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"P" Position Switch

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by berryman, Oct 1, 2004.

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  1. berryman

    berryman Junior Member

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    I've had my car for about 2 weeks now and don't do anything with the "P" positon switch. I just get in the car, press the power switch and go. When I stop the car, I press the power switch and apply the footbrake.

    Am I supposed to be doing something with this "P" position switch everytime I drive the car? The owners manual isn't real clear about how and when it should be used.

    Your expert clarification is humbly requested - - -
     
    #1 berryman, Oct 1, 2004
  2. Speedracer

    Speedracer New Member

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    You what?
    P stands for Parking... This is same as anyother automatic transmission it happend to be push button. You need press "P" before shut off the car so able to engage the gear for parking....
     
    #2 Speedracer, Oct 1, 2004
  3. berryman

    berryman Junior Member

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    Thanks. So what's the sequence? Do I push this button in before or after turning off the power button? The Toyota sales person was not clear on this item at all, and as I indicated earlier, the manual isn't particularly clear either.
     
    #3 berryman, Oct 1, 2004
  4. toolbox

    toolbox New Member

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    to be honest i dont think it really matters... its not a mech linkage as of old days . its all on a interlock system . watch the park button if you just shut it off with the car not moving and you see it kick into park before it shuts down. its a safey feature... i havent had the gonads to shut the engine off while driving i would think it would be tied into the speed sensor and just coast :cry: . i know the parking paw is different than a normal trans. i think it locks the magnets on the motors but i might be wrong on this but i do recommend getting into a habid of hitting park before you shut the car off... i also shut off radio and ac options just to keep the jolt dpwn start up.
     
    #4 toolbox, Oct 1, 2004
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    It's somewhere in the manual that if you turn the car off by pressing "power" the car automatically puts itself into "P" before shutting off. The next time you turn the car off, watch the heads up display of the transmission. I think you'll see it go into "P" before it goes dim. I always try to put it into "P" before shutting down, but once I didn't but felt confident that it parks itself.

    You also have to keep in mind that just about every function of the car you interact with is software and electronic controlled. Assuming the gals and guys writing the code at Toyota were doing their job, I'm sure the software won't let you do anything too damaging for the car.
     
    #5 TonyPSchaefer, Oct 1, 2004
  6. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    You do NOT need to hit the Park button when you shut off the car. I rarely use my Park button either. I use it when waiting for my wife to run grab something from inside the house we forgot. Or when I get out to grab the mail. But never before hitting the Power button as it's just an extra unnecessary step.
     
    #6 efusco, Oct 1, 2004
  7. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    The Prius has a park prawl just like any other AT. it is on the "ring" gear on the PSD.
     
    #7 Frank Hudon, Oct 1, 2004
  8. toolbox

    toolbox New Member

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    yea but if you forget to hit power before you get out wouldnt it take off?? i will preach safety to the end. first week i spent about 3 minutes thinking i had a door open trying to figure out why the smart start wouldnt lock the car and it keep beeping at me. it was on but in park. yea i know i am a tard :oops:
     
    #8 toolbox, Oct 1, 2004
  9. toolbox

    toolbox New Member

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    thx for the correction frank :oops:
     
    #9 toolbox, Oct 1, 2004
  10. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    The second your foot comes off the brake the car starts to roll so you have motion sensation. Not only that, but the seat belt beeper would beep, the dash board lights up and alarms sound like crazy the second the door opens (go try it). Although I laud your safety concerns, the checks and balances are built in and may any bizarre untoward event very unlikely and it will take great effort on the driver's part to screw this up.

    I still feel the only use for the Park button is if you're sitting and waiting in a parked Ready mode Prius for a time. To park at shut off just hit the button. It's one of the beautiful things about the Prius--esp. for those of us with SKS. Since mines been off-line for the past couple of weeks I've remembered to take the fob out of the slot before opening the door a grand total of 4 times....every other time I forget until I open the door and the car beeps at me!!

    I want my SKS back (appt. sched. for Wed.!!)
     
    #10 efusco, Oct 1, 2004
  11. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    i use the park button when i leave the car without shutting it off...well you know what i mean.

    other than that i dont hit the park button when i shut it off since the car automatically goes into park when it is shutdown anyway.
     
    #11 DaveinOlyWA, Oct 1, 2004
  12. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Ya know, the funny thing is that the bigger safety issue might be the fact that it is easier to forget you're just in Park instead of having shut down completely. With SKS you get some quiet beeps when you leave the vehicle in Park and walk away. But as another thread or two here have mentioned if there's a lot of noise (construction, traffic, conversation) you may not hear those beeps and just walk away from your still in ready mode car! The habit of hitting Power instead of park greatly reduces that risk.
     
    #12 efusco, Oct 1, 2004
  13. toolbox

    toolbox New Member

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    i do it both ways and that may be why i got out of synch.

    :mrgreen:

    watch out for my silver moving "unmanned" 04 prius :roll:
     
    #13 toolbox, Oct 1, 2004
  14. smtrader

    smtrader Member

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    I hardly use the Park button...so far so good!
     
    #14 smtrader, Oct 2, 2004
  15. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    I think all other question were answered.. just in case...

    1. It doesn't matter if you push P or just shut it down. If you look up.. the gears stay on the display and it goes into Park

    2. There are safeties for everything. One safety is opening the door while in D. Your warning lights will turn on and tell you to park the car.

    3. If you were to press Park.. start.. reverse.. or anything besides drive or B while in motion above ( about ) 5mph.. it will just go into neutral and give you a single beep. If you're in D and going slow enough, you can put it into reverse. The electric engine will slow the car down and start reversing.

    This car is truly a piece of artwork. The amount of engineering that went into it is truly amazing.
     
    #15 V8Cobrakid, Oct 2, 2004
  16. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    actually more than a couple of times i took my foot off the brake without thinking that i was still in drive. luckily the car moves as soon as you take your foot off the brake.

    i remember a post here from someone who thought the car moved too fast especially in reverse. i personally am glad that it does move.

    i can see me running down the street trying to catch my car because it was still in drive.
     
    #16 DaveinOlyWA, Oct 2, 2004
  17. Speedracer

    Speedracer New Member

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    :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
     
    #17 Speedracer, Oct 2, 2004
  18. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    Speedracer:

    Love your signature... really wanted to go see the game when Ichiro broke the record but that was a hotter ticket than the 3-0 Seahawks!!
     
    #18 DaveinOlyWA, Oct 2, 2004
  19. Kathryn

    Kathryn New Member

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    When I got my "mini-lesson" in driving the Prius from my dealer, he told me to hit "Park" then "Power" when stopping, so that's what I've been doing. Pretty ingrained by now, so I'll keep on doing it.
     
    #19 Kathryn, Oct 2, 2004
  20. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Now that I think about it, I hit Park when I arrive at work, for example, and I'm listening to the radio or want to get my stuff in order before leaving the car. It's just easier than keeping my foot on the brake. In the end, it's all good...
     
    #20 TonyPSchaefer, Oct 2, 2004
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