Red arrow on energy monitor is hard to see

I've found that a lot of people with red-green colour vision deficiency have trouble with red lights in dashboard instruments.

Sorry, this isn't a solution to your problem, but I thought it might be something that colour-vision defective drivers might have experienced.

 

I think the energy monitor is practically useless. I use the others but wish there was a way to remove that one from the display. Even worse than the colors being red, the arrows pointing the direction of the energy flow are so small that I can't tell which way they are pointing. It requires to much of my attention to tell what is happening, unlike the old one that I could read with my peripheral vision.

Anyway to remove items from the display rotation?

G

 

There's a red color?

Seriously, the energy screen really is close to useless. For those of us coming from Gen2 vehicles, the energy screen is a distraction, because we are looking for color as much as arrow direction, and it really can't be found while also paying attention to the road. It shows up a bit better at night if you fiddle with the light intensity.

Perhaps those completely new to the Prius will have more use for the energy screen. I'd like to try to be able to read it, but I'm not spending time right now using that screen. I use the HSI (Hybrid System Indicator) as a main MID screen right now. I'll shift between that and the 1-min consumption screen.

In order to get close to the value of the Gen2 energy screen, I compare the HSI with the instantaneous MPG meter. I know I hit stealth when I have a no-light HSI just at the time the MPG meter pegs.

 

I also have a hard time seeing the red lines/arrows in that display, and don't find the display particularly useful. Looks cool, but after the novelty wore off (like 10 minutes), I left it on the ECO display, which I find very useful for a first time hybrid owner.

 

The HSI screen plus http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-modifications/63470-ice-running-monitor-led.html is the best combination.

Ken@Japan

 

I rarely use the energy monitor screen, but I agree with you it's hard to see the red/orange color AND the arrows, but really all I'm looking for is whether the engine is off or not so the instantaneous fuel economy comes in handy for that and I appreciate that it's always on.

 

This was a complaint from some of us at the Prius drive events in March, as well as some of the press. Unless Toyota has something up their sleeve, out of luck.

Ken is right, you need a ScanGage II, or better his ICE monitor to really tell the ICE running. Until someone measures battery current when the HSI is at no indication, it's just a guess. FWIW, my observation is the HSI at no indication has too much draw to be considered a true glide.

Wayne

 

I agree, it appears that the best way to ensure a "good" is to use N.

 

I've been surprised how hard it is to see the red arrow (or read a number of the displays). Those are pretty easy things to test for usability.

 

Unless you are hypermileing, I beleve once you know how to drive a hybrid with consistancy you don't really need all the monitors. At that point they simply become entertainment. However I did find them extreemly helpful in the learning process.

 

I wouldn't make it that big of consideration. ScanGauge II can be had for $140 if you happen to get a deal. The tach is a built in gauge and you don't need to wait for people to find XGauge values for this.

 

Seriously, there is a red color? And arrows? I'm going to have to check that out. I was wondering what that little tab on the right end of the monitor was for!!!!!!!!!!

 

This is the exact position I would have taken one month ago. I was very accumstomed to my '07, and I really didn't NEED to look at the gauges to have a VERY good idea of what was happening. I did look at them, of course, but it really was just an opportunity to confirm what I already knew.

The 2010 is a different animal. Perhaps I will get to the point of having the "feel" of the car as I did with my '07, but I'm not betting on it. I think I'll need to rely on the gauges quite a bit more with this car. It is too quiet and the engine is too smooth. (What kind of complaints are those!?)

 

Uhm.. The 'Red Arrows" coming from the ICE will 'always' flow out of the ICE and to the wheels and/or the battery. They never reverse that flow. The arrows from the Battery to the Motor and Wheels, I can see without issue...

 

I just don't see where it's a big deal as long as you're watching the instant FE ... All I'm really trying to do is get to get the engine shut off when driving around town at under 45 mph and the instant fuel economy meter lets me know that. I guess it does make a difference if you're trying to drive with the engine on and having it charge the battery with red arrows to the battery.

 

I had a little trouble with the orange arrows, but I was able to easily fix it. You have a control to the left of the steering wheel that adjusts the brightness of the displays. Turn it all the way up, and then keep going and you will feel a click. It gets very bright and is then easy to see