Pre-Crash Protection System

[trapdoor]

Just taken delivery of a new Prius T-Spirit with the safety pack. However the manual and info is a bit vague about what the Pre-Crash safety system comprises, most specifically, the 'Pre-crash Braking' facility (not to be confused with Pre-crash Brake Assist). The manual states 'if equipped' and shows a switch to disable, but the car doesn't have the switch.

I know Toyota owner manuals leave a bit to be desired, after having had a Gen II for the past 4 years, I got used to how ambiguous parts of the owners manual are, but it's pretty frustrating where there are regional variations to options that the manual is so general.

So, does the UK market Pre-Crash protection (Safety Pack) come equipped with the Pre-crash braking? Anyone know?

[Seamaster73]

Yes.

[GreenJuice]

Switch is under the steering wheel I think. You have to get on your back and look up!

[trapdoor]

Switch is under the steering wheel I think. You have to get on your back and look up!

Well I had a good hunt and feel around under the wheel, the lip where the knee airbag is and couldn't find a button. I'll have another look later, but I'm not convinced there is a switch fitted on mine..... seems a bit daft having a switch where you can't get at it, though if the heated seat switches are anything to go by.....

[trapdoor]

Well, thanks GreenJuice - I have now found the switch . What a daft place to put it, but I suppose it means you can't activate it by mistake I had to get a small mirror and work my way along from the orange pool light, and it came into view. So I pressed it and lo and behold the PCS legend lights up in the MID.

Have to say, there are many improvements over the GenII, but the quality of the plastic interior trim is even worse (and the GenII was pretty, well, plasticy). Was disappointed that they didn't even provide the rubber mats in the glove box(es) which means stuff tends to rattle around a bit.

Anyhow, thanks for everyones help. Just need to sort out getting the DAB module installed

[Bibsy]

Well, thanks GreenJuice - I have now found the switch

Why did you want to disable the braking, as a matter of interest? Sounds like a good feature to me!

[trapdoor]

Well, thanks GreenJuice - I have now found the switch

Why did you want to disable the braking, as a matter of interest? Sounds like a good feature to me!

I didn't! But finding the switch confirms the fact that the car was fitted with the pre-crash braking facility. No switch meant that the option wasn't included in the UK market. The manual is totally vague about which options are fitted with which packs for a given market country, and as the manual showed a pictogram for a LHD car, the concern was that it wasn't fitted.

It's like the 'Lane Keep Assist' function of the Radar Cruise is not available in the UK market, nor is the door 'auto-lock' function. Now with the LKA, it's an easy one to spot as the button on the steering wheel is blanked off (wonder if fitting a button enables LKA, like fitting an EV button to USA GenII's enabled EV?) - so the thinking was that if the PCB button is missing/blanked off, then it's not available. It didn't help matters that I couldn't find the button initially, as it's in a really awkward place to see/feel.

[Bibsy]

Ah, got you. Makes sense to the hard of understanding like me now! Good call.

Just as an aside, talking of LKA, I've never used the Toyota version. But we had a test drive in a Honda with LKA and it was a nightmare. It kept a fixed eighteen inches or so from the left hand lane markings, so when you overtook lorries in the centre lane you were right up against them on the left, and there the car sat. You had to overrride it all the time. Frightened my Mrs to bits.

[trapdoor]

Ah, got you. Makes sense to the hard of understanding like me now! Good call.

Just as an aside, talking of LKA, I've never used the Toyota version. But we had a test drive in a Honda with LKA and it was a nightmare. It kept a fixed eighteen inches or so from the left hand lane markings, so when you overtook lorries in the centre lane you were right up against them on the left, and there the car sat. You had to overrride it all the time. Frightened my Mrs to bits.

Sounds like it was maladjusted :P - AFAIK, the Prius LKA uses a camera mounted in the centre of the windscreen under the mirror mount that looks for the white lane lines and is supposed to keep you bang in the middle. I thought it was only an 'assist' though, not an 'autopilot', so you still had to do the steering, it's just if you crept too close to either side of the lane it would warn you, and if you crept across the lane without indicating, it would 'nudge' the steering in the right direction.

I assume it's not fitted in the UK because the lane markings are either shot, badly painted or just too complex - or perhaps as you found, it was just plain scary!!

[Bibsy]

That's pretty much an exact description of the Honda system we drove three years back - centre camera etc.. It does require you to keep your hands on the wheel, and it whistled and beeped all over the shop when it readjusted the steering.

It might in fact be there is only one system and they've both just licensed it I guess.

I think LKA is something I'd put in the Intelligent Park Assist category, which, in common with most of the Prius world I really like and never use other than to make random strangers go "ooh!". The alternative way of doing that results in jail time, so it's a bargain.

The one gadget I'd sell my grandma's teeth for though is radar cruise, but that will have to wait till the next Prius, or of course, six numbers on a Saturday night.

[trapdoor]

The one gadget I'd sell my grandma's teeth for though is radar cruise, but that will have to wait till the next Prius, or of course, six numbers on a Saturday night.

:D

Not tried it out in ours yet - I want to get a fairly quiet time on the M5 ... just in case it goes horribly wrong. Probably give it a go on Monday as I'm off up the M5 mid morning. The Mrs isn't too convinced, but I'm quite keen on using it - I don't think she ever used the normal Cruise in our old T-spirit, and as for IPA - I tried it twice. Both times, it scared the bejinga's out of me as it looked like it was going to clip the side of the car ... so never tried it again. The 'new' park assist is supposed to be better - we'll see.

I'm a bit of a gadg freak and like all the new technology - the Mrs on the other hand isn't so sure.......

Now, how to test out the 'crash assist'??

[Seamaster73]

I've only enjoyed radar cruise for a few weeks on my new Prius, but already I'd never order another new car without it.

[trapdoor]

I've only enjoyed radar cruise for a few weeks on my new Prius, but already I'd never order another new car without it.

Used the Radar Cruise today in anger - absolutely marvellous! Glad we optioned it now, and it's quite agressive when someone jumps into your 'safety space' in front - would be ideal if you could set it to flash your lights, honk the horn and also give them the finger

Just got to experience the pre-crash safety doodah where it yanks your seatbelt in and stands on the brakes for you!