Needed Improvements
#11
Re: Needed Improvements
Originally Posted by jdauteuil
I would like you to post things you do like about the car...
#12
Re: Needed Improvements
Originally Posted by uwaku
As for the NAV screen, at least it's only a problem with YOUR car, not all 2006's. Toyota should definitely take care of you for that.
Any other 2006's not showing the Day Mode option in the display screen? Page 102 of the Navigation System Owner's Manual shows it.
Again don't think I feel the Prius is a terrible car in any way, I just think they could have improved it even more. Many of my dislikes about the car would not have cost Toyota more money to produce it. I do understand design and production walk a fine line.
#13
Re: Needed Improvements
Originally Posted by Resist
And one more thing. What's with the rear wiper only being able to be moved like an inch up? Come on Toyota how lame. They should be able to flip all the way up, just like the front wipers.
for me it's not even a "small deal" let alone a big deal....
here, from another thread, are a few things that DO bother me about the car:
Originally Posted by plusaf
that, and where's the USB plug in the dash for uploading MP3s or plugging in the Garmin for a recharge... oh, and i'll copy this to the NAV thread... i bought the $250 or so update for the Nav disk this year, and it still thinks my house is about 200' from where my driveway actually is... but so does maps.google.com. does anyone care how poor these databases actually are? and several nearby roads which have been relocated something like 5-8 years ago either don't show up on the Prius NAV or the system tries to take me somewhere via dead-end roads. Very poor. i bought my wife a Garmin and have learned that the cost of these "upgrades" and being locked into whatever screen resolution the auto manufacturers were using when you bought the car is nowhere near as good as buying a (resaleable) hand-held and getting updates for it over the web.
again, Toyota, are you listening? do you have ears at all?
and i DO love the car itself.... really. comfort, handling gas mileage, storage capacity, quietness, ability to tow a small trailer... etc, etc.
again, Toyota, are you listening? do you have ears at all?
and i DO love the car itself.... really. comfort, handling gas mileage, storage capacity, quietness, ability to tow a small trailer... etc, etc.
#14
Re: Needed Improvements
On consumption screen (the bar graph screen), since each bar stands for the average MPG for every 5 minutes, I like to know the distance (how many miles) I gone in each of the 5 minutes. Perhaps a little number display right above the bar.
This may be just me, but I think the transmission positions (for R and D) are somewhat counter-intuitive. I find myself pulling the gear down (backward) when trying to go into Reverse, and pushing the gear up (forward) when trying to go into Drive. Luckily I have not caused an accident yet; but it could easily happen in a garage, driveway, or parallel parking situation.
On the Smart Key, I wish the driver door will unlock all dooors (like passenger front door or the hatch). On that plus side I am now a southern gentleman, always opening the passengers side door first (so all doors are unlocked).
And last one, for my back seat passengers. Since there are still lots of space in the rear hatch, Toyota should give the backseat some recline ability. Standard seats are very upright, and gets uncomfortable on long rides.
This may be just me, but I think the transmission positions (for R and D) are somewhat counter-intuitive. I find myself pulling the gear down (backward) when trying to go into Reverse, and pushing the gear up (forward) when trying to go into Drive. Luckily I have not caused an accident yet; but it could easily happen in a garage, driveway, or parallel parking situation.
On the Smart Key, I wish the driver door will unlock all dooors (like passenger front door or the hatch). On that plus side I am now a southern gentleman, always opening the passengers side door first (so all doors are unlocked).
And last one, for my back seat passengers. Since there are still lots of space in the rear hatch, Toyota should give the backseat some recline ability. Standard seats are very upright, and gets uncomfortable on long rides.
#15
Re: Needed Improvements
Originally Posted by ck90211
On consumption screen (the bar graph screen), since each bar stands for the average MPG for every 5 minutes, I like to know the distance (how many miles) I gone in each of the 5 minutes. Perhaps a little number display right above the bar. . . .
Ken has a great little device that captures data from the NHW20 Prius and can be used to make graphs like this and even more detailed.
Bob Wilson
#16
Re: Needed Improvements
Wow Ken's graph is very detailed, it has all the data needed to compute average and instant mileage. I was just hoping to know how far I go during each of the bar (in the Consumption Screen). I know the mileage, just hoping to know how far I gone with that mileage.
I think CAN-View toolkit can capture these data into a laptop or whatever. Problem I have, is I don't think anyone has figured out how to hack into a 06/07 MFD yet. And probably even harder to add some strings/characters into an existing screen (ie consumption screen).
