Can someone out there help me unsderstand the "Adaptive Volume Control" that my Prius supposedly came with? I understand it is supposed to adjust the volume of something for road noise, ambient noise, etc. I have found the button that activates/deactivates the AVC, but I notice no difference whatsoever. Does this work only with the voice navigation system, or the bluetooth cell phone capability, or is it supposed to work with the stereo system as well? Maybe mine is defective... Thanks in advance. A-dog out.
i think it is only for the navigation voice. possibly BT/phone as well. not entirely sure though. -drew
It is supposed to work with the stereo system since it comes with or without the Nav/BT package. From the manual: "Automatic sound levelizer (ASL): When the audio sound becomes difficult to be heard due to road noise, wind noise, etc. during driving, touch the “ASL†switch. The system adjusts to the optimum volume and tone quality according to the noise level. When the system is on, the sound adjustment level is displayed on the screen."
unfortunately some previously advertised features were not included for the U.S. market such as the ASL and DSP for the stereo as well as the tire pressure monitor :?
Page 63 of the Navigation manual states: This is in a section of the document that is referring to Voice guidance. I'm pretty sure that Automatic sound levelizer is a totally different beast.
I wonder if there is any reason, other than cost, why Toyota would leave these features off? I'd like to have factory installed EV, auto headlights, ASL, and tire pressure monitor.
Have to resurrect this one. My wife just got a blackberry click 8310 and now communication is horrendous with her as we both have prius's with bluetooth enabled. I turned off the "adaptive volume control".. so far this seems to have helped. Seems as road noise would go up, so would my voice in her speaker which caused it to be picked up in her mic etc..... Her mic seemed "too" sensitive. Maybe that was actually her volume getting louder making it seem like her mic was picking up more.. I don't know. I was getting lots of static, and sounding like the mic kept engaging when no one was talking causing static. I don't know what all this "adaptive volume control" feature covers.. but it may have something to do with blue-tooth conversations too. especially when it was engaged on both ends. If anyone has more revelation, pls let me know.
I have noticed that if I leave the audio screen up, there's a bar gauge by the enable button for the Adaptive Vol control that increases by one bar for each 10 MPH of speed. I can't say as I notice much of a difference in volume, I still wind up boosting the volume at highway speeds and then lowering it on side roads. Perhaps I'd have to do that more if the adaptive volume wasn't active...
I agree the control is not too perfect as I am always adjusting my volume too.... I think I'm going to try running it off for a while and see if life improves for bluetooth. My main complaint with this radio/nav system is the lack of a "mute" button for times when commercials come on, or going through a drive through, or when someone in the back seat decides they want to have a little 2 minute conversation or make a comment and then go back to listening again as is common anytime you have other passengers. I also wish there was a place to adjust the sensitivity of the mic. I don't know if thats wrapped up the the adaptive control or not. I'm sure there is a place, I just haven't found it yet. You can view the mic sensitivity either in the hidden screen or the normal screen but I see no adjustment I dare to mess with. I did find an adjustment in the hidden screen but all the values are zeros and it appears that the "base setting" and it gives you options to go from there, but I haven't dared mess with that yet.
Wouldn't that be a nice feature? I have one suggestion for dealing with it, though. You can push the "Mode" button on the steering wheel. If you are listening to AM, it will take three quick pops to get you to either CD or AUX (I forget which comes first). If you have no CD in or the AUX is not connected to a live device, then you have no sound! OK, so it isn't the same as clicking one button on or off, but it is easier than taking your eye off of the road to locate the PWR button. I do this fairly frequently, and I've become quite accustomed to it.
Duh!! I always use it to turn the stereo system on, but I never use it the other way. A much better alternative.
Mmm, yes! What adaptive volume control. Definitely not working! In our previous Prius it worked brilliantly, I was quite impressed with it. However in our Prius Wagon with the top-of-the-line JBL audio with all options it absolutely does not work. Also have issues with volume jumping for milliseconds, mostly when breaking, reversing, etc. And we also have issues with Music not muting when Navigation voice is speaking... All of this used to work really well on our last Prius.
