New 2011 Prius Owner Looking For Help With Satnav (And Mp3 Discs)

[norwichred]

I would be very grateful in advance for some advice.

I bought my first Toyota Prius 2011 t spirit a few days ago. It's a t spirit model with a built in HDD.

I was given a blank navigation DVD box with it so assume the discs are somewhere but where I do not know.

The satnav seems not to have been updated since 2011 I assume although I don't know.

Went to our local Toyota dealer today (Dingles in Norwich) who told me they could sell me the latest DVDs for £130.

But I have no DVD slot and I assume that the data is on the HDD as 25% seems to have been taken before I rip CDs.

So my question is : how do I update my satnav?

Thanks in advance?

[PeteB]

I think on your model the control unit is under the front passenger seat - there should be a button somewhere to eject the DVD, and you insert the new one in the same place (it might be a tray or slot).

If you buy the latest CD from Dingles Norwich (I've used them for 13 years and found them very helpful), I'd be surprised if they don't install it for you if you ask.

Although if it's the HDD version, I think the dealer has to connect a computer and do it for you - there were a number of different systems on various models of Prius - it seemed to change in 2004, 2006, late 2009 (2010 model) and for the 2012 model!).

[norwichred]

I'll have a look tomorrow - thanks for the advice,

They were very nice in there. However, I am rather reluctant to pay £130 for a new set of discs, however surprisingly good the satnav is. You can get a very decent tomtom for that.

I also have to pay £478 to get DAB installed, and I only bought the car yesterday.....

If I can find where the DVD goes then I may see if there are any alternative sources (not illegal, maybe second hand on eBay or something). If they were £50 or £60 I'd just do it......

[norwichred]

I also just realised that I didn't mention my MP3 disc issue. I've read online that people have had success with playing DVDs of MP3s in the player but I have not been able to manage it.

Has anyone here had any success?

[PeteB]

I can't help with MP3 issue - I know I got it to work on a Gen 2 Prius, but use a USB stick these days.

I've stopped using the built in SatNav too, and bought a TomTom 6000, described in the following 2 posts:

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/167483-map-of-europe/?p=1383487

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/167483-map-of-europe/?p=1393818

[norwichred]

Oh yeah! Forgot there was a USB socket! D'oh!

Dunno if it's a USB in for the entertainment unit but will try that today! Hope it is! However, there's no USB button on the entertainment until so suspect it isn't :(

Thanks!

As for the satnav we bought a new £200 top of the range one a few months ago before we knew we'd change cars. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the in-unit so we're hoping to use it. But not for £130 :)

[norwichred]

No USB :( that must have been the other car I test drove.

There is an aux in though. Maybe I could get a USB to aux converter and then a USB stick.

Did find the control unit under the drivers seat for the satnav.

Can we as users change the disc? (Assume we can as I have the other European discs.

Really appreciate your help.

[PeteB]

Yes, I'm sure I've read of other owners changing the disc, but it was a while ago

[PeteB]

Oh yes, and I don't think it's possible to convert USB to AUX directly.

If you got a cheap MP3 player (or an expensive one for that matter), you could connect that, or even your phone - my ex did that on her Aygo and got a short lead with a 3½mm jack each end,

[PeteB]

...we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the in-unit so we're hoping to use it. But not for £130 :)

I did use the built in one in my Prius for a while- it's certainly convenient and quite usable.

But I got fed up because it (my one, the Touch & Go Plus) doesn't save journeys, just individual stops. The map updates are via the Internet, and cost £110 each after the free update period, and they're nowhere near up to date.

Plus the RDS-TMC traffic is better than nothing, but the free for life TomTom traffic data updated via mobile phone network is light years better. I even use it just going to the next town, it saves me a couple of hours a week, mainly because, compared to TMC:

1. it's much more up to date
2. it covers more side roads

Also the quarterly free for life map updates are way, way ahead of the last update I got from Toyota, and they only seem to issue 'annual' updates about every 18 months!

WIth the powered magnetic mount, I'd no hassle at all to drop the TomTom onto the mount when I get in the car - it then switches itself straight on. When I turn the car off, it automatically goes to sleep, and I lift it off the cradle.

I can save whole routes, and it's ready to use much faster than the built in system.

[johalareewi]

I bought my first Toyota Prius 2011 t spirit a few days ago. It's a t spirit model with a built in HDD.

I was given a blank navigation DVD box with it so assume the discs are somewhere but where I do not know.

The satnav seems not to have been updated since 2011 I assume although I don't know.

So my question is : how do I update my satnav?

Thanks in advance?

For the UK gen3 T-Spirit Prius, the satnav is on the hard disk drive and cannot be updated by DVD.

It has to be updated by MrT at great expense.

AFAIK only the UK had this.

The gen3 facelift rolled out touch and go across the range.

[PeteB]

Yes, of course! You're right Alan.

I was thrown by the reference to the DVD box (not sure what that can be!) but if there's no USB socket that's another pointer it was the older HDD-based version.

If I understand it correctly, in the early days if someone wanted to pay an arm and a leg (I think it was £500-600) for an update someone from Toyota had to visit the dealer with the necessary equipment, and sit with the car car an hour or two while the update progressed.

I believe dealers now have the necessary kit to do it themselves but it's still a lot more than the £110 for a DIY update for the Touch & Go+!

[kithmo]

IIRC, from when I had a 2010 Gen 3, MP3 files have to be on a CD, CDR or CDRW disc , the 2009-2011 didn't have a DVD player.

[PeteB]

IIRC, from when I had a 2010 Gen 3, MP3 files have to be on a CD, CDR or CDRW disc , the 2009-2011 didn't have a DVD player.

That's right - it was the SatNav in the Gen 1 & 2 Prius that was DVD based.