I sure hope Toyota open the MFD programming so we can use the default screens, or program the screens we want.
I think CAN-View toolkit can capture these data into a laptop or whatever. Problem I have, is I don't think anyone has figured out how to hack into a 06/07 MFD yet. And probably even harder to add some strings/characters into an existing screen (ie consumption screen).
I sure hope Toyota open the MFD programming so we can use the default screens, or program the screens we want.
#17
Re: Needed Improvements
There is no doubt that Toyota observes groups like these to inform future designs. Why they have not yet offered an 'enriched' Prius data display is anybody's guess. Perhaps there is a clue in the fact that a fair proportion of Prius drivers still get confused about pressing the brake pedal before the 'power' button.
DAS
DAS
#18
Re: Needed Improvements
Originally Posted by ck90211
On consumption screen (the bar graph screen), since each bar stands for the average MPG for every 5 minutes, I like to know the distance (how many miles) I gone in each of the 5 minutes. Perhaps a little number display right above the bar.
This may be just me, but I think the transmission positions (for R and D) are somewhat counter-intuitive. I find myself pulling the gear down (backward) when trying to go into Reverse, and pushing the gear up (forward) when trying to go into Drive. Luckily I have not caused an accident yet; but it could easily happen in a garage, driveway, or parallel parking situation.
On the Smart Key, I wish the driver door will unlock all dooors (like passenger front door or the hatch). On that plus side I am now a southern gentleman, always opening the passengers side door first (so all doors are unlocked).
And last one, for my back seat passengers. Since there are still lots of space in the rear hatch, Toyota should give the backseat some recline ability. Standard seats are very upright, and gets uncomfortable on long rides.
This may be just me, but I think the transmission positions (for R and D) are somewhat counter-intuitive. I find myself pulling the gear down (backward) when trying to go into Reverse, and pushing the gear up (forward) when trying to go into Drive. Luckily I have not caused an accident yet; but it could easily happen in a garage, driveway, or parallel parking situation.
On the Smart Key, I wish the driver door will unlock all dooors (like passenger front door or the hatch). On that plus side I am now a southern gentleman, always opening the passengers side door first (so all doors are unlocked).
And last one, for my back seat passengers. Since there are still lots of space in the rear hatch, Toyota should give the backseat some recline ability. Standard seats are very upright, and gets uncomfortable on long rides.
the forward/reverse **** will become comfortable after a while. back in the early 50s and before, reverse was at the bottom and drive was right below park and neutral. we all adjusted in time.
the remote can be programmed, i believe, to EITHER open just the driver's door on one push [my preference, and a nice safety factor in some parking locations] OR all the doors. a double-push unlocks all four doors and the hatch, too.
as for reclining the back seat, remember, the drive batter has to go somewhere, and it's right behind the back seats, so until they figure how to put that under the car or somewhere else, the rear seats probably won't recline. fortunately, as the driver, you don't have to suffer that problem....
enjoy!
#19
Re: Needed Improvements
Originally Posted by bwilson4web
Ken has a great little device that captures data from the NHW20 Prius and can be used to make graphs like this and even more detailed.
Bob Wilson
Bob Wilson
Thank you for the chart. It's beautiful!
Ken@Japan
#20
Re: Needed Improvements
Originally Posted by ck90211
. . .
I think CAN-View toolkit can capture these data into a laptop or whatever. Problem I have, is I don't think anyone has figured out how to hack into a 06/07 MFD yet. And probably even harder to add some strings/characters into an existing screen (ie consumption screen). . . .
I think CAN-View toolkit can capture these data into a laptop or whatever. Problem I have, is I don't think anyone has figured out how to hack into a 06/07 MFD yet. And probably even harder to add some strings/characters into an existing screen (ie consumption screen). . . .
All that is needed for fuel consumption is the count of injector pulses and duration. You have to take out 0.5 ms for inertia and valve open-close, but the rest is pretty much the fuel consumption. As for distance, there are several excellent hacks including Hobbit's tapping into the ABS wheel encoder and injector signals. I've used a magnetic probe but just on MG1/MG2, not on the injectors. Add an accurate clock and you've got the source data for a much improved MPG display.
Recently, I've been playing around with a TI MSP430-F2013 and believe a pretty basic prototype could be put together for less than $50 . . . assuming you already have a handy display device (aka., palm pilot, laptop, e.t.c.)
Let me put it this way, CAN is not the only way to measure fundimental vehicle characteristics. All it takes is will and a certain amount of disdain for warranties . . . especially after 3 yrs / 36,000 miles. <GRINS>
Bob Wilson