I've had my Prius all of 18 hours! When driving home on the highway from the dealer yesterday, and around town last night, I consistently heard a short buzzing sound, "Bzzzt," lasting for about 2 seconds each time. It occurs when I am braking coming to a stop, or accelerating from a dead stop. It seems to be emanating from behind the steering wheel. Anybody know what this is? Thanks in advance, Steve
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rebbi @ Sep 20 2006, 07:51 AM) [snapback]322159[/snapback]</div> Hmm.. I get that sound as well. I am sure it's written somewhere in the manual. Got to finish reading it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rebbi @ Sep 20 2006, 07:51 AM) [snapback]322159[/snapback]</div> I think that's a normal noise. Beware, it does make a lot of funny noises. I did one of those cartoon jumps straight in the air once when I was checking the oil and the car decided to recirculate the coolant or something that made a very unexpected noise in the general vicinity of the engine.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Sep 20 2006, 09:08 AM) [snapback]322161[/snapback]</div> Well, for the time being that's reassuring. I'll have to look in the manual index under Sounds, Unnerving. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Sep 20 2006, 09:29 AM) [snapback]322165[/snapback]</div> Yikes!!!
These are all normal noises that you'll soon get used to. The woosh when you hit the brake. The pumping that goes off when you turn off the car, the hummm when you first start to accelerate.... You'll come to love all of them...
There are several "funny noises". Two of the most asked about are the power brake booster pump and the pump that puts hot coolant into the thermos. The latter only pumps after the car is shut down, the former needs to pump to keep the power brake booster working. It can be expected whenever you use the brakes hard enough to deplete the vacuum in the booster. As you learn to drive the car and use the friction brakes less you will, of course, hear it less often.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sl7vk @ Sep 20 2006, 11:49 AM) [snapback]322227[/snapback]</div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumbleweed @ Sep 20 2006, 12:50 PM) [snapback]322262[/snapback]</div> Hmmmmm... Guess I really do need to read that manual. But yes, I'm coming to quickly understand that all the complex tech under the hood (and elsewhere) creates all kinds of little buzzes and whirs as the car goes about its mysterious business. Take care, Steve
If you wanna hear some funny noises, try driving with the cargo area removed down to the spare tire--what a lot of clicks goin' on!!!!
I believe it's the brake pump that you're hearing. and ya.. try driving with the rear seats folded too. A lotta clicking from the relays. The thing that I remembered from my test drive 2 years ago was the cool electric motor sound when you come to a stop.. sorta like those high speed bullet trains pulling into a station.
I heard that too and it scared my wife and I during our cross country roadtrip on I40. Luckily after stopping and eating at Sonics.... the noise stopped. Funny thing is that we never heard that breaking buzz for all 16k until that ONE time.
When it get's annoyed with you it hisses and grunts :lol: Naw, all "normal" noises and just part of the car! My friends get a big kick out of it, especially when the car is off and it just does it's "thing".
Its somewhere in the manual that I read in January when we got our Prius. The noise has something to do with the seat belt tensioning system. Its actually releasing a harmless gas, at least the manaul says its harmless. We try to keep at least one window cracked open whenever we're in the car. As for other noises, there are many. Even if you open the door without starting the car it will make some sounds shortly after closing the door. Kinda freaky to step out into the garage and hear noises from a car that has been parked for a while. There's some reference in the manual about some functions that happen with the gas tank to detect leaks some five hours after turning off the car. Have and fun and just drive. I tried increase the gas mileage by assisting the computers with the coast/glide and acceleration on the down side of the hills. It didn't get me much but tense driving. Now I just set the cruise and go. Have been getting 49-51 mpg in this late summer, early fall weather.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FarmGeek @ Sep 20 2006, 11:19 AM) [snapback]322359[/snapback]</div> ehh.. no. You're talking about seatbelt pretensioners. Those release a gas as a byproduct of the pretensioner tightening the seatbelt in an event of a collision.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcbrunnhilde @ Sep 20 2006, 01:50 PM) [snapback]322296[/snapback]</div> Well, this afternoon I was enjoying Donald Fagen's "Morph The Cat" on the JBL, so I couldn't hear the "bzzzt!," anyway. :lol: Take care, Steve
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FarmGeek @ Sep 20 2006, 03:19 PM) [snapback]322359[/snapback]</div> I think that's good advice. Oddly, my mileage on the highway was better when I turned cruise control off... Right now, only 1 "bar" on the gas gauge gone on my very first tank, the MFD says I'm averagine 43.8 mpg. I'm about to take a long (3.5 hour) highway drive tomorrow, and I'll be curious to see how I do. Best regards, Steve
OK I know exactly what the problem is. Tunes!! Yes Tunes! You need more sounds in your life. I recommend Jazz, when Miles Davis is in a grove you do not hear the other stuff. I have a copy of Allen Ginsberg reciting William Blakes "Songs of Innocents and Experience" if that is more your style? Sorry no Country or Western or Country & Western. I don't go there.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hdrygas @ Sep 20 2006, 11:59 PM) [snapback]322655[/snapback]</div> Duh! Of course. TUNES!!!!!! Take care, Steve
