2021 Prius - Disable Virtual Engine Sound - AKA Spaceship hum

A one month Carista subscription to turn off the incessant rear beep noise was money well spent. I recently rented a Prius Prime and forgot that the rear beep noise repeats since having turned it off in our non-Prime Prius.

 

Well I still can't find my speaker that's supposed to be near the driver's headlight..will have to get my flashlight and look. (Can you see it from above or do I have to go underneath?)

The backup beep reminds me of a funny story from years ago.

A mother and young son were waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store and were behind a rather large lady. Suddenly, the ladies beeper went off and the young son loudly yelled, "Watch out, everybody...she's backing up!"

 

Try this thread.
Vehicle Proximity Notification System | PriusChat

 

2020 = 3,
2021 = 11

 

where is the speaker located on 2021 model?

 

I would be extremely surprised if they moved it.

 

I finally got time to tinker around with my UFO speaker. I tried getting to it from below (took off a cover)....no bueno. So I removed the 8 clips that hold on plastic cover right where a radiator would be, on top, and it's right near the top, on the right but before you get to the headlight.
A 12mm wrench will disconnect the speaker and then you unclip the wires to get it out. I double-wrapped a sponge on the front and duct-taped it on. I'd rather just remove it but I guess we get a check engine light and we never want that.
You can, still, hear it in reverse but it's about half as loud and in drive, when driving slow, you can barely hear it.
I'm going to redo it with some small squares of wood (on front and back as it seems to be coming into the cabin even louder) and also use black tape (maybe electricians tape) because if you look in the front grill you can see it, but it is back a ways so not too obvious.
ET go home!!!
(I have pictures if anyone is interested.)

 

i was a mechanic for years. I accessed mine, disconnect spaceship speaker wire connection while power is off. Its a two prong connector. simply place an isolated jumper wire to the terminal you unplugged. computer doesn't recognize that any this has been bypassed. Yes I live on the edge. Rule breaker.... Love the quiet prius again.

 

To a dumb dumb layman, what’s a isolated jumper wire.

 

Mine, still, wasn't quiet enough so I got some small roll of foam insulation at Home Depot (that's used for insulating pipes) and wrapped the entire thing like King Tutt....can barely hear it now.
I, also, got an OBDII with wifi and got my Dr. Prius working...and the setting to turn off the backup beep works. (Instead of the constant beeping, it only does 2 or 3.) Sweet....I tested my 2021 battery and it's saying 115%...so that's good....will test the 2017 this weekend.

 

Just a piece of insulated wire. Like from a Romex role. Or just 12-14 gauge single piece of braided wire. Just plug one end of wire into one side terminal and the other end into the other side of the two prong thing you unplugged from the buzzer.

 

I did not notice the noise either while on the test drive. The car was cold when we started the test drive thus the engine was running when I backed out of the parking space and did not notice the noise until on my way 175 miles to home.

 

Good luck, I get at least 1 person a month thinking their car's broken - it's TOO LOUD! Talk about annoying. Worse for 21 now.

 

Got even worse for ‘22 than it was in ‘21!

Has anyone tried the jumper wire solution @jimmyjam mentioned? If so, did it work??

 

I did look around for that resister but couldn't find it anywhere and didn't dare messing up an ECU by using the wrong one so the insulation wrap is doing a great job...still puts out sounds but went from like a 10 to a 2. (And is easily removable if I ever get rid of the car.)

 

I used a paper clip and electric tape as a test. Worked out well for a test drive and threw no error codes, so I am now going to put actual wire in. 41¢ solution.

 

Wow.

At this point, it is so strange realizing that my next vehicle may not be a hybrid if they continually make them more annoying to own.

 

EVs are subject to the same regulation. But ICE cars, even though they are also usually almost silent in parking lots, are not required to have them.

 

Does anyone have a video or step by step instructions on where to located the speaker and how to put in a jumper cable on a 2022 Prius prime to deactivate and turn off the VPNS noise maker?

 

I am wondering if you could spray the speaker with an "undercoating" type spray, that way it is still there and legal, "oh I did not realize it was a noise making speaker"