Have any of you selected Park or Reverse - while driving? I'm not going to try it, but having that button right in front of me is tantalizing! I can't stand it. I must know what happens if you press the Start button at 30 mph. Has anyone tried?
nothing happens when you're in motion. i personaly didn't try it, but i was giving a friend a ride home from one of our parties (she was fairly drunk), and she just leaned over and started poking the buttons... scared me for a second, but everything continued to work just fine!
I was on a flat, straight, abandoned road and decided I'd give it a try (pushing the Power button while in motion). I wasn't completely in the dark, since I had heard from people here what happens. Anyway, if you just push the power button briefly, nothing happens. However, if you hold it down for a few seconds (maybe ~5 seconds), the car will shut down. The only thing visable will be the gear indicator (which will show that you're in neutral). In order to get back into a "normal" state, you have to bring the car to a complete stop, shift it into Park, and push the Power button again. Never tried pushing the "Park" or "Reverse" button while moving, but someone here says the car just beeps at you if you're traveling at any reasonable speed.
Thanks folks. Now I may rest easy. I wonder if there is a cutoff speed (like 1 mph) where it would lockup though? I'd love to see the software. If I wrote it, I would have the system wait 500 ms after the wheels have stopped completely, then park and shutdown. From what I've seen so far on this car, they haven't overlooked anything.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Basildane @ Jun 30 2006, 02:18 PM) [snapback]279226[/snapback]</div> I think I recall reading here that if you push Park when moving slowly (1 or 2 MPH), it WILL go into Park (and jolt you to a stop). Probably not very good for the parking pall, so I think I won't be trying that.
ya i tried it. not much happens. any momentary push or shift into anything but neutral does nothing. shift and hold a sec and if its an invalid shift you will get a beep. hold it for two seconds it shifts to neutral the power button will shutoff the car if held for a few seconds. other than loss of power steering, (most of you have noticed that there is no steering wheel lock...makes sense since there is no key to turn) nothing much happens. if moving you can power back on into neutral (not park as some might think) without much ado and without pressing brake as you normally would. p.s. some of you may think me either brave or foolish for having tried all this, but i have confidence in Toyota's ability to idiot proof their products... but keep in mind, there is always a bigger idiot out there
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Betelgeuse @ Jun 30 2006, 01:38 PM) [snapback]279236[/snapback]</div> you are correct about that. happened to me once, I think I was easing back out of my driveway or something.
there is a speed zone that all controls do as they are designed. it is pretty low. this was done to enable rocking the vehicle. a few have posted this fact which allows shifting from drive to reverse and so on without braking first. all my tests were done at around 25-30 mph
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Basildane @ Jun 30 2006, 11:18 AM) [snapback]279226[/snapback]</div> Except for a way to plug it in. :lol:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ Jun 30 2006, 03:47 PM) [snapback]279275[/snapback]</div> when i back into a parking spot in the morning (they're hard to grab with so many people flooding the lot at 8:50am) i'm usually in a hurry to get out of someone's way so i just drop it into reverse while still moving slightly forward at ~2 mph. haven't had any trouble.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IHeartMyPrius @ Jul 3 2006, 11:49 PM) [snapback]280897[/snapback]</div> Unless you hold the Park button in, nothing happens. This is a wire-line car, not a mechanical marvel.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill Merchant @ Jul 4 2006, 04:39 AM) [snapback]280921[/snapback]</div> My older son tried out my Prius while I was up in MA visiting for the weekend. He had pulled over to the side of the road to try calling out on his bluetooth phone, put on the flashers, made his call, pulled back on to the road and then hit the Park button instead of the Hazard Light button, causing the car to jolt to an immediate stop from its 2-3 MPH speed. I think I like his bluetooth phone better than his driving<g>
I would be extremely careful about shifting from forward to reverse or vice-versa expecially in electric mode! COME TO A STOP FIRST! This can damage the electric motors!!! It is a technique if the air brakes fail on a diesel-electric locomotive called "plugging the motors" to attempt to stop it. change from forward to reverse while the motors are running and it will burn them up!!!!
