More Prius Fun! The Secret BEEP Code Revealed & Advanced Diagnostic Readouts
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 02. 2.06
People have really been liking our recent post on “hacking” the electronic functions of the Prius. And as is the norm with our brilliant readers, all the great feedback has brought additional covert methods to our attention. Tipster Greg led us to a link at PriusChat.com that tells how to disable the reverse beep and/or the seatbelt beep without opening anything up at all. It involves using the odometer button and a series moves that is, I think, the same code I used to beat Zelda on my Nintendo. (PriusChat also has what looks like a great iPod interface and a slick spoiler) Another hot tip came from Greg, and this one is on a whole other level.
By tapping into the diagnostic port used to service the Prius, also known as the Controller Area Network (CAN), a person can monitor detailed information about the car’s internal functions. Made for the 2003- 2005 Prius by Hybrid Interfaces, this system mounts in the glove box or under the passenger seat and routs the diagnostic info to the LCD screen. Some of the viewable parameters are: battery voltage,flow of current to and from the battery, engine RPM, engine block temperature, and horsepower. :: PriusChat and Hybrid Interfaces
Is there a code to make it beep on the outside only, like when superman made the red light come on outside the power removal chamber in Superman I?
It doesn't beep on the outside. The beep is to let the driver know the car will move when they let their foot off the brake. It's kind of a silly safety feature, but the Prius is dead silent when it's still, so the logic is understandable.
You can purchase light bulbs that plug into the reverse light sockets that beep on the outside to let people behind the car know it's in reverse. You can find them on eBay or in many automotive parts stores. You can also buy a beeping Son-A-Lert module and wire it into the reverse lamp circut easily enough. Either way it will set you back between $10 - 20 bucks.