Prius v verses Gen II 2004-09

It is possible to suspend guidance in the Display Audio system.
- When in the Map app, press the "Options" button. The second button from the top on the list will suspend guidance.

 

And the busy console ( I agree) can also be set to be toned down (things turned off). I hated that at first but now don't really see it anymore. I look at what I'm interested in and ignore the rest.

What trim level was the gen 2 (if more than one available I don't know anything about a gen 2)?
W

 

I have a prius v five non-ATP and i have a light in the rear cargo area. Its on the left side wall.

 

I have a v3, and I have the same thing. The light is on the left side. It's not very bright, but it's there.

 

I will agree Toyota's Nav guys blew it big time especially when my 5 year old cheap Garmin blows it away. It is good with voice guidance once you set it up, preferably with "Favorites" so that you can start it with voice commands. I am hoping updates to the firmware will improve things.

The homelink mirror for gates and doors can be added, it's just expensive unless you do it yourself.

 

Yes, unlocking the rear hatch is a pain in the butt, but a couple of things can make it more tolerable. You can "customize" the car via the nav screen so that touching the driver's door handle to unlock it will also unlock all other doors including the hatch. Also, you can customize the keyfob so that you only have to press the unlock button once to open all doors including the hatch, rather than one press to unlock the driver's door and a second press the unlock the rest of the doors. (To do that, press both unlock and lock buttons on the key fob at the same time for a few seconds until the car beeps.) It would have probably cost Toyota an extra $5 to $10 for parts and installation to to put an SKS receiver and door lock on the hatch, but they didn't want to spend the money, so we suffer.

 

One way to unlock the hatch is to setup the configuration where all doors and the hatch open together How to unlock all the doors automatically | PriusChat

There are many Homelink mirrors on ebay. A company called Gentex made them for virtually all cars. Some are older technology so I bought a newer unit. It has the slimmer set of buttons on the bottom. Search ebay for Homelink Mirror.

This one is for a 2011 Prius, no return 2010-2011 TOYOTA PRIUS REAR VIEW MIRROR, AUTO DIM, HOMELINK, OEM | eBay Note the black screw that removes it from the windshield wedge in the second pic. That's what you need. Some ebay mirrors (like Hyundai OEM) use a different windshield button. You don't want to change the wedge shaped button that's already on the v.

This one claims to be new and fit a Prius v. 2012 Toyota Prius V Auto Dimming Mirror with Homelink 00016-47600 | eBay It looks the same as the above. More money but with return capability. Note the wire cover shown on this one. Without this little part, the power wires are exposed. I would check with the seller (apparently a Florida Toyota dealer) and make sure a cable and cover were included.

All these mirrors really need is 12v and Ground and they work. Some mirrors add a compass, or compass and temp, or even a backup camera. The Prius v already has a compass in the Nav, temp in the AC and a backup camera. The temp and camera models require more wiring and much more expertise.

Also you can get wiring and extra needed connectors. Gentex Donnelly Autodim w / w/o Compass Mirror Harness | eBay. Before I bought this I would talk to DDAVE57 and make sure the plug in connector will work with the mirror I want or have bought. The v's wire cover is fairly long so I'd check that or buy that part from a dealer (fairly cheap part). Finally, some ebay mirrors (or local salvage yard versions) come with the original cable which could be spliced to length as needed.

At this point almost anyone can do it, certainly anyone or any shop that can change a radio. The hardest part is pulling the panels for most people. Pulling panels 101 coming up next. As indicated, several of us v owners have already updated the mirror. In Kenneth Fuller's profile album he shows pics of pulling a v's maplight for a homelink mirror upgrade. Map Light Console Removal | PriusChat

He also describes the process in this link. Help with Gentex Wiring | PriusChat.

