1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

2023 Prius LE Problem

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Main Forum' started by David Lei, Apr 20, 2023.

  1. David Lei

    David Lei New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2023
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    I am new to this forum.

    I have a 2023 Toyota Prius LE.

    1. Does anyone have problem tuning the volume when playing videos or music with Android Auto? It says "Audio Paused" 90% of the time, but clearly there's something playing.

    2. Since I have the LE trim, there is no auto headlight option. When I switch it to DRL (daytime running light), the low beam turns on instead of the light that looks like a hook. Does anyone know how to only turn on the real DRL?
     
  2. dbstoo

    dbstoo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2012
    1,365
    732
    0
    Location:
    Near Silicon Valley
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE Premium
    What does it mean to "tune the volume" "with android auto"?

    The brochure that I found online says auto DRLs are standard on the 2023 Prius LE " Where did you find information that pointed to "light that looks like a hook" as the "real DRL"? Maybe that source could elaborate.
     
  3. David Lei

    David Lei New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2023
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    When I play music with my phone connected via bluetooth/android auto, the music volume cannot be changed 90% of the time. I showed "audio paused" which probably means that the car is not recognizing any audio source.

    I believe it is supposed to look like this when DRL mode is on. But my Prius has the low beam on.
    [​IMG]
     
  4. David Lei

    David Lei New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2023
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    Maybe I am wrong. This line of lights could be the real DRL for higher trim.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. TGTGUUD

    TGTGUUD Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2022
    78
    65
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    From my understanding the LE’s “hook light” only turns on at night when you turn all the lights on. The daytime running light is the low beam plus that little horizontal light bar by it.

    Obviously I could be wrong and not many current LE owners are here. Could you pls take photos of the headlights in different modes?
     
  6. David Lei

    David Lei New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2023
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    You are right. I figured out to only turn on the LE's "hook light" without the low beam. But all screens in the car dim and Android Auto goes to dark mode.

    The horizontal light only acts as turn signal I believe.
     
    #6 David Lei, Apr 20, 2023
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2023
  7. TGTGUUD

    TGTGUUD Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2022
    78
    65
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    hmm this sounds strange. How do you go to that mode, can you drive the car like that? Sounds like the HUD/instrument panel thing won’t light up too?
     
  8. David Lei

    David Lei New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2023
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    I guess Toyota designed the hook light to only work with the low beam at night. They don't want your car to look cool during daytime. The dark mode works exactly the same as cellphone's dark mode. Background turns black and dim to save energy and protect your eyes at night.
     
  9. Hammersmith

    Hammersmith Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2021
    1,558
    1,557
    0
    Location:
    North Dakota - USA
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    Limited AWD-e
    Did you try just bumping the level of the meter lights as high as they will go to see if that makes a difference? On my old 2010, it's a vertical wheel dial that clicks into a high setting if you rotate it up high enough. On the 2023, it looks like it's controlled by three buttons just to the left of the steering wheel column. Try setting the illumination as high as it will go if you want the "hook" illumination look during the day.

    As far as the MFD, you can change that by going into the settings and adjusting a couple things:
    Settings
    Display
    Screen
    - turn off Automatic
    - select Daytime (light)
     
  10. PhoS

    PhoS Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2023
    217
    184
    0
    Location:
    Northwest
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    Limited AWD-e
    I've had this happen, it was my phone, not the car. I think I had audio playing before it paired and that's what threw it off.
     
    Gokhan likes this.
  11. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    4,960
    1,950
    0
    Location:
    Paramount CA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    The "hook" light is not the DRL.

    The hook light is a marker light on the LE and a combination marker light and turn signal on the higher trims. Note that on the LE, the bottom strip light, instead of the hook light, is a combination marking light and turn signal, and on the higher trims, the bottom strip light is located higher and it is only a marker light.

    The DRL is the low beam but run at a low intensity. A marker light is not qualified as a DRL.

    As others mentioned, the audio issue must be with your phone.

