2006 Prius Voice Recognition Problems

I have an Aussie 06 Prius that only has voice for Bluetooth calls by name. Although I have a full nav and radio, Toyota decided not to create a voice system for our accent. I would have thought Toyota would have been smart enough to incorporate a learning system for all voice commands similar to entering voice names into the bluetooth phone book.
I have tried all the settings as described in this thread and my system is the same as has been described - poor mic volume. I have reported this to Toyota and am waiting a reply.
Has anyone thought of a mic amp? It could be placed close to the mic and get power from the overhead light circuit.
One thing I have found as far as dialing by name, press the answer button on the steering wheel which take you to a phone display and then use the voice button to make a call.

 

Bob,

You say that the prompt or beep is a preference. I only get the prompt. How do I set to beep? I don't have NAV but want to be able to do Dial By Name on the phone, but can't get past the Dial By Number prompt. Can I not do it w/o NAV? :blink:

TIA,

Casey

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bobr1 @ Jan 18 2006, 10:43 PM) [snapback]192898[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Two Prius In Every Garage @ Jul 16 2006, 06:44 PM) [snapback]287315[/snapback]</div>

My brother has a 2006 Package 6 (Yes Bluetooth, No NAV) and I have a 2006 Package 8 (Yes Both). We haven't compared them too much yet, but the hour we sat down to play with them a couple of weeks ago told us that there is no voice recognition (for the phone) on the package without the NAV. Again, we were busy playing with other things (mostly playing with my NAV system in my car and also disabling seatbelt & reverse beeps), so my information could be wrong. We just finally assumed that No NAV = No voice for bluetooth.

 

Well, there's more to it I'm afraid. It does have voice recognition without the NAV, but I'm trying to determine how much. I know this because when the Dial by Number prompt comes up I can say the phone number and dial, no problema. Also I can cancel the prompt by saying "Cancel". The manual says to wait for a beep before giving a command after pushing the voice recog. button, but I don't hear a beep, just get the prompt. I've tried saying a command before the prompt, but no luck. And if I say a command after the prompt is up, it interprets what I say as numbers and symbols. Getting no where...

Hope someone can definitively say whether Dial by Name is available w/o NAV or not. It seems beyond silly that Toyota would allow you to put in voice tags, etc. and not support them. Why isn't the feature disabled then?

Thanks,

Casey

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Anubis @ Jul 16 2006, 10:03 PM) [snapback]287382[/snapback]</div>

 

So here's an interesting note. I took my '06 Prius in today to have the "AM Radio" problem fixed. Toyota told my tech to replace the entire MFD. So he did that this morning, but this did NOT fix the problem. They decided they needed to keep my car (and gave me a Yaris-- terrible substitute for the Prius, BTW) and see what advice Toyota gives them next...

On a side note (and slightly off topic) I gave my Tech a picture of Orf's '06 MFD service menu with the "Override" button on it and asked if he knew how to access it. He said he wasn't sure, but he'd see what he could find out and let me know...

I'll keep everyone updated on if mine gets fixed. I've read that some others have gone to get their "AM Radio" issue fixed, but I haven't heard of any results? Anyone actually get this issue fixed?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(augustson @ Jul 17 2006, 11:11 AM) [snapback]287538[/snapback]</div>

I have. My 11/05 build 2006 package 7 had the AM problem. In late March, the NAV system died where it reported no DVD when the car interior was warm. The NAV unit would not eject the DVD, so the dealer replaced both the NAV unit under the driver's seat and had to order a new DVD. The car now responds to "AM" correctly when I can get it to recognize AM as AM and not ATM. They never touched the MFD.

- Tom

 

Well, here's more news... Like Tom suggested, it's a problem with the NAV. My tech actually took a NAV unit from a NEW Prius they had on the lot and tested with my car and discovered the problem went away. So he called the company that makes the NAV units (because they have to arrange exchanges for this particular part with the company that makes them) and they told him that the problem is not with the unit itself, but with the software (DVD) in the unit and that they've reported it to Toyota.

So they won't give him a new unit, but also (at the moment) he was unable to get a part number for the new disc. (I asked him about looking on the "borrowed" unit-- but he said the car SOLD and he had to put it back in prior to knowing about the problem with the disc).

So, I guess the issue is the NAV DVD software... but I'll let everyone know specifically as soon as I do!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(windstrings @ Jan 18 2006, 10:34 PM) [snapback]192885[/snapback]</div>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Windstrings -
PLE-ASE go down & get another glamor shot of yourself. ;~)

Picked up our #8 '06 6/15/06.

I think the MFD will accept voice commands for about 3 seconds, after pressing the button on the steering wheel. In my experience, it will not respond any other time.

Another tidbit - - if you are listening to the radio, the MFD will automatically lower the radio volume during voice recognition. Haven't had an occasion to try voice recognition on another screen. For instance, off the top of my head, I can't think why you would tell voice recognition, "Restaurants" when you were adjusting radio controls.

