Not So Smart System

[joeegg]

So ive taken the plunge and bought a 2013 Avensis T4 1.8 auto .

Absolutley love the car BUT .......

Why isnt there an option to stop the engine and keep the auxilery on ?

Press stop and the engine and electrics are both turned off and then you have to press the start switch again to start the radio etc .

If then you want the window open you have to start the engine to get it to open

So you press the button again to stop the engine and the radio goes off again !!! ARGHHH !!

The system totally presumes that all occupants disembark the vehicle upon stopping .

Is there a way around this ? or is it just another new design flaw thats as frustrating as all the other so called advancements in motoring .

[Airfan]

Push the Start/Stop button and keep your feet away from the brake. First press starts the multimedia/mirrors/windows and some other stuff, second push all electrical system, third push everything is off.

[Mike169]

Airfan gave a good answer!

I personally have a Rav4 and basically if you want to start the car, then car in neutral, mine is an auto box, foot on brake pedal, stop/start button will glow green which means as soon as you push this button then the starter motor will engage and all being well the engine will start. If you do the same but with your foot not touching the brake pedal then the stop/start button will glow orange giving you access to the cars electrical components without the engine running. When you want to start the car from this position simply push the stop/start button again, all electrical components will go out, press your foot on the brake pedal, the green light this time will glow and just as this note started the engine will fire up.

Regards Mike169

[Airfan]

Thank you, Mike169. Your is even better.

[Mike169]

.........most kind of you to say so Airfan, i just thought i could expand on what you had written as when i bought my own car i thought the same as Joeegg until i worked out how the system really worked as i of course could not believe Toyota would build a car where you needed the engine running for the electric's to work.

Mike169

[Airfan]

.........most kind of you to say so Airfan, i just thought i could expand on what you had written as when i bought my own car i thought the same as Joeegg until i worked out how the system really worked as i of course could not believe Toyota would build a car where you needed the engine running for the electric's to work.

Mike169

It is strange the dealer didn't explain some of the basics using the car. The same is written in the Users manual (700+ pages)

[alan333]

If the T4 does the same as my TR then you can operate the front electric windows for 30 secs or so after switching off the engine, as long as you've not opened a front door.

[joeegg]

Thanks for the replies , starting to make a bit more sense now .

Still a big bug is when dropping some one off and waiting for them , if you wish to turn off the engine you loose all audio/phone power and have to then press the start button to regain it , if listening to blutooth audio especially it takes ages to reconnect .

Only way ive found around it is to switch off without the car in P (park ) but N instead , a warning message then comes up to place the car in park .

Am i missing something or is this the only way around keeping the electrics on while waiting and not keeping the engine running .

[Airfan]

Thanks for the replies , starting to make a bit more sense now .

Still a big bug is when dropping some one off and waiting for them , if you wish to turn off the engine you loose all audio/phone power and have to then press the start button to regain it , if listening to blutooth audio especially it takes ages to reconnect .

Only way ive found around it is to switch off without the car in P (park ) but N instead , a warning message then comes up to place the car in park .

Am i missing something or is this the only way around keeping the electrics on while waiting and not keeping the engine running .

I agree with you about this - I haven't found workaround and I can't stop the engine unless it is in P. I've got warning message that the shift lever has to be in P to stop the engine. It stops only if I keep pushing the button for several seconds which is the emergency shut down.