    I feel that the LE is the originally intended design, and they fudged the design of the LE to create the design on the higher trims. The design on the higher trims looks more flamboyant and less streamlined.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    #11 Gokhan, Apr 21, 2023
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2023
    mountaineer likes this.
  12. TgrXtrm

    TgrXtrm New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2023
    22
    18
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    You are right. I figured out to only turn on the LE's "hook light" without the low beam. But all screens in the car dim and Android Auto goes to dark mode.

    Mine does this too and it's pretty annoying because sometimes you want your lights on without it being dark outside.

    And I have tried turning up the dash lights as high as they will go and it doesn't help very much at all.
     
    Gokhan likes this.
  13. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    4,960
    1,950
    0
    Location:
    Paramount CA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    It is the same problem in Gen 4—you cannot see the screen if you turn on the parking lights or headlights unless it is really dark outside.
     
  14. Hammersmith

    Hammersmith Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2021
    1,558
    1,557
    0
    Location:
    North Dakota - USA
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    Limited AWD-e
    Just checking, but did you try pressing the button in between the up/down dash lighting controls or is that a dummy button?

    That's frustrating if you can't easily override the lighting level and bring it back to full brightness. I use that so often in my gen3 that I relocated the control to the right side of the steering column where the auto-parking switch would be on an upper trim.
     
  15. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    4,960
    1,950
    0
    Location:
    Paramount CA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Actually, it turns out that on Gen 5, turning on the lights does not dim the meter unless the outside is dark.

    ■Brightness of the meter lights
    (day mode and night mode)
    The brightness of the meter lights
    can be adjusted individually.
    In the following situations, the
    meters changes between day mode
    and night mode.
    ●Day mode: When the tail lights are
    off or when the tail lights are on
    but the surrounding area is bright
    ●Night mode: When the tail lights
    are on and the surrounding area is
    dark
     
  16. Tom_06

    Tom_06 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2006
    609
    142
    0
    Location:
    Newark, Delaware, USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    My 2017 Gen 4 Prime Advanced trim works the same way. I use headlights lots during the day (if it is raining or morning sun glare) and all the panel and heads-up displays stay at daytime settings.
     
    Gokhan likes this.
  17. TgrXtrm

    TgrXtrm New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2023
    22
    18
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    Mine does regardless of the light levels outside.
     
    Gokhan likes this.
  18. Tom_06

    Tom_06 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2006
    609
    142
    0
    Location:
    Newark, Delaware, USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    This is what I found my 2017 manual (P. 186):

    ■Adjusting the instrument cluster brightness (→P. 182)
    ●The brightness levels that can be selected differ depending on whether the
    tail lights are on and surrounding brightness levels, as shown in the table
    below.
    The tail lights are off The tail lights are on
    In a bright place 2 levels* 2 levels*
    In a dark place 2 levels 22 levels

    *: 22 levels of the brightness are displayed on the setting screen. However,
    the brightness setting will be the brightest when other than 1st level (the
    darkest) is selected. If other than 1st or 22nd level is selected, when the
    tail lights are turned on in a dark place, the instrument cluster brightness
    setting will be the selected level.
    ●If the taillights are illuminated in a dark environment, the instrument cluster
    light dims. However, when the brightness of the instrument cluster is set to
    minimum or maximum (1st or 22nd level of the instrument cluster brightness),
    even if the taillights are illuminated, the instrument cluster light will
    not dim.


    So we are all correct in seeing different things and we can all have it the way you want it.
     
    Gokhan likes this.
  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,686
    39,222
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Yeah on my '10 you can turn dash brightness dial up till it kinda stops, and then it'll dim/brighten depending on ambient light. But if you push the brightness up more firmly, it pushes past a detent to full bright, and stays there night or day.
     
  20. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    4,960
    1,950
    0
    Location:
    Paramount CA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Very interesting. I did not know this adjustment existed.

    So, Gen 5 is a downgrade over Gen 4 in this respect because there is no such adjustment in Gen 5 apparently. :( I feel like Gen 5 is a downgrade in every respect, such as fuel economy, size and cargo space, except for TSS 3.0 vs. TSS 2.0. :(
     
    GSK likes this.