Use it all the time to change stoplights to green. Murphy's law shows the second you push the park button at a stoplight, the light changes so you have to shift back into gear. So, if you're looking to make better time at stoplights, put it in park! -m.
My dealer told us the same thing, put it in Park, then hit Power. It's just ingrained to do it now...although, I didn't do it one time and just hit power. The next time I powered up the Prius, the Park button light was green, showing that it was on and HUD showed it was in Park, so it does automatically go into park when you shut it down. Like some eariler posters stated, Toyota did their homework and the software engineers pretty much thought of everything....try this and see what happens. Have your Prius on and in park, open the door and try to put it into drive....you get all sorts of warnings and the car just sits there until you close the door again....pretty neat....technology rules!!!! :guns:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VARedDevil\";p=\"43266)</div> I experimented with bypassing pushing the Park button prior to hitting the Power button. The transmission display indicator changed from "D" to "P" as the car powered off.
Learn something new every day OK, 1 less thing to do when I get out of my car. Let's see - push parking brake, push Power, leave. Cool.
I find hitting the Park button after stopping quite useful, since I often need to do several tasks between the time I stop and the time I shut the power down. The tasks possibly include: 1) Resetting the 'B' odometer 2) Clearing the destination(s) from NAV 3) Closing the windows 4) Resetting the climate to a default condition (I prefer the car to track the outside temperature rather than having a fixed point). 5) Getting my CDs out of the changer. All except 3) cannot be done after the power is shut down, while 3) can be done only for a limited time.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bruceha_2000\";p=\"43453)</div> HOw many of you are using your parking brake? As I recall from reading the manual, it seemed to suggest that we need to do this. I never have so far.
i use the parking brake on some streets that need it like many in downtown seattle, but normally i do not. i dont see it as necessary most of the time. and i never remember to take it off when i start back up again no matter how many times i forget.
Its Japanese thing... It require to use Parking brake... its old old idea it doesnt apply now but stated on driving manual(book you get from DMV).
I always put it on. Was taught for safty reasons, always apply it, but I guess on a Prius its not so important as there is a gearbox lock anyhow.
Hills yes flat parking lot nope. Ever had one freeze on? most interesting experience! yes I have had.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kathryn\";p=\"43741)</div> I use it all the time, though I rarely used the one in the Odyssey because I HAD to put it in Park Before I got my car, there was a post that said they had parked on a hill without using the parking brake and when they let off the regular brake the car rolled slightly and they could not get it out of Park when they wanted to leave. Probably a steep hill but none the less it got my attention. If I recall, I have done Park, remove foot from brake (not using the parking brake) then hit Power and there was a slight roll. But then I could be remembering false 'facts' too
After reading the original post to this question, I pressed the power button instead of pressing part then power. The display did indicate that it went into part. About 10 minutes later when I pressed power to start the car again, my nav screen came on with a nasty message that said to NEVER turn off the power without pressing park first because it would cause battery to drain. From what I understand, this is only a problem on cars equipped with SE/SS.
Please photograph that warning and post it here. That is the FIRST time I've heard anything like that at all. It makes no sense. There's no connection to the SKS at all unless somehow they have the internal oscillators hooked into the Park button to shut them off...but I seriously doubt that is the case from how the diagrams in the Repair manual explain them working. Frankly, I don't believe you read the warning correctly or something..it just makes no sense at all.
Also, Wacko, What year/model/VIN range do you have? I guess it could be something new for the '05, but it just seems so dang unlikely since there have been ZERO online reports of problems that would even remotely be related to something like that.
wacko? why would not putting it in park drain the battery? nothing is disabled or shut off in park. can you reproduce this error message consistantly? if you can, please post the EXACT wording here, and pic if possible.
wouldn't you use the parking brake just as you would a hand brake in a normal car? ie. to take the strain of holding the car still off the gearbox?
That's why I use it. I have noticed no difference since I stopped pushing Park before Power. For those who are nervous, it doesn't hurt to push Park before Power so keep doing it. I did use the Park button for it's designed purpose (per Evan's comments) this morning. I needed to get my wallet out of my back pocket at the McD's drivethru. It is easier to push Park than keep my foot on the brake.
