start’’ position.
(B) The driver’s automatic belt is not
in use, as determined by the belt latch
mechanism not being fastened, or, if
the automatic belt is non-detachable,
by the emergency release mechanism
being in the released position. In the
case of motorized automatic belts, the
determination of use shall be made
once the belt webbing is in its locked
protective mode at the anchorage​

point.

 

I agree with Chris concerning the passenger's seat, I missed that paragraph.

I still maintain that our cars meet the requirement with the seatbelt beeper customization option turned off as mine are. I checked this morning and it beeps 6 times and the warning light stays on for over 60 seconds. Wouldn't that meet the requirement?

 

YES!!! I don't see why more new-car buyers don't demand this! It's something my wife and I made VERY clear to the dealer from whom we bought our GenIII Prius in late October -- NO STICKER. Why give any dealer free advertising, not to mention spoiling the clean lines/look of a new car? I've always said that automotive designers are very well paid to complete a new car's "look," and notice that they never leave a spot for a dealer sticker or nameplate. That tells me that new cars were never meant to have one.

 

As agreed upon in advance, I recieved my IV from the dealer without the dealer sticker, no problems.

 

. deleted

 

My service manager reprogrammed the new GenIII back up beep to just one beep yesterday. He also disabled both the driver and passenger seat belt beepers! HooRay for modern miracles. They did this without charge and was almost 2 weeks following purchase. I did have record I told my salesman I wanted them disabled. So he passed that along to service and they did it without question.

 

If the custom configuration made the car less safe, which it patently does not, why would Toyota allow the 'dangerous' configuration in the first place? Wouldn't they NOT advertise that the car can be configured dangerously? Or better still, not engineer a car that could be so configured?

 

Silly person, using logic!

 

SO there is a LOT of discussion here about the politics of various Toyota dealerships, but has anyone bothered to watch how the dealer made the change? Anyone want to share in the steps involved to customize various features?

 

Plug in $8,000 Techstream tool, set desired options, unplug tool.

Tom

 

Or purchase or find somebody that has a scanguage II.

 

Will a scanguage II do it. If anybody on here has the techstream lite I bet you can do it with. I don't understand why some dealers don't want do some things. if it can be done with techstream or there steps in the repair manual then I wouldn't loose a moments sleep over it. Sounds like alot of the issues or with service writers. I get paid by doing things like that so as long as I'm be taking care there ain't a issue everybody should be that way. Now if the owner is a good customer or you asked for it be done doing the pre delivery inspection then just do it and go on.

 

These beeps can be annoying, but they did help me once: I intended to go forward, but inadvertently put the lever into reverse (reverse is in the same position as first gear in a six-speed manual transmission). The warning beep made me aware of my error before setting off in the opposite path intended.

 

Having recently purchased a Prius and trying to make it safer by turning off the backup beep (one beep is OK), I came across this thread. A little late to the party, but for those still reading this thread, I wanted to point out that, as an attorney, I take that Shakespeare line as a compliment. Read the lines before and after the quote and you'll see that the speaker of the line needed to get rid of all the lawyers because they would get in his way of overthrowing the government.

I also dislike stupid lawsuits and personally believe that some lawsuits are stupid. However, you would be surprised how rarely a judge is stupid.