Various beeping sounds

[Fangz]

Hi, can folks explain these beeping sounds I get now and then? I don't think they are anything to worry about but I don't know what my car is trying to tell me. This is on a 2021 Yaris.

The first is when I turn off the engine with the key. I think when the engine is running? What gets me is that it doesn't always happen.

The second is when I'm in radar cruise and I go down a hill. Is it detecting I'm exceeding my set speed?

 

Thanks if you can help solve these mysteries.

[CPN]

51 minutes ago, Fangz said:

The first is when I turn off the engine with the key. I think when the engine is running? What gets me is that it doesn't always happen.

This is usually a kind of "informative" beep that is telling that there has been a past event which may or may not be a compromise the vehicle's security. e.g. someone has been under the bonnet and closed it since the last first "on" of the system.

I have a bad habit of leaving my driver's window ajar (I have wind deflectors) and it beeps at me as I turn off to remind me that the window is still open...

51 minutes ago, Fangz said:

The second is when I'm in radar cruise and I go down a hill. Is it detecting I'm exceeding my set speed?

That is precisely what that particular beep is...

[Fangz]

I don't feel the first explanation is terribly likely, I mean I've had it when I been only in the car all day. I have a sense that it might be when I turn off the engine too "suddenly" or something. There's no message on the dash to accompany it.

[CPN]

11 minutes ago, Fangz said:

I don't feel the first explanation is terribly likely, I mean I've had it when I been only in the car all day. I have a sense that it might be when I turn off the engine too "suddenly" or something. There's no message on the dash to accompany it.

My first explanation is what most random beeps are about. As for your sense, you can't turn the engine off "too suddenly". The system doesn't mind at all. You could start the car up cold, wait for the ICE to kick in (as it usually does) and then instantly turn off and the car will not complain at all.

No, these beeps are all about recorded events by the system... (usually to do with safety or security)

[Fangz]

If it is a recorded event, is it possible to find out what the event is?

[CPN]

Only with Techstream AFAIK. A normal OBDII scanner will not show the event log...

[MikeSh]

2 hours ago, Fangz said:

The first is when I turn off the engine with the key. I think when the engine is running? What gets me is that it doesn't always happen.

Is it when you have the lights on still?

Or perhaps if it's still in gear at that stage? (Or not in P if it's an auto or hybrid ... Your car description is vague.)

[Cyker]

Mine makes so many beeps - Could be lights, seat belt, door open, window open, cold, proximity alert, lane drift, auto-steer cancel, fuel level, AEB, etc. - I just ignore them as I never know what they are trying to tell me, and despite there being an entire section in the MFD for Messages, it never puts any in there for me to read back!

The only time it had anything in there was when I had the hybrid system malfunction message, but once it was cleared the message no longer appeared in it, and I really don't know what the point of it is if the messages get auto-deleted - No driver is going to be reading the message section while they are driving or while things are happening!

 

[Fangz]

 

40 minutes ago, MikeSh said:

Is it when you have the lights on still?

Or perhaps if it's still in gear at that stage? (Or not in P if it's an auto or hybrid ... Your car description is vague.)

It's a hybrid. I don't think it's that the lights are on and the car is in P. Maybe it could be I have my foot on the brake?

[MikeSh]

1 minute ago, Fangz said:

 

It's a hybrid. I don't think it's that the lights are on and the car is in P. Maybe it could be I have my foot on the brake?

If you haven't got it in P it may beep to warn you (risk of rolling away). 

[cinclus]

I recently bought a 2023 Yaris Cross Hybrid Excel.  In many ways a fine small car (a bit too small, to be honest) but oh those warning sounds! Two different ones when I first get into the car and haven't yet done anything. If only there were some way to silence them. Is there? 

[hind]

How often do they bother you that you want to get rid of that safety feature?

If they happen when the vehicle is stationary and they indicate fault of one of the systems, better get rid of the cause, not try to fight with the effect

[cinclus]

On 2/13/2024 at 1:51 PM, hind said:

How often do they bother you that you want to get rid of that safety feature?

Well that's all very well, but if one has no idea what the sound means then it doesn't serve any useful purpose at all and is merely an irritation. And that is precisely the case with the two different sounds that accompany the start of every trip in my Yaris X, and both before I have even turned the engine on or moved an inch. 

