disabling vess

VESS appears to be a KIA specific acronym, a noise maker:

.https://www.allacronyms.com/VESS/Virtual_Engine_Sound_System

^ added link

 

I was thinking this was an alternative acronym for the vehicle stability control when I clicked it.

The pedestrian warning noise is a legal requirement. Very little, if anything, you can do to adjust it.

 

There's a thread here somewhere where someone lays out the parts needed to reversibly disable the front speaker without causing an error code. It takes about $15 worth of parts(a couple electrical connectors from Toyota, some wire, and a couple resistors).

The big caveats are that it's illegal in the same way as a lot of window tinting or truck tires that protrude beyond the wheel arches. Also that it completely disables the front speaker so no fancy chime when you lock/unlock the doors. And it would be really bad if you did the mod then were involved in a pedestrian collision. If discovered, it's certain your insurance company wouldn't pay out and your liability in a lawsuit would increase dramatically. So buyer very much beware.

A more perfect solution would be a version of the device that could be turned off temporarily. That would be great for things like a drive thru, driving through wilderness, getting the mail on a remote property with no pedestrians around, etc. But I don't know if anyone's done anything like that(and it's definitely not doable without mods).

Personally, I've bought the parts for the simple solution but haven't bothered to assemble and install them. Working on my spare tire and side mirror mods was a more important use of my time, so the front speaker parts just got thrown on a shelf and ignored.

 

VPNS
vehicle-proximity-notification-system.438209

 

I saw an electric Subaru this morning. I hadn't known there was such a thing so I was looking it over. They call it a "Solterra". I watched the owner get in and drive off. I could hear a slight engine whine and the crackling of the tires on the pavement, but no pedestrian warning sound at all.

Phase,

Rather than disable it, consider putting a rheostat on it, leave it full up for daily driving, low for special occasions. You'd have the best of both worlds.

 

Needless to say, do not do illegal things. In fact, do not even post on the Internet about your intention of doing illegal things.

Even with the speaker sound, pedestrians often can't hear me approaching.

 

The only time it would be an issue is if you run into a pedestrian and they claim they did not hear your car. They could potentially find that the VESS was disabled and find the driver is at least partially liable.

 

It is also dangerous to the animals like cats that sleep or sit under your car if you disable it.

 

I just dont get how it can be annoying in a drive through when like, really, a big loud engine is even louder and more annoying. I find I can't hear the spaceship sound in the house if the car is being pulled out the garage, as the sound is of a tone that is attenuated pretty well by pretty much everything. Unlike the bassy/rumbly sound of an older engine for example which cuts through everything.

And when you're not moving, it turns off and is silent. Its still a pretty good compromise.

I also don't drive my car ultra short distances to do stuff like get the mail, so I don't get that side of the argument either. Coming home quietly... maybe? But my garage door opener and metal garage door lifting are both louder and more disruptive in that sense.

 

perhaps your ioniq is older than the federal law?

 

It is not a question of "have never had." You never have an accident until you have one. It is a question of "could have."

 

I would assume most people dont plan on hitting pedestrians in general - at least I hope.

I dont plan on using my airbags either

 

I believe you are all referring to this Regulations.gov enacted in 2019.



With that said, I know someone who just happened to have done this in his car. The idea of the mod is to simply introduce a resistor in to the line to mimic a load, tricking the car into thinking it's still there. Completely reversible, provided you don't hack with your factory wiring.

Here's a picture of HIS little device, before insulation and heat shrinking of course. This was all done with parts he found in his basement, as the connector is a very common connector used in different areas.

Now remember, as someone has already pointed out, Toyota uses this "outdoor speaker" sort of speak to make other sounds (lock/unkock notifications, ect..) so you'll lose those as well.

Time will tell if this guy I know, not me, will ultimately decide between completely silent driving, or wanting those audible notifications back.



The outdoor speaker...

 

I cannot see the resistor band colors very well in the image. What resistance did your "friend" use?

Perhaps a good in-between solution would be to reduce the volume rather than remove it completely. Putting a resistor in series will accomplish this. Plus, you can adjust the lock/unlock volume to compensate.

As a side question, is this speaker also responsible for the sci-fi powering down "Peeeewwwww" sound when the car is shut off?

 

The resistor that he used are these 8 ohms, 3 watts units found here ..ASIN ‏: B07QLVPR3Y <------Amazon item

As far as reducing the sound on one thing while retaining the other, I don't see how that could be accomplished, as the speaker is the end point where ALL of the notification sounds are emitted. I also believe the sound is coded in the computer, so there's no one line to intercept. Anyone with more knowledge on these systems feel free to chime in.

And lastly, I don't remember any "peeeeww" sound when the car shuts off, we'll check back on that. I do know that there's an initial "PEEEWW" sound when you engage reverse, then total silence.