2010 - Help! Disabling Reverse Beep

Safety feature for those go by the "feel" rather than the "sight". In a non-hybrid with auto tranny, shifting to R would shake the car and engine RPM would increase, noticeable audibly.

Since Prius never shifts gear but simply rotate the electric motor backward to go reverse. This makes it impossible to detect; which is why I believe the designer put the beep to remind the driver.

 

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Thirty bucks it cost me for the dealer to shut it off.

 

My dealer wants 1/2 hour labor to customize. That's $44. I going over the list so I can have all the changes made at once. I do miss making the changes I want myself.
My thought is that it's a bone tossed to the dealers to make a little money, because otherwise, the care is pretty maintenance free and they'd never see us.
The only ones I really want are the reverse beep (of course) and I want the SKS system to unlock all the doors when I open the drivers door. My wife has no patience.

Tony

 

If you didn't already figure this out or read it else-where. Push and hold the lock &unlick buttons on your key-fob while standing outside of your Prius. You'll heare a series of beeps after a few seconds and the MID on the dash will show the Prius and all 4 doors open. Tada- it's done.

To the reverse beep, it requires a lap-top plugged into the PC port under the dash. Toyoa's software talks to the Prius and negotiates the shutting off of the beep. Some dealers charge a half-hour...we and others do it for no charge if you bought the Prius here.

 

Special equipment = Toyota Techstream software and interface cable...

 

Typical dealer ripoff...something like this should be free...they should ask about it when purchasing the car IMHO. Nothing like good customer service...

 

In Hawaii, the only dealer charges $100 for any changes.... sucks.

 

I took my 2010 prius to the dealer this weekend to have the reverse beep changed to "beep once" instead of the factory setting (beep repeatedly). They told me that when they changed the setting it does beep once but then it beeps continuosly, so I had them switched back to the factory setting. I was very surprised given that I've read from this chat that many 2010 owners had it disabled at the dealer. Can someone confirm that beep once = beep continuosly?

 

Sounds like they didn't make the change correctly. I had mine changed to beep once, and it does just that. When I put it into reverse the car beeps once and then does no more beeping.

 

I can't wait to get mine disabled. I back out of our long driveway, and listening to the beeps for that amount of time is annoying as all get out. Though I confess, I don't like hearing those beeps for a short amount of time, either. It's just too much sensory input for me.

It's also distracting, and I don't like being distracted while backing up, thanks to my dear old Dad who always said, "Backing up is the most dangerous thing you can do in a car." Okay, maybe there are other things that are really more dangerous, but he made an excellent point that stuck with me.

Finally, the beeping tends to obscure outside sounds, and if I hit something despite using my mirrors and back-up cam, I'd like to hear it. Seriously, if I am better able to hear outside sounds, then I might be better able to prevent an accident.

In summary, the beeps make me feel less safe while backing up.

 

+1 for ours... I couldn't live long with the continuous beeping!

 

My experience was in line with others who have reported on this forum. When I took my car in to the dealer, the service technician plugged in a laptop computer and we went over all of the customizable features listed in the owner's manual beginning on page 587. He modified the backup alarm to beep once instead of continuously and made other changes regarding door locking and other alarms. I was charged one half hour labor @$31.95 which the dealer later agreed to refund to me after my protest. I pointed out that several years ago I had purchased a less expensive car, a Mini Cooper, and that all of my preferences (DRL on/off, door locks, etc.)including the am and fm radio stations were set prior to delivery at no charge.

 

What reverse beep?

Before moving the car I already have Metallica or something similar going on near the loudest setting in the sound system. I can't hear a thing! . That's why I alsmost wiped my passenger door out when backing up inside my garage!

 

First Post! I'm about to become a new Prius 2010 owner (still in negotiations), but I'm getting a much different answer about the reverse beep from my dealer. He is saying that the reverse beep is safety issue and the dealer is not permitted to disable it (and any dealer that does is in violation). And anyone that disables it themselves is voiding their warranty.

I've seen plenty of posts here from people saying they had their dealer take care of it and even one from (what looks like) an actual dealer confirming this. Here's my question: what chapter and verse from the Toyota bible can I point my dealer to so I can get him to disable the beeping when I purchase this car?

 

...and you're not really disabling it, just reducing it's duration.

 

I did point that out, but he was undeterred.

 

Sounds like dealer bullshit to me. It costs him money to schedule the time with his service department to do it and he's trying to weasel out of it. Throwing the "void the warranty" crap at you is a low thing.

I'd threaten to give him a bad rating on the Toyota survey that will be coming your way and see if he will change his tune.

 

I have got to a point that the beep doesn't even annoy me anymore. I think it just makes me pay a little more attention....so much so It saved me from a little Ouch!

 

If any Prius drivers truly need a CONSTANT reminder that you are in reverse, you truly don't need to be driving. :baby:

Hint: When you look out the window and you are not making forward progress...you are probably in reverse.

Hint #2: Since you just put the car in reverse... you are probably in reverse.

Clueless Me: I would have NEVER figured that out without BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP ... The miles just kept going by with no forward progress whatsoever. :help:

Once again, the Prius saves the day. In a Pontiac, this would have turned out badly. But then again, you have to have a higher IQ to drive a Pontiac. I will never qualify. :crazy:

BTW, my dealer changed mine to one beep without charge. Now I'm not sure which way I'm going, forward or backward. In the future, I'll have to watch for clues. It's all a deep, dark mystery. We drive at our own risk. Why can't we back up at our own risk? :nono:

The dealers that are charging to remove this annoyance are unethical. It would be like me trading in a vehicle with wheel locks and refusing to give them the key. "Well, if I'm going to have to reach into my pocket for the key, it's going to cost you $100". :spy: