PIA Maint Req Light

Perhaps all the warning lights and noises should be removed. Safety is so annoying.

 

Yeah it's not a safety issue. Most overseas models don't have that light anyway. AFAK it's only a feature of the North American model.

 

Here's a suggestion for you. If you have a computer and word in it or some other word processer, notepad, etc. make a file that you can print out real quick. Then when you need to reset the light, you won't have to try to remember. I too sometime forget, so I just pull up my word doc and read it over and or print it out.

Here's mine.

1) Confirm that your Odometer is set to "odometer" (ie. NOT to Trip A or Trip B)
2) Start with the car off.
3) Press and hold the ODO button...don't release it until the process is complete
4) put the car in either Ignition On (2 presses of power button without pressing the brake) or Ready (one push with foot on brake).
5) Watch the area where the odometer reading shows up...it will show zeros that become dashes, then flashes to the regular odometer reading. Once you see that you can release the odo button and turn off the car.

This will reset the maint req. light which will flash on briefly in 4500 miles and come on and stay on in 5000 miles.

Don't think it can be turned off "forever".

 

Crumple zones, air bags and roll bars are indeed critical parts of modern car safety. You should think of them as padding for our fragile human bodies during sudden impacts at 55+mph. If ignoring a light and remembering how to turn off the light is a too extreme of a burden, then a piece of opaque tape is easy enough to hide any and all warnings.

 

I have lurked for a number of years. Never felt the need to register or post. All questions are answered.

UNTIL NOW -- What -- Overseas models don't have the idiot light???? So, yes, the world sees us as DUMB AMERICANS who NEED that light.

Not sure if I should be insulted or ashamed....it SHOULD have an option to turn it off forever.

 

Should ALL safety features be optional? Is your life generally ruined by advancements in technology and, and ... civilization? Oh, the horror of a small safety light. The humanity.

 

Hi Cruising. Here in Australia we don't have the idiot light, and I'm pretty sure our model is close to identical to the UK model. Hopefully some of the UK and European members can let us know for sure, but I'm pretty sure it's only the North American model.

I don't think it's a matter of seeing the people as dumb, but more related to the propensity for litigation in the US. I think the idea is that if manufacturer A puts a reminder light in their cars and manufacturer B doesn't, then sooner or later there's going to be a class action by every "B" owner that's ever damaged an engine due to lack of maintenance.

 

One thing is for certain. The USA has plenty of lawyers who LOVE to sue other's over frivolous things. Think hot coffee being spilled on leg in drive thru... Now that company and other's have marked containers with BIG warnings that the contents may be hot and could produce burns. Go figure...

 

Hey guys, thanks for the somewhat gentle welcome.. The thing is, and I mean this, the more "lights" you have, the more likely you are to ignore all of them....Am I right, or am I a crazy old Loon.

The penguin guy who has posted above seems to like the "nanny state." I do not.

Of course, we all know where this is going, but I would be curious to hear from others from "other lands" if they are also "Nanny" victims.

 

Poor oppressed newbie refuses to change his oil per operating instructions and further refuses to print out the easy directions on how to turn it off. Such abuse. How does he get through life? Shall we ban all safety lights in the Prius and throughout the world so KrisTheFrog isn't dragged through the burning fires of hell? FWIW: I would like to CHANGE the frequency to a longer interval (as 10,000 miles is probably OK), but the reminder is one of the many good things I very much appreciate about the Prius. The more info the better.

 

Sounds as if the NANNY thing got you a bit in a snit. No big deal. Some people need a Nanny. Some don't. Kris does not, apparently. I do not. No big deal.

 

First of all "Welcome to Prius Chat".

With that said, I for one would rather see gages instead of lights. Considering the Prius is high tech and the can bus is constantly monitoring many systems IMO there is NO reason why there should not be temperature, oil pressure, and at least a 12 volt readout either in a digital or analog format. Lights are known to not come on until the damage is done. With a gage, you can monitor said systems without having to resort to add on technology such as the Scan Gage II that many Prius drivers use.

Finally, IMO I think the maintenance reminder is a good thing. To carry it a step further, there should be something to remind all drivers to check under the hood when refueling. It is amazing how many have posted here on PC mentioning seeing red triangles when going around curves. Then finding out that the oil is below the bottom dimple and their engines have been damaged.

I come from the old school where you were taught a thing or two about preventative maintenance. It seems today that those skills are slowly being lost, either that or several are just in too big of a hurry to not take care of things properly.

 

No thing wrong with prevent. Something wrong with nanny lights for us "dumb Americans."

 

Though we don't have the maintenance light, to be honest I don't think it's a bad idea. It wouldn't be much use to me personally, because I go a fixed 6 months (which varies about 7000 to 9000 miles) on synthetic. So I could take it or leave it, but for people who don't do their own maintenance I can see it as being a useful feature. Some people are pretty slack with maintenance and really do need reminding.

The one thing that I think would save more people from blowing their engine than anything else would be a low oil *level* (as well as the pressure) sensor. I know that these aren't as easy to implement as the simple pressure switch, but VW and Audi have them, so it's definitely possible. That and a proper temperature gauge.