New Owner - 2008 Prius

[Burma Sauce]

Hello all,

Late this afternoon I picked up a 2008 Prius T Spirit from Inchcape Toyota in Oxford. Dropped of my 1998 LS400 which I've owned for the past 7 years. I will miss driving it but I won't miss the petrol bills!

When I picked up the Prius the fuel gauge was on 1 bar, so I stopped on the way home to fill up. Managed to fit about 55 quid in there (last time I filled the Lexus it took 98.50). When I went to pay, my card was declined twice. Fortunately I had a company card I could use. I phoned my bank when I got home and apparently the problem was that I'd spent my daily withdrawal limit by buying a car. :) Could have been embarrassing...

I took the Prius for an extended jaunt up the M40 this evening, then back home via B roads. Overall I am very pleased with it, it's obviously very different to driving the LS but I really like it.

I have a few questions:

1) the speedometer display / mirror arrangement in the dashboard is a bit smeary, with what looks like a mixture of dust and greasy fingerprints. What's the best way to clean it? I obviously don't want to scratch the lens or the mirror.

2) There is a small round black plastic button by my right knee. It has no label on it. It isn't the radar alarm disable button (already accounted for) and I don't have the smart key. The button doesn't latch, if you press it it comes back out to the same depth as it was before. I can't find it in the manual either. What is it for? :)

3) Is there any way of transferring the address book from my iPhone 4? Every time I try, the car drops the connection.

Thanks!

[Jan&tone]

Welcome to TOC

Questions....

1) try a soft cloth with some white vinegar - works on the outside of the windscreen too.

2) sounds like the on/off toggle switch for the interior motion sensor, it is in the book somewhere, but as my gen2 went some 6 montha ago The book went with it!

3) hee hee, serves you right for having an I-phone!! ... Others on here have had similar problems i think, have a browse or do a serch for 'I-Phone....

Enjoy the car, you will notice the difference between the Prius and your Lexus, you have already found the biggy at the gas station!!

[Burma Sauce]

1) I think I've got some unused soft lens cloths somewhere that I bought for my camera. I'll give one of those a try.

2) definitely not the motion sensor, that's directly under the steering wheel. This one is in the moulding beneath the side vent. I'll take a photo...

3) :P to you non iPhone user. I think I'll end up entering a selection of numbers manually. I don't call that many people so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. I've had a few conversations in the car and so far it seems that the people on the other end have great difficulty understanding me, despite the fact that I'm talking VERY LOUDLY. I fitted a Parrot kit in the Lexus and everyone remarked on how good it sounded. Ah well.

[capnbirdseye]

It sounds like a blank for the the smart key disable button fitted to N.American series 2 but not EU versions for some reason

[sjrainsford]

The alarm interior sensor disable is a button like you've described so maybe it's that?

You're out of luck with the iPhone. However, you can just press and hold the home button on the iPhone and this will activate the iPhone voice dialing. It will beep twice, then just simply say "call Joe Bloggs" or whatever.

To cure this one, I synchronised my iPhone with my computer so all my contacts were backed up, the sync'd an old Sony Ericsson phone with the computer thus transferring all those contacts to it. Then I just added it to the Prius as a second phone and transferred the contacts from that.

Have put nearly 10k miles on my 07 T Spirit purchased Christmas and am loving it.

[Burma Sauce]

I've taken a photo of it - it's the small round button between the power button and the bonnet release. Attached to this post, assuming it all works.

I was wrong about it not latching - it is a latching switch. I wasn't pressing it in far enough before. Also notice the trim there seems to be coming away a bit? You can see the yellow clip. Is that normal? I can push it back, then it just pops out again.

[Sagitar]

I've taken a photo of it - it's the small round button between the power button and the bonnet release. Attached to this post, assuming it all works.

I was wrong about it not latching - it is a latching switch. I wasn't pressing it in far enough before. Also notice the trim there seems to be coming away a bit? You can see the yellow clip. Is that normal? I can push it back, then it just pops out again.

If you have forward facing parking sensors, it could be the on/off switch for them. The switch on my Gen3 is in about the same place, but it's a rocker switch.

[Burma Sauce]

If you have forward facing parking sensors, it could be the on/off switch for them. The switch on my Gen3 is in about the same place, but it's a rocker switch.

Parking sensors is a good theory. I'm going to Tesco later, I'll give it a try. Another theory I've had is maybe the previous owner installed it to cut out the speed signal to the satnav so it can be operated while the car is moving? I'll try that out later too.

[timberwolf]

It isn't a factory fitted switch, and given that your trim is coming away, it does suggest someone may have broken a clip or distorted the trim/panel when installing or removing something behind that panel or when they were installing the button?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It's probably an electric gate control. Find out the previous owner and pop down their address. If they have electric gates give it a press

[Burma Sauce]

I've just had a reply from an email query to the dealer, and he suggested a gate / garage door opener. I will experiment later to see if it's front parking sensors or satnav bypass. Frustratingly I'm working from home today! Normally that would be great news but today I want to play with my new toy. :)

[Burma Sauce]

Turns out I have front parking sensors. Sagitar wins a virtual beer token. :-)

Thanks all.

[Peter Sale]

I persuaded the dealer to supply the latest sat-nav disks as part of the deal when I got my 57 T-spirit in February - useful in that it can be programmed on the move unlike the previous version.

Enjoy it - quite a lot of manual to read isn't there !

Peter

[Burma Sauce]

My nav disks are 2008/9. Not too old. Certainly more recent than the CD in my LS which didn't have the M6 Toll on it. Haven't really tried using it yet so I don't know if mine can be programmed while driving. I do know it's the same voice as in the Lexus. My kids like sending her up. "Please proceed to the highlighted route...". Yes the manual is pretty chunky!

I bought one of those "E Cloths" from Tesco this evening and cleaned the speedo display, and the inside of the windscreen. Everything crystal clear now.

[Chris Dance]

You will not be able to programme it whilst driving. But you can cancel a destination whilst driving. Remember to check if it is set for toll roads or it will not recognise the M6 toll.

[capnbirdseye]

You guys are talking about 'disks' for 2008/9 ? my 2007 Prius has around 22 countries on just one multi layer disk

[Burma Sauce]

You guys are talking about 'disks' for 2008/9 ? my 2007 Prius has around 22 countries on just one multi layer disk

The other disks are at home so I can't check their names exactly, but I've got 4 disks total. The one in the car is UK (inc. NI), I also have something like Central Europe, Northern Europe and Southern Europe. Or it might be east / west.

[capnbirdseye]

You guys are talking about 'disks' for 2008/9 ? my 2007 Prius has around 22 countries on just one multi layer disk

The other disks are at home so I can't check their names exactly, but I've got 4 disks total. The one in the car is UK (inc. NI), I also have something like Central Europe, Northern Europe and Southern Europe. Or it might be east / west.

that's quite odd that there's some cars with one disk & some with 4 even on to 2008/9. When I display the countries it has 1/2/3 at the top of the screen (which are the different layers) & turns to different numbers according to which countries I select, first layer is UK & Vatican City, and others are all the basically the left hand part of Europe up to Sweden etc & down to Slovakia, Poland, Italy,etc 25 in total