Isn't my Prius supposed to have guides on the backup camera?

If your car has the Advanced Parking Guidance System option, then there will be guidelines superimposed on the backup image. The parking guidance computer is what adds them into the picture.

 

His is a "base model".

I didn't think that model came with the camera standard in '15 so it may be an "add on".

My C has guidelines and no "parking guidance".

 

I have a 2015 Persona Series which came standard with backup camera and mine is the same with no guidelines. It's not a big deal, just recognize that it's a wide angle lens so stuff near the edges is a bit closer than it appears.

 

Have you played with the settings? My car (not a prius but a CT200h) has options to turn the guidelines on/off. And believe ive seen this option on another car too.

 

Our 2010 CDN Touring has back up camera, displays as a small picture at left corner of back up mirror (no big screen in the dash).

There's no guidelines, and (aforementioned) fun house wide angle view makes it pretty much useless.

 

Again, the guidelines are only generated by the Advanced Parking Guidance computer, which is separate from a backup camera. My IV has a factory backup camera, but no APG, so no guidelines. A "base model" fairly certainly did not come with APG.

 

My 2015 does not have the lines...also it takes so long to come (about 5-8 seconds) I generally don't wait for it, I back up the old fashioned way.

 

You heathen!...

 

That's what you get for buying a Lexus instead of an ordinary Prius.

But that is why I wanted a backup camera. The little neighbor boy (back then) could very easily run up and hide behind the car after I checked back there from outside. And that type of behavior was baked into his personality. And is part of the reason hundreds of them are backed over every year.

I sometimes back up the old fashioned way now, only because he has grown taller, and moved away. And not (yet) replaced by anyone similar.

 

Again......that statement is WRONG.
The guide lines appeared on ALL backup cameras on some model year and thereafter.
Even my cheap little C has them.

 

That seems possible—the OP's photo shows one of the 6.1 inch head units, which were not available before the 2012 refresh. The only display-screen option pre-refresh was the 7" with the fold-down screen. Post-refresh options included the 6.1" and 7" flavors, and the 6.1" could be with or without nav.

The owner's manuals available at techinfo.toyota.com for the 6.1" units do say they show guidelines "if equipped". The owner's manuals don't get into the details of what constitutes "equipped". Those details can probably be sussed out of the repair manual or the wiring diagrams, but my TIS subscription is lapsed at the moment, so somebody with a current subscription might find the answer sooner than I will.

I also notice the OP's profile says the car is a 4 ... and the photo shows that little 6.1" unit is also the HDRadio, XM, and JBL flavor ... so I don't think we're really talking about base model anything.

 

I may be wrong, but I think some cars have the guidelines without the "intelligent parking" feature (that would require the additional computer module).

 

Looking more closely, it does seem that in the post-refresh Gen 3 years, like your 2015, the head units with the 6.1 inch display screens (like the one you have) do have some guidelines functionality, "if equipped" (the language you already spotted in the owner's manual). As for the details of which cars are "equipped" or not, or how to tell, or what is missing when they're not, those are probably to be sussed out of the repair manual and/or wiring diagrams.

 

My post-refresh 2012, with 6.1" screen and Nav, is definitely not so "equipped".

 

My Toyota Prius 3 did not have the parking guide lines equipped.
I haven’t seen any previous models with guidelines before either…

 

Just to complicate things a bit - On my 2017, the guidelines are fixed, but on my wife's 2016 RAV4, the guidelines bend as the wheel is turned.

 

Let the “after reading the entire thread, I’m even more confused” replies roll in!!!

 

Just dandy. I think I'm happy enough having no guidelines, rather than misleading ones.

 

I only rely on the camera to see if anything is in the way, I use the mirrors for their intended purpose...