In a Prius v the power and ground are available at the maplight which is right where you need it. Some people (including me) simply wire to non-switched 12v and ground and call it good. It is on all the time unless manually switched off at the mirror. The factory and lots of other people (including the Priuschat post above) ALSO run a switched 12v to the mirror so that it automatically turns off with the car. But to do so on a v requires running a wire through the headliner and down the pillar to a fuse or cigarette lighter connection. Not a big deal for most but the mirror CAN be on constantly as it normally pulls only 13ma or the power required to run the green LED. That's how mine is setup since I did not want to run a wire down the pillar. If it's switched off at the mirror it draws zero power.

Finally, a wiring diagram with notes on the maplight itself which allows someone to tap into power.

 

The 2006-2009 Gen 2 had a lot of features for the price. The Gen 3 was "de-featured" but other things were also added. Nobody sells options a-la-cart. Crap is bundled with stuff people want so it gets sold. My 2010 has 1 minute & 5 minute average FE screens. I don't use either. Headrests are there to protect the neck in a collision. Would you rather have medical issues later? CDs are so 20th century why not use a USB drive?

I'm surprised that DRIVE won't engage from NEUTRAL.

If the 12v aux power outlet is on the deck it is most likely for a cooler/warmer.

All nav units are satellite driven. Maps are stored on DVD, a mechanical hard drive, or flash memory. Maybe the software is slower. I hate having to change regions on Toyota's unit especially since I live close to a border. Garmin's flash based unit has its drawbacks. I received a notice for a map update just before my trip to Virginia so I updated the maps. In Delaware I noticed the icon only generally followed the road. In Virginia it couldn't find an address. I'm thinking, "Oh crap. I'm going to have to call Garmin when I get home." I then notice the update was for Canada & Border States. Yup, the continent ends at the NJ/DE border. I solve the problem by reinstalling the portion of the continental US I'm most likely going to drive through but now have to remember to check the unit to ensure I have maps for extended trips. Toyota's unit worked fine on the trip.

You wanted a larger car with more space. It sounds like more research should have happened before the sale.

 

I think the issue is the new Nav in a Prius v Wagon has very poor engineering, human factors and legibility. It's not the speed or the updates. It fast enough and has recent maps. For the size of the screen you can't read the lettering and the logic behind the system is pre-beta. I am sure it will get better. There are two different NAV in the Prius v line, the "standard" version and the ATP package. The Prius v Five model is the only one with ATP which is essentially the older NAV which, by all reports, is still pretty good. We are talking about the brand new "standard" version.

 

My wife has an 06 Prius also.

I to don't get why the homelink mirror is not standard on all models. If not the mirror, why not simply use one of the spare button areas on the dash for the transmitter Toyota?

Other disappointments for me are the following.

.....was unable to get the sunroof option on anything but the v Five. I kind of thought this was actually backwards in a way. The last thing most leather seat users want is hot seats from the sun.
.....7 seater available everywhere but USA. Really????
.....Nav system I would have expected in a cutting edge car in 1992. Graphics are that of late 80's gps units. No lane assist, no suspend, no red light camera database and no way to customize the voice. Almost any sub $200 GPS on the market today can do all these and more. Many even come with lifetime updates. Toyota/Denso charges how much for an update???? LOL
.....The cubby on the drivers side....worthless. Attention Toyota engineering, take a look at your little drawer on the TCH. That was perfect for cash wash punch cards or spare change for parking meters. This little slot is not even large enough to hold the garage door opener which Toyota failed to put up on my rear view mirror. I actually found the door opener clips down below in the middle in front of the phone slot nicely to keep it out of the way.
.....DRL not available again in USA. Even the cheapest LE version of the Camry in the USA has it. Why not the cutting edge Prius line?


Even with these disappointments though, the car is fantastic. I replaced my 07 TCH which had 1/3rd the cargo space and got 10 mpg less on the same wheelbase. (yes, the new v is actually 109in too!) It actually seems to be more open inside than the TCH was. It is even quieter which was already very quiet in the TCH.