[Mike169]

Hiya, glad it is starting to make more sense but like you say the system could be a bit more user friendly. Yes certain electrical things are on a 30 sec or so timer so after you have turned the engine off they work for a short while, like you said the windows and possibly more although i haven't explored it enough yet. The blue tooth bit is a bit irritating, i use this system for my phone, hands free and all that, which incidently the blue tooth set up is AMAZING, not sure what your dash head unit is like but mine has a 'TV' screen, a monitor if you like and one the phone is bluetooth connected is shows all my contacts and their phone numbers, can dial out using the monitor touch screen but on my model, i think it's the phone the messages don't come through but i believe on posher phones it would work. Back to the phone the clarity of someone chatting is to me is 10/10 and me chatting to them i only have to chat at normal volume without shouting, works very well...BUT...like you say, the bluetooth bit, each time i turn off then i have to re-link the car/phone together which takes about 15 secs and is a bit annoying as you have to keep an eye on the phone to press a certain button to accept the 'link up'. Of course if the radio is on and the phone rings then the radio goes silent whilst i am on a call, the phone/sat nav. capability exceeds my expectations. Mike169

[Airfan]

I haven't found a way to link the bluetooth only for telephone calls but not as media player. Also I can't hide the AM band which I don't use and I can't hide the stations I don't like.

[joeegg]

The most infuriating thing is that you have to switch off the engine and electrics , no consideration has been made that a driver may be waiting and will remain in the car and not want to keep the engine idling .

The blutooth takes around 30+ seconds to reconnect each time!

So heres a senario , pull up at a shop and the passenger gets out , press stop engine , press start for electrics, 30+ seconds to reconnect , passenger then comes out of shop , press start engine and another 30 + seconds for the blutooth to reconnect again !!!

Maddening to say the least .

Progress i think NOT !

[Mike169]

Yep i know where you are coming from.....i often go to the local tip/recycling yard to get rid of rubbish and the recyclable stuff since the local council decided to do fortnightly collections swopping each week to save them money despite exorbitant council tax charges, i leave my engine running to keep the bluetooth connected which maybe is not such a good idea incase the car gets stolen but i do keep the remote keys with me just incase but i understand your frustration!

[joeegg]

Totally underlines my topic title Not So Smart System .

It just promotes the bad pratice of not switching the engine off if you remain in the car when dropping off and waiting .

Its such a shame something so basic has been overlooked by the "Brains " at Toyota.

[Mike169]

Toyota need a system that leave's some electric circuits on that would allow bluetooth and whatever else to stay powered up for say 15 mins after switching off the engine, hence this would allow shutting the engine off at 'the school run' or in my case the local tip. I hope Mr T reads these forums and takes it's buyers comments on board to do something about it, even better supply a lead, a recall and do the modification FOC for those that want it. Toyota are the biggest motor manufacturer in the world and i am sure they could afford to do so.

[joeegg]

Willing to bet they will not alter anything on current /past models .

I cant even register my touch and go system and reported it to the online team and the guy I talked to said he has the same problem with his car .

[Airfan]

Hm, leaving any electrics on after you switch the ignition off is not a good practice because it my drain the Battery. All my previous vehicles (Fiat and Renault) do not keep the radio on if I stop the engine. I had to switch the radio on again... moreover the Fiat didn't allow me to keep the stereo on for more than 20 min while engine is not running. There is no perfect car - there is always something that do not fits you. In my Avensis I hate the brake calipers rattle but... c'est la vie

[joeegg]

I agree it maybe not good practice but it is what most people do and have done ever since cars have had radios etc fitted . I just have an issue with the system presuming everyone wants to get out of the car once the engine is turned off . I want to be able to make that desision myself and also crack open a window or vice versa while waiting without starting the engine to do it .

[Heidfirst]

I also want the option to leave a cigarette lighter/aux power outlet live with the ignition switched off.

e.g. I use my own aux powered compressor for tyre checks/inflation so I have to press the button to supply power to that & then of course when I wander around the car checking the tyres if the car loses track of my key (because it's outside) it then moans about it ...

[Steve_w]

Guys, I have a Rav4 (2014) and the manual states that if you turn press the start/stop button with the car in anything other than P then the engine and main electrics go off but the secondary electrics stay on. Works a treat on my Rav, I usually put the gear in N and then move to P when the engine is off. It solved the same frustration that everyone here has.

[joeegg]

Yes that works ! Thanks !