[Pebble Beach]

Have to say that 90% of the time I do. I remember before I got my Prius I half joked I would do this to avoid the distraction and was told not to because I would miss "valuable information".

Now that I have the feel of the car I can tell what is optimal speed and the displays are just a distraction. Am I the only one?

 

[grebe]

I leave it on 99% of the time - only if it's very dark out and I'm on a long drive do I turn it off. I just love the "game" of getting the best gas mileage. I can't help it - I'm addicted to the "info" screen.

On a similar subject, I do think it is insane that one can turn off the "mph" display completely so as to have no idea how fast one is driving. Why would they ever build that into the car!? I suppose it helps with super-stealth mode (i.e. no engine OR lights of any kind). Strange... I can see it now "I'm sorry officer, I have no idea how fast I was going, I turned off my display!"

 

[snlcross]

I leave it on all the time 'cause it helps me remember to drive smart. At night I turn to dim.

 

[AgentElrond]

I leave mine on; I just don't stare at it. :shock:

 

[Victor]

I expect at night I will turn it off from time to time, at least on short trips. What is this about turning off the MPH display? How? Ive never heard of this, and cant see why either.

 

[jamarimutt]

I leave it on all the time because it's the only way to change the speed of the air conditioner fan.

 

[mrv]

I expect at night I will turn it off from time to time, at least on short trips. What is this about turning off the MPH display? How? Ive never heard of this, and cant see why either.

The UK Prius is different than the US Prius. I suppose that the European Prius is closest to the UK Prius...

In the US, there is a little dimmer wheel (rheostat?) near the driver's knee on the dash. When the headlight switch is on, the dimmer wheel will dim the interior dash lights, including the MPH/odometer display, all the way down to black/unlit. There is also a soft button on the LCD screen to turn the display back to full brightness or "Day Mode" when the headlight switch is on.

My understanding is that the UK Prius does not have the dimmer switch. (In classic UK Prius, the dimmer switch would manually raise/lower the headlight level.) The Day Mode soft button works the same. However, the UK Prius has a button (I think they press and hold the MPH/KPH button) to change the interior/dash lights from full bright to a single dim option when the headlight switch is on.


There's a humorous story of a older woman who got a grealy discounted classic Prius because the salesman thought that the spedometer didn't work. The woman continued driving like that, until another happy Prius owner (the person who related the story) approched her one day to inquire about her car and swap stories. He turned up the dimmer wheel, as she didn't know what speed she was driving or what gear she was in.


It's kinda scary the first time or two that unbeknown to you the dimmer wheel is turned down on you, and you're driving and suddenly notice no spedometer display! Quite frightening, until you remember and fix the dimmer wheel.


I think that all Prius have the "Screen Off" softbutton for the LCD screen. That'll only turn off the display of the Energy Monitor or the Consumption Screen. If you press the audio button, or the map button, or whatever the climate control button is on the 2004, that screen will come up momentarily for you to use it, then go blank again.

 

[DAVID]

I leave mine off most of the time. I enjoy the overall driving experience more if I'm not fixated on looking at my mpg. And if you want to see the climate screen to change the fan speed, or whatever, all you have to do is hit the climate button on the left side of the console...the screen will light up for about 15 seconds.

 

[grebe]

Yeah, in my 2004, the "dimmer" dial (to the left of the steering column) dims the screen display, as well as the "mph" dashboard display (so that at night it isn't BRIGHT green).

One night I dimmed it as much as I could (all the way down) and, blink, the entire dashboard display goes off! Can't see how much gas I have left, nor how fast I'm going, etc. Very interesting way to drive...

 

[windsurfdog]

I leave it on all the time because it's the only way to change the speed of the air conditioner fan.

If I'm not mistaken, turning off the INFO display does not pre-emp the operation of audio, climate or probably most other functions other than the mpg/hybrid system screens. I turn mine off at night to reduce interior light and anytime I want to adjust the audio/climate, I just push the button and it appears. Afterwards, it goes back off.

 

[03Jill]

When I was 19 yrs old I drove from Sunnyvale CA to Roseville, CA (about a 1hr 30 min drive) flicking my lighter the whole way to tell how fast I was going. When I got to my sisters house and told my brother-in-law that my light on the dash was burned out he simply got in and turned the headlight knob and voila lights. He did not let me forget this for many years!

Jill

 

[Zach]

:lol: That's awesome 03Jill!

Reminds me of old tech support calls, "My computer won't turn on!" "Have you plugged it in?" "Of course I've...uhh...ahem...I've got to go."

 

[BIF]

I'm laughing, too. :lol:

Thank you for sharing, Jill!

 

[snlcross]

ROTFLMAO

 

[karenann]

I leave it on 99% of the time - only if it's very dark out and I'm on a long drive do I turn it off. I just love the "game" of getting the best gas mileage. I can't help it - I'm addicted to the "info" screen.

On a similar subject, I do think it is insane that one can turn off the "mph" display completely so as to have no idea how fast one is driving. Why would they ever build that into the car!? I suppose it helps with super-stealth mode (i.e. no engine OR lights of any kind). Strange... I can see it now "I'm sorry officer, I have no idea how fast I was going, I turned off my display!"

HOW IS THE WORLD DOES ONE TURN OFF THE MPH SCREEN? I would not want to do that "by accident."

 

[mrv]

I leave it on 99% of the time - only if it's very dark out and I'm on a long drive do I turn it off. I just love the "game" of getting the best gas mileage. I can't help it - I'm addicted to the "info" screen.

On a similar subject, I do think it is insane that one can turn off the "mph" display completely so as to have no idea how fast one is driving. Why would they ever build that into the car!? I suppose it helps with super-stealth mode (i.e. no engine OR lights of any kind). Strange... I can see it now "I'm sorry officer, I have no idea how fast I was going, I turned off my display!"

HOW IS THE WORLD DOES ONE TURN OFF THE MPH SCREEN? I would not want to do that "by accident."

Assuming that you have a North American Prius:

Turn on your headlights. Now, use the little dimmer wheel that lowers the interior dash lights. Turn it all the way down. Your MPH, odometer, fuel gage, PRNDB, etc. display will go from a bright green, to a dull green, to black (no lights at all = off). pages 3 and 107 of the 2004 owner's manual for the switch location.


The original mention on this thread had to do with turning off the Energy Screen/Consumption Monitor, to remove driver distraction. 2004 Owner's manual page 152. I think the procedure is the same on 2004 and classic Prius, press the display button, and then the "screen off" soft button. Turning it back on again is a completely different procedure...

 

[patrickg]

A friend and I used to fly together on instruments and would sometimes turn off all the cockpit lights but turn the landing lights on sometimes to illuminate the clouds and give some reference to ouir gyrations and then take turns seeing who could keep the plane essentially under control the longest. Once definitely "loosing it" we'd switch the instrument lights back on and recover from whatever unusual attitude we were in and then do it again.

Of course we had no "speed limit", oncoming traffic at out altitude, or such a narrow "lane" to stay in. Out in New Mexico, west Texas, and the like I have turned off all lights and driven by the light of the moon. Of course not in traffic but traffic can be kinda scarce out there sometimes.

So far I like "playing" with the display so don't switch it off. Once the "NEW" wears off I might shut it down part of the time...maybe.

Pat