1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Reverse beep modifications

Discussion in 'The File Library' started by Godiva, May 14, 2005.

  1. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    PDF document on how to turn off the reverse beep and how to install a backup warning buzzer to warn pedestrians.

    Cost: Less than $10 with parts from Radio Shack.
    Time: Less than an hour.
    Difficulty: Very easy.
     
    #1 Godiva, May 14, 2005
  2. mandoprius

    mandoprius New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2005
    1
    0
    0
    Imust be doing something wrong - I've been searching all over the Forum and can't find it. How do I ge the PDF?
     
    #2 mandoprius, Oct 13, 2005
  3. Charles Suitt

    Charles Suitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2004
    1,637
    16
    0
    Location:
    Dallas TX
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Maybe he's SELLING the PDF and you buy the parts at Radio Shack. :unsure:
     
    #3 Charles Suitt, Oct 13, 2005
  4. Whiplasherman

    Whiplasherman New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2005
    4
    0
    0
    Found the PDF in the old forums.

    I'm reuploading the attachment here, because it's just so DAMN GOOD!

    Thanks Godiva!
     
    #4 Whiplasherman, Oct 27, 2005
  5. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,193
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks for reposting that article. Somehow I'd forgotten about it. A long while back I was considering installing a back-up alarm, but just never did. At that time I found several interesting alarms at JC Whittney. Some of them talk, some play songs, some have a light that flashes along with the alarm...one even sounds like a train!! I think that would be fun on my Prius!

    Thought I'd share that link here...I'm sure there are a bunch of others out there too...

    http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Search?...&searchbtn.y=12
     
    #5 efusco, Oct 27, 2005
  6. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2004
    3,799
    27
    0
    Location:
    Tampa Bay, FL
    What we need is one that sounds like a car revving, since ours backs up electrically.
     
    #6 DanMan32, Oct 28, 2005
  7. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,193
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Nah, no fun in that...it's the irony that's a blast!

    Actually, I chickened out on the train alert and got the talking one "Announcement, this car is backing up". I know, kinda geeky and boring, but it's what suited me.

    BTW, I ended up buying that from Amazon.com where it was much cheaper and I got free shipping with a couple other things I needed. Found a few back-up alarms on Ebay but not as many as you might expect and not for as cheap as you might hope.
     
    #7 efusco, Oct 28, 2005
  8. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,193
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Just installed my back-up warning device. I went with the "Attention Please, This Car is Backing Up" buzzer. Got it on Amazon for about $12 I think it was.

    I didn't really relish having the alarm inside the car thinking it would both be louder inside than out and more annoying to me and less helpful to those outside.

    What I did was found round holes just underneath the car the driver's side storage compartment next to the main hidden cargo area--the triangularish shaped area. Look in there. There are 2 rubber 'stoppers' in the metal of the bottom of the car that you see once you take the black plastic 'box' out. One is about 1/2" diameter. Note where that is b/c when you crawl under the car you're going to pull it out to run your wires through there. While you're in the hatch go ahead and pull the cover off the area by the tail light and get all your stuff ready as in the main PDF instructions.

    Now, crawl under the car just beneath the tail light and small cargo area....

    So, on the bottom of the car is a plastic 'cover' There's one spot that has 2 round holes about 1/4" diameter about 1" apart and those are just behind a 3"x2" rectangular opening that's just big enough to get your hand into.

    Reach in there and feel for that 1/2" rubber plug you saw from above. Grap it with your fingers and just pull down--comes out pretty easily.

    Crawl back out......
    Get an extra piece of wire about 2' long. Thread it through the hole where the plug was (from above). Once you have a good 1' or so through secure the wire from the top side so it doesn't fall through--or have an assistant hold it.

    *Note:You'll need the wires for your beeper to be about 2' long to have enough slack to get the storage box in and get the wires to the tail-light area...add extensions now if needed. Also, be sure the beeper you choose is weather resistant and has a means to secure it to the undercarriage.

    Crawl back under the car.....
    Reach back through the rectangular hole and find your wire you just put in through the top. Grab in and thread it through one of the 2 small round holes just behind the rectangular opening.

    Now, wrap the wires for your beeper around the wire coming through from the top.

    Crawl back out or have your assistant gently pull the beeper wires through the hole in the body to the inside of the car and secure them so they don't fall back through.

