Most Obscure Prius Facts (Way out there)

I've never had the volume up that high, usually between 12-15 with the a/c on and 20 with the windows down.

 

OK, I'm here now. I just read the entire thread this lazy Sunday afternoon. It has been great. I laughed and I cried. I liked it so much I subscribed to it. Thanks to everyone for an entertaining afternoon.

First Thought
I read through the manual for every appliance I buy, including cars. I read the various headings and an occasional section I find interesting. I will admit to skipping some of the warnings, i.e. "Don't exit the vehicle while traveling greater than 50 mph", or something like that.

The point is that 6 months, a year or more later I try to do something and a little bulb goes off in my head:, "I remember something in the manual about that." Then I go back and read the detail. It is amazing some of the things my TV, washer, and car can do.

I do have one other item. More of a question but for now, for me at least, it is indeed obscure. It was triggered by all of the discussion about emergency battery packs for starting the car if the 12v battery dies.

On the front bumper, driver's side only, is what looks like a little round plastic plug. It is about an inch or so in diameter. I always assumed it was for a crank to be used for emergency starting. BUT, where is the crank? I'll bet it's extra $$$.

OK, I didn't really think that, but I sure do wonder what is behind it.

Bob

 

Its the mounting location for the cowbell. When they enact a law that requires you to add a noise maker to assist blind people crossing the street, you will be prepared because Toyota engineers already thought of the issue and provided a location to mount it.




















No, not really. It is the location to mount the tow ring. You can find the tow ring stored in the plastic tray under the cargo area. The ring threads into the bumper structure.


But you could mount a cowbell to it if you wanted to.

 

If I have to choose between the cowbell and the tow ring I'll take the cowbell.

Thanks...

 

I know this is from an older post but....

I discovered this shortly after getting my 2008. I decided I was going to "train my brain" to use the feature to it's fullest. (Not an easy task at my age.) This fact was found when backing into a parking space with one of those concrete wheel barriers. When the barrier just disappears from camera view the rear bumper is exactly over the barrier.

I'm sure it saves a lot of undercarriage damage from high barriers.

Bob

 

Not specifically related solely to the Prius, but, in the U.S., fuel efficiency is measured in how far a car can go (miles) on a fixed amount of fuel ( 1 Gallon). Miles per gallon or MPG. The higher the number the better.

In most of the rest of the world, it is the reverse. How much fuel (liters) is used in a fixed distance (100 kilometers). Liters / 100 kilometers or L/100km. The lower the number the better.

50 mpg = 4.7 L/100 km

Just thought I'd share that with you.
Does anyone else know which other countries use MPG?

 

I stand to be corrected on this but I believe in Japan it is kilometres per litre.

In the UK petrol is sold by the litre but distance is measured in miles. It is my belief this is because private companies had to pay to have measuring equipment converted under EU regulations but the government doesn't want to pay for new road signs. Some newer cars in Britain have speedos that read in both miles and kilometres but I think odometers or in miles.

 

Interesting. I didn't know that Britain uses both miles and liters. I wonder what they use for fuel efficiency ratings miles per ?? Liters/ ? It must get confusing.

 

From 1982-1993 I had an '82 Renault LeCar -- We used to say that the massive (in proportion) front bumper was a cow-catcher, like the old locomotives.

 

That is fantastic economy in that picture!
I just worked ot that with 2000km on a tank at 49 km/L there is still 4 litres of fuel left in the 45 litre tank!!! That is 1300 miles on 9/10 of a tank!! Impressive!

In answer to the question they convert to UK gallons and work it out in MPG.

Diesel is more expensive in the UK than Australia. Well it was last time I was there in 2005.

 

Actually, the JBL amp (and maybe the standard one, too?) remembers the volume and, I believe, the tone settings for each Audio mode: radio, CD, Aux, etc. That results in being able to make adjustments for each mode only once.

 

Blue oyster cult de ja vu ... Saturday Night Live / we need More Cowbell ! !

 

Hmmm...I never noticed that, but I'm generally only switching between FM and XM Radio and I can assure you that it keeps the same setting between them. (I kind of wish it did remember the setting as FM is louder.)

Since I'm posting in this thread, I had better include something obscure. When you shift OUT of reverse, the back-up lights turn off before the camera does. (Shift into R at night. As you shift out, you can see the white lights go off on the screen before the display switches away from the camera view, although I may have had to shift into N to observe this.)

 

I searched the thread and did not see this posted.

While trying to turn the radio on, my wife pushed the volume button (which is how our other vehicles power up). The button stayed in the down position, flush with the console. The tuning knob does the same thing.

I think the console looks neat with the flat look.

 

toyota says you can play movies on the car strereo!

toyota prius repair manual
cd player
page 6

Copy-controlled CDs cannot be used.
• Some CD-Rs and CD-RWs are not playable as
a result of: 1) the type of recording method
used, 2) the type of disc, 3) scratches, 4)
contamination, or 5) the disc being in the
vehicle for an extended amount of time,
leading to deterioration.
• CD-Rs and CD-RWs that have not been​

finalized cannot be played.

• PAL or SECAM color television standard
discs cannot be played. Only NTSC discs can
be played.
• Dual layered discs that mate DVD recorded
material on one side with CD digital audio
material on the other cannot be played.​

 

I think this qualifies as obscure. It took me awhile to figure this out.

In the repair manual, there is a chart that describes the operation of the electric shift control. It tells you which positions can be selected from the position that you are currently in.



So if you are in ACC, and the shifter is in P, then you can't select any other position. But if you are in ACC and the shifter in in N, you can shift it back to P by pressing the P button.

But how the heck do you get it into N in the first place if you can't shift it into any position but P??????

Someone else posted the answer eariler in this thread:

That is obscure.

 

Good point. Maybe what I'm seeing is related to that, maybe not.

In my system, the HU volume is always fixed at 45 because that's the setting I used to calibrate my Cleansweep. I always control the volume using the Cleansweep remote knob, not the volume knob on the HU. I'll have to do some more experimenting this weekend...

 

Fact - Black is the most economical AND quickest of all the colours

 

Found this out in my '06. No guarantees it works in other years or Prii other than my own

Apologies if it's been posted on this slightly lengthy thread.

With your Prius off, sit in the backseat with the fob. Everything must be done witout using the buttons on the fob. Reach up front from the rear and push the power lock button on the driver's door to lock all doors. Sit back and now manually unlock one of the rear doors by flipping the lock switch above the handle to the unlock position. Now, open that particular rear door and shut it immediately. You should hear the double unlock beep and all the doors should unlock without additional provocation.

This will only work with the rear doors. An odd lockout prevention just in case the driver exits from the back of the car?

 

I get the impression that if I went to sleep, it would just drive itself. Very smart little beast.