What happens if you accidently press parking brake while driving. I'm so paranoid about reaching over to change something and accidently hitting the button going 70 down the highway! Is there some logic Toyota has come up with to prevent damage? Thanks to all....
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EuroPascual @ Aug 3 2006, 02:39 AM) [snapback]296839[/snapback]</div> Don't worry - nothing happens. You can't go into reverse or park unless you are stopped. Remember, the Prius isn't like a normal car in this regard - the shifter / park button just sends signals to the computer system, and the computer won't let you do anything that will damage the car (bad driving excepted, of course - you can still crash the Prius!). I used to joke that the computer wouldn't let you crash the car, but that became somewhat ironic when I crashed mine! You also can't power off the car at high speeds - pressing the power button does nothing. If you MUST shut down the vehicle for some reason, hold the power button and the car will power down and go into neutral.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EuroPascual @ Aug 3 2006, 03:39 AM) [snapback]296839[/snapback]</div> That would be bad. Imagine life as you know it stopping instantaneously and all the molecules in your body exploding at the speed of light. (Shamelessly plagiarised from Ghostbusters). Seriously, nothing. Electronic logic circuits require specific conditions to exist before allowing a function to occur. This is why your car won't start unless the brake pedal is depressed AND the key fob is in the car AND you depress the Power button, etc. ...same for going into Park while you're moving. Safeguards are built into the system to protects us from, well...ourselves.
You know what kills me? I see alot of people talking about leaving the parking brake on. You would think that a car like this would set off an alarm and bring something up on the screen if you started driving with it engaged.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bsoft @ Aug 3 2006, 05:20 AM) [snapback]296851[/snapback]</div> Nitpick of the day: Well, not quite nothing. It will "beep" at you. English translation of "beep" = "I'm smarter than you are, fool, and I won't let you destroy me. . . "
As I'm sure everyone already knows: The answers are correct if you are talking about the "P" button on the dash board. If you are referring to the "parking brake" or "emergency brake" petal on the floor by your left foot then they are, of course, incorrect. The emergency/parking brake just operates the rear brakes through a cable and will work if the car is moving or stopped. BTW if you push park or power while the car is just barely rolling sometimes it will go in to park, with a clunk and a shudder, I avoid doing this. If you push "power" while actually going down the road nothing happens. But if you hold it in for a couple of seconds the car will go to neutral and the HSD system will shut down. You will still have steering and brakes but the steering will feel very heavy because the pwr steering motor has no power. You can coast or brake to a stop and once you are stopped you can restart the car in the normal fashion.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Aug 3 2006, 08:43 AM) [snapback]296906[/snapback]</div> But that would be... bad
Interesting, has anyone tried exiting the car with the smart key while the car is running? Does it turn off once you are out of range, or does it care? I was thinking how easy it might be to valet the car and forget that the key is in my pocket?
SKS won't let you lock it while in READY, but one can leave it in READY and walk away and it will keep running. It will beep at you briefly, but of course the beep could go unheard.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ajprius @ Aug 3 2006, 12:50 PM) [snapback]297030[/snapback]</div> Yes - I've done this (in park) and it beeps at me a few times like "come back, please come back" but it stays on. I've done this to allow the radio to stay on for a while because someone wanted to wait in the car whil I ran a quick errand. I have not tried having them try and move the car - I don't think that would work anyway. Now I wonder what would happen if you accidentally dropped the smartkey out a window while driving (on a controlled course of course)?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rand Reed @ Aug 3 2006, 11:57 AM) [snapback]297140[/snapback]</div> I think it will beep but you can just keep driving down the road in a normal fashion. If you shut it off you won't be able to restart it without the key though. If you get car jacked you would have the smart key and the thief would be out of luck once he shut it off, of course so would you because you would have a key and no car.