    At this point you can either connect the beeper to the tail light wires first or secure the beeper under the car while you're there then connect the beeper wires. I used the second smaller round hole as my connector point for the 5/16" bolt that came with my beeper. The hole was a little large but it worked OK...I don't think the beeper will go anywhere.

    Now I can barely hear the alert going off but it's quite noticable from outside the vehicle. And I won't be so paranoid about squishing a kid in the Wal-mart parking lot who didn't hear the car b/c I was in EV mode while I backed out of a spot flanked by a pair of H2s! :unsure:
     
    #8 efusco, Nov 7, 2005
  9. BrianTheDog

    BrianTheDog New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2005
    178
    0
    0
    Location:
    Northeast Alabama
    I've been thinking of getting a back-up buzzer. To those of you who've installed one (talking, beeping, or buzzing), can you describe how loud they are? I don't want something that is obnoxious, since I'm backing out of customers' driveways.

    Also, the PDF says to disable the reverse beep first. Is this necessary to install an exterior one? I actually like the interior reverse beep as a safety feature. (I realize that an exterior version may be loud enough for me to hear inside the car, but just in case I can't....)

    BTW, my co-workers are (jokingly) complaining that my car is too quiet. One suggested that I install something that would make it sound like the engine is running. Yeah, right. :blink:
     
    #9 BrianTheDog, Nov 7, 2005
  10. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2005
    2,366
    4
    0
    Location:
    Bloomfield Hills, MI
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Perhaps you could get one of those airhorns that the railroads put on their locomotives. Maybe your coworkers could hear you coming then eh Brian? :D
     
    #10 JackDodge, Nov 7, 2005
  11. mikepaul

    mikepaul Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2003
    1,763
    6
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    #11 mikepaul, Nov 7, 2005
  12. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,193
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    #12 efusco, Nov 7, 2005
  13. BrianTheDog

    BrianTheDog New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2005
    178
    0
    0
    Location:
    Northeast Alabama
    Lmao!

    Yeah, that'd learn 'em!

    ;)
     
    #13 BrianTheDog, Nov 7, 2005
  14. shawn7

    shawn7 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2005
    55
    0
    0
    Location:
    Beaufort South Carolina
    Stupid question.. Can we just turn the Beep Off?


    Don't wanna screw anything up on the wife's car. But, she hates the internal beep.


    thanks,
    Shawn
     
    #14 shawn7, Nov 7, 2005
  15. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2005
    2,366
    4
    0
    Location:
    Bloomfield Hills, MI
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Make sure that the odo/trip is set to odo, turn the car off. Start the car up again, this time immediately press and hold the odo/trip button. After ten seconds, while still holding the odo/trip button, shift the car in to reverse then press the park button. Then release the odo/trip button and on the odomoter display, you should see "b on" press the odo/trip button once and it should read "b off". Shut the car off. When you start it back up, the reverse beep will be gone. I've heard that if someone is in the passenger seat that this won't work so it should be empty. I've also heard people say that a couple of books will keep it from working. She'll be so surprised.
     
    #15 JackDodge, Nov 7, 2005
  16. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,193
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes, the instructions are posted all over, but in the PDF posted in this thread too....
    http://priuschat.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=714
     
    #16 efusco, Nov 7, 2005
  17. shawn7

    shawn7 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2005
    55
    0
    0
    Location:
    Beaufort South Carolina
    #17 shawn7, Nov 7, 2005
  18. ott

    ott New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2006
    1
    0
    0
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Nov 7 2005, 10:58 AM) [snapback]151955[/snapback]</div>
    What gender voice is the backup warning?

    I'm assuming it's the, "Wolo BA-70". http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029XI3...ance&n=15684181

    Hello, I'm new. Getting my '06 Magnetic Grey, Pk#3 this month.
     
    #18 ott, Jun 4, 2006
  19. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BrianTheDog @ Nov 7 2005, 01:01 PM) [snapback]152000[/snapback]</div>
    You don't have to disable the reverse beep. Just be aware if you install the beeper in the taillight you'll hear it from the inside and you'll have two beeps going on at the same time and they're not synchronous. They will most likely be both different in pitch and will go off at different intervals.

    While I didn't mind the reverse beep, I opted to replace that one with the one I installed in the taillight. I got used to it pretty fast. It isn't any louder than the original on the inside but can be heard by pedestrians on the outside. Most ignore it. Perhaps the "Hey, I'm backing up here!" announcement would have been better.
     
    #19 Godiva, Jun 5, 2006
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)