UK Specs / Colours Released on website

How can you be sure that the car is locked by seeing the indicator lights flash? That just proves that the lights work!
The only way that you can be sure if the car is locked is by hearing the locking pins move to the locked position, then trying the door handles after exiting the vehicle. I have got into the habit of pressing the lock button on the LHS driver's armrest after opening the door; that way, you hear the locks move. Then after closing the door, you can verify the car is locked by trying the rear door handle before leaving.

 

Hi
I hope I'm not in the wrong thread.
I'm in the US, and hope to buy the 2010 Prius if all works out.

Question for the UK owners ... I would really like to add rear fog light(s) if they don't come with the US car.
I currently drive a Saab and find the rear fog light really helps on foggy/rainy mornings along the California coast.

Do the current UK Prius have one or two rear fog lights.
I assume the new generation will do the same.

Any tips on how to order UK Toyota parts?

Oh, and ether one or two rear fogs are legal in California - most cars just don't come with them and few drivers even know they are there when they are (Saab, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes mostly)

 

The SKS system does not lock or unlock the car, nor does it operate the Power button. What it does do is to grant permission for you to do these things. So whenever a valid SKS key is within about a meter of a detector, you can unlock a front door by touching the handle. Similarly, you can lock the door by touching the sensor on the door handle. If you don't actually open the door within 30 seconds, the door will lock by itself. You can optionally lock/unlock all the doors whenever the driver's door is locked/unlocked. The car does not lock by itself when you leave it - you have to either touch the sensor on the door handle (or trunk for that matter), press the lock key on the remote, or use the mechanical key in the lock.

There are SKS detectors in both front doors, in the trunk, and in the console inside. The car knows where the keyfob is, and refuses to let you lock the car while a keyfob is inside the car. It gets interesting when there are two of you with SKS keyfobs. Say you get out of the car with your keyfob, and your spouse gets out, but leaves their keyfob inside the car. It's going to refuse to lock, and you get to go looking for the other keyfob. It's really difficult to lock a keyfob inside the car, although some people have succeeded. I don't really understand what happens with a keyfob inside the trunk - it may not be detected there.

The SKS system in the car regularly transmits a signal asking if there are any keyfobs in the area. Lock/Unlock permission is granted when a recognized keyfob replies that it is present. The red LED light on the keyfob also lights up whenever it has been recognized.

This regular polling does use up 12V battery power, and many people advocate disabling SKS whenever they leave the car unused for several days. This really isn't necessary, as the car slows down its polling, and will eventually disable SKS after a day or so. So when you return to the car a week after it was last used, you'll probably have to use the button on the remote (or the mechanical key).

The SKS system doesn't always work. It must be due to interference from other radio sources, or perhaps the state of the tide at the nearest port. Who knows? Anyway, if it just acts up occasionally, just live with it and try the old fashion button on the remote. Or maybe even the mechanical key.

Note also that the keyfob detection grants permission to operate the Power button to start the car. Once it's started, the car will operate until the Power button is pressed again, or it runs out of gas. The car will complain if you remove the keyfob without powering off, but it will continue to operate. Three beeps if you leave it in Park, a solid beep if you leave it in gear.


I had some fun with the interior light coming on when you approach the car. There was a lady in our group that was very interested in the car, and was seriously planning to buy one in the near future. I obviously fed her interest about as much as I could. When we walked back to the car from the restaurant, I put my arm on the roof to give it a hug and said, "I love my Prius". The car returned my greeting by bringing up the interior light. Then it beeped and let me open the door without using a key. Great fun.

 

I hope you hold the handle out as you shut it. Australian Toyotas unlock the front door as it closes if you don't hold the handle out as you close it. Put your fob out of range and try your front door after you try this procedure.

 

An interesting and detailed post, thank you. One further question, does the key fob have to be inside the car before the car can be started?

 

Yes, you are right, I do usually listen for the noise of the locks thunking, but in some places it is just too noisy to hear the locks and I make do with the lights. I occasionally check the driver's door when I forget whether I've just locked the car or not. I never claimed my worries were rational We don't have any dangerous spiders in the UK, but I still don't like them.

 

Yes.

 

Most decent cars here have two fogs lights, and they can be very usefull with our climate, but we have some idiots on our roads that don't know when to turn them off

 

Toyota GB have also dropped HDD before the nav so it looks like we might be going back to discs?

 

i think that Pirus might have 3 different navs in europe, just like new Avensis
- accessory nav system, 2 din, usable in most of toyota models, removable by toyota shop
- disc based nav system for mid range model, as factory option.
- hdd based nav system for top model.

thats whats happening with avensis. New Nav system thats sold as accessory is actually quite cool.

 

We yanks don't have that model . . . the Prius w/ fridge.