[hind]

I'd go to the Toyota service and just ask them what are these sounds instead of trying to disable them, but hey, that's just me 🙂

[Roy124]

Stephen, this will be a pain, but approach the problem as in time and motion study.

At every single step pause, note sound or no sound.  When the sound occurs write down exactly what happened. 

Then also check all switch positions, especially lights.  Write a description of the sound; was it a deep pitch, medium or high?  How many repetitions; was it rapid or slow.

For example, when driving on a twisting country lane you might get both an overspeed and lane assistance warning.

 

[Roy124]

@Hind,  with the best description that you can determine. 

"There's a rattle somewhere in the back"

The next sound will be 'Ker-ching' of their cash register. 

[hind]

19 minutes ago, cinclus said:

two different sounds that accompany the start of every trip in my Yaris X

If that happens every time then there is nothing to investigate, just ask if they can tell what's that sound. The car is still under warranty, use it 🙂

 

[Roy124]

Just started my car.  Three sounds.

A single medium pitch note as it tells me I am in Ready mode.  A happy tune as the media system lights up.  A series of high pitched, rapid beeps from the front or rear proximity sensors until I am clear.

The first 'message' is on the small screen and is 'Ready' the happy tune message is signified by the screen lighting up.  The proximity warning is shown by the appropriate sensors displaying where the obstruction is.

Over time you will tune out of these comfort  sounds.  You may even notice the silence when it's not there.

[sandym]

I have a very annoying beeping when slowing to a stop. A single beep, pause, then three beeps. What is it trying to tell me.

[Roy124]

Sandy,  again more info.

Does this happen every time?  Does it happen anywhere, open space,  confined space,  entering a garage etç

[cinclus]

It would be nice if there were an option to turn off all sounds other than those palpably of real importance. As many owners are clearly at a loss as to the meaning of many of these sounds, they are effectively pointless.

[CPN]

I would suggest that if these sounds actually exist, then there will be some level of importance associated with their existence and using the phrase "real importance" is surely quite subjective and will differ by opinion anyway.

In any event, all of the sounds and events are documented in the (online available) e-manual for a given car model and it is surely up to the customer to read and familiarise themselves with all of them?

I doubt that you can describe any of them as "effectively pointless"!

[Cyker]

TBH I'd tend to agree with the effectively pointless comment, as half the time you don't know what it's beeping at you about - IMHO the beeps need to be more distinguishable or at least configurable as they are mostly just an annoying and useless distraction at the moment.

Sadly there isn't a table or anything that I've seen in the manual that tells you what all the beeps mean, probably because they all sound the same. I nearly missed my exit on the way home because the car made a loud beep that sounded more urgent than the usual beeps and made me reflexively look down at the MFD, only for it to say the road might be icy because the temp had dropped to 3 degrees - No **** sherlock! That's really something that is not deserving of such an urgent beep!

IMHO there should only be two kinds of beep - An angry one that's to bring your attention to the road for something immediate (e.g. you're about to crash into something or the engine is on fire), and a friendly one for non-critical informational on the MFD (e.g. It's cold outside, or fuel is low or a seatbelt is not worn), and the reason for the beep should be stored in the message display until the car is turned off with a timestamp or time since, and not just immediately disappear when the cause is no longer present.

 

[hdkagawa]

Some of the beeping may be things like the aygo x's optional "check rear seat" beep if you open the backdoor(s) and then put the engine off within 10 mins, some will be lane drifting (can adjust sensitivity on the aygo or disable it but it does then give a warning light it's disabled), could be the 'crash detection' thing which can also be made less sensitive (it's still annoyingly over cautious I'd say)

After dialling the ones that reset when you restart the engine back as much as i can sensitivity wise, I just hold the button on the wheel to turn off the lane crossing one off after I power the car on now, no more annoying beeps other than the occasional 'crash detection warning' if a car is passing a parked car a relatively safe distance ahead but it's a minor annoyance for all the other benefits 🙂

[Roy124]

22 hours ago, cinclus said:

It would be nice if there were an option to turn off all sounds other than those palpably of real importance. As many owners are clearly at a loss as to the meaning of many of these sounds, they are effectively pointless.

Just be thankful they are beeps and not Bitching Betty.  An early Satnav I had with a German camera Warner.

Brunhilda in German accented Englush would announce "Slow down, you are exceeding the Speed limit."

Once, on a coach, I switched on the satnav to and she issued her stern command.  The driver jumped in his seat thinking one of the passengers was scolding him.