backup beep for the driver - not people outside of the car?

No one understands why Toyota thought that we needed to be reminded that we put the car in reverse, the dealer can reprogram this (and many other defaults) so it only beeps once.

 

I like the previously mentioned notion in another reverse beep thread that, it is handy for people accustomed to driving manual transmission cars. Most American manual transmissions have first gear up and to the left, right where reverse is with the Prius shifter. Maybe the beep is to remind former manual transmission drivers and people who might normally think that shifter forward is drive or shifter back is reverse, that they are indeed in reverse. With my Prius being my first non manual transmission auto I have owned, I still find myself putting the shifter forward into reverse when I want to drive forward.


Aloha,

ED

 

No, it's to annoy the driver. Having the bystanders hear the beeping only when the car is in reverse but not forward makes no sense because the car is also "dead quiet" going forward. It's not a good substitute for driver's inattentive and we shouldn't treat the Prius like a commercial truck where blind spots are rampant.

 

There really is a US federal law that the order has to be PRND, so Toyota is bound to put R above (or to the left of) N then D

P
R
N
D

There is no law about B, they are free to put it whereever they choose.

 

What is it in non-USA Prius? If it's the same, why would Toyota adopt a US federal law for everywhere else?

 

I like the continuous beep. The shifter doesn't stay in the reverse position, so it helps me to have that extra sign that I'm in reverse. I realize that it's shown on the dash, but that's just not enough for something so critical.

 

If we assume no other country requires another pattern, why would Toyota double its inventory hassles by making two parts to do the same thing? Reading Priuschat you can see what a hassle it is that some Prius drive on the left, and some on the right side of the road. Some meet European lighting standards and some US lighting standards, etc.

Not that you could not alter the wiring of the shift lever to conform to your idea of 'the right way', but it will be tough to loan the car out. (my brother reversed the hand grips on his motorcycle, no one who already knew how to operate a motorcycle could ride his: you turned your left hand away from you to give it gas, the clutch and front brake are reversed, left to right)

 

There is no reason for the beep overload. The beeping actually distracts me, and makes me want to maneuver faster so I can shift out of R to stop the dang beeping. Now that's dangerous.

 

I like the beep.

 

Could you please provide the citation to the US federal law.

 

I had the dealership change the beeping to a single beep before picking up my new car yesterday. In the "delivery room" the salesman had me put it in reverse so we all could hear the difference. I forgot it in reverse and just about backed into the wall when I drove it out of the garage.

 

You mean three, since they already need to make a mirror image for right hand drive cars. I note that those are still R - N - D, so one might ask why they do that.

 

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/tex...v8&view=text&node=49:6.1.2.3.37.2.7.2&idno=49

"A neutral position shall be located between forward drive and reverse drive positions."
"If the transmission shift lever sequence includes a park position, it shall be located at the end, adjacent to the reverse drive position."

 

The beep(s) on the inside of the car were placed there because of sniveling, bed-wetting attorneys.
A beeper, or other annunciator on the outside of the car will be added soon---there are already other "lawmakers" working on that.

You really can't put all of the blame on the lawyers....although I really enjoy the effort. If the populace weren't so tort happy, the owner's manual would only be about 200 pages long, and the words "Warning" and "Danger" would only appear a few times.

 

The car is so quiet when turned-on, I appreciate having the beep remind me that the car is in reverse though I may not have moved yet. Although if that's true, why doesn't the car beep when in D, but not moving, since this is the same difference, just in the opposite direction.

 

yes and yes

 

To beep or not to beep. THAT is the question...