PS I'm amazed that those tiny icons can display such detail. You can actually see the 'Golden Arches' or the tilted 'Jack-in-the-Box' icons!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Phinney @ Jul 17 2006, 11:41 PM) [snapback]288020[/snapback]</div>

If I'm viewing any screen, press the Talk button and issue any kind of telephone related command, it starts processing it right away (I also get a little popup screen on my MFD which shows me the same response the lady's voice tells me as well as gives me the option to push a Cancel button). If, however, I'm viewing anything other than the NAV screen and give it a NAV command, mine tells me, "Sorry, this command is unavailable in this screen" or something like that. I have to then click the Map button and then retry my NAV command (by saying "Fast Food," etc) before it works. I'll experiment more extensively today to see if there are any other "screen sensitive" commands.

Also, if I'm listening to music, whenever I'm issuing commands or get a phone call, the music mutes completely (not just lowers in volume). If I'm listening to a CD and give a voice command or get a phone call, the CD is paused until the call or voice command process is completed and then continues where it left off. The radio doesn't pause, obviously.

I'm assuming an iPod or MP3 player or aftermarket satellite radio won't pause either since they aren't fully integrated with the Toyota system. I'm not sure about the Toyota XM or Sirius satellite services (I'm still waiting for the dealers in my area to get Toyota's version of Sirius - Toyota Corp told me it wouldn't be until December).

 

Has there been any news on the voice recognition problems?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dumas @ Sep 11 2006, 07:42 PM) [snapback]318046[/snapback]</div>

May I second the question, I have also wondered if Toyota has come up with an answer. I really don't use the voice recognition because of the lack of understanding. :angry:

 

Running this diagnostic on a 2006 #7, built July 2006, shows the same results as already reported by bobr1.

 

Just to be clear on what everyone is talking about, when you use the voice reg. system, you need to be at a stop for all of this, correct? The only thing I seem to get working while I am driving in temp..

What works while you are driving and what does not? I am getting confused here.



Thanks for all your hard work!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(yarzy @ Sep 12 2006, 10:46 AM) [snapback]318284[/snapback]</div>

2006 package #7, dial by name, dial by number, voice commands all work while driving. I seem to be the exception.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Phinney @ Jul 17 2006, 10:41 PM) [snapback]288020[/snapback]</div>

They told me that was my best side.... not so?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(yarzy @ Sep 12 2006, 07:46 AM) [snapback]318284[/snapback]</div>

Thats the whole point of voice.. to keep our grubby little eyes and hands off the MFD screen while driving.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HyDee @ Jan 18 2006, 08:30 PM) [snapback]192773[/snapback]</div>

If it's any consolation Hydee, the rest of us laughed ... both at your funny joke and at the fact that some couldn't get it.
gh

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bobr1 @ Jan 18 2006, 05:42 PM) [snapback]192651[/snapback]</div>

I have a 2006 Prius that was built in November 2005, according to the info sticker on the driver's side door post. It suffers from the non-functioning "AM" and "AM radio" command. Have brought the car in twice to the dealer for warranty work on this issue (May after reading about the issue here at PC, and again in August).

Progress! Third trip to my local dealer was the charm! Asked me to drop the car off all day for them to play with it and to work with the "California Techs" via phone and e-mail.

I also provided them a copy Bob's document (the first one in this chain). Told them (again) that there were TWO issues. One was "AM radio" command, the other was explained in detail in the document.

This evening when I picked up my car, they said they (and the California Techs) had adjusted all sorts of audio gain, microphone sensitivity, and a bunch of other settings, and finally came to the conclusion that the new DVD (which will be coming out in November 2006) would fix whatever the issue(s) is/are.

More in November.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Jan 24 2006, 12:28 PM) [snapback]196396[/snapback]</div>

I have pretty high success with the voice recognition system. However, I noticed significant failure when the HVAC fan is on the higher settings (lots of air blowing from the vents. The whooshing sound may be conflicting with your voice). Try lowering the fan setting prior to using the voice command.. and see if that improves things for you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Two Prius In Every Garage @ Jul 16 2006, 09:50 PM) [snapback]287397[/snapback]</div>

I just started working with a blue tooth phone on my 2007 w/o Nav. I got the system to work for awhile today, where pushing the speech recognition button caused the car to ask for a command, and I could say "Dial by name". But after awhile I can't get back to this point, I am always in the "Dial by Number" loop as you described.

One post mentioned that the voice recognition switch needed a quick tap instead of holding it down (I was holding and waiting for a beep). But I am also looking for people with more experience.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cam @ Jun 2 2007, 02:00 PM) [snapback]454010[/snapback]</div>

I read more of this thread. I think my problems getting "Call by name" to work is due to the bug outlined in other posts, basically this only functions from the address book screen and not a main screen. I will look at this again tomorrow.