[GreyMud]

I've been more than happy with my Prius for quite a few months. Then I saw all the mods posted here (and linked to here), and I'm not as happy, at least until I get a few mods I want installed. ;^] Still in love with the car, even after driving a friends new Passat (mmmm...heated seats on a cold morning).

I was thinking about mods that I feel should have been default equipment. I've come up with 2, there are most likely others.

1) LED lights. Except for headlights, they make more sense on an EV/Hybrid. Less maintenance, more reliable, and they even look better.

2) Front window defroster. I know, you can't have those wires in the front, it's be ugly and distracting. Why not have a piece of glass/ceramic in the dash vent to warm the air for defrosting? It could even use the same switch as the rear defroster.

Any thoughts on these? Any others you've thought of, but were afraid to post because you'll look as silly as me? Any of you people smarter than me care to design any of these? Will the questions ever stop? Am I just ignorant of the technology?

Thanks for the great site, and the great links from the posters. I'm off to order my second kit in a week. I may go broke with these mods! Not positive about the keyless, but it looks inviting.

_______________
Fake sig till I figure it out:

2002 Emerald Beauty

 

[mrv]

front defroster

I assume that you're looking for
something a little more immediate
for clearing the front windshield
than putting the climate control
pointed to the front windshield
position (selector all the way
clockwise) and the fan speed on
high?

 

[GreyMud]

Yes, I'm impatient that way. I was thinking it would be a way to 'jump start' the defogging process.

 

[citicar1976]

Electric Heaters

The Prius does have electric heating elements to help warm up the air when the engine is cold. Two of them are attached to the heater core and most, if not all, Prius have two more located near the floor vent. They only work when the engine is cold and supposedly only when the heating control is set to defrost or floor and the temperature control is set high enough. The heaters are not too powerful, but they do help a bit. On my 2002, I can feel some heat coming out of the floor vent in less than a minute after starting the car.

 

[tdonoughue]

LED Lights

FWIW, I recently added LED lights (somewhat) to my Prius. I bought them from http://www.superbrightleds.com at (as far as I can tell) a moderate to low price (about $5 per).

I wound up replacing the rear red lights with the LEDs but not the turn signal lights in the rear. The LEDs are just simply not as bright as the real bulbs. In the sun, I could barely tell that the turn signal was on with the LED in there. I figure I am a little better off with the reds, because the brake light has the cyclops above.

Anyone else have any experience with LEDs?

 

[jdbower]

LED bulbs

I've got LED bulbs from http://www.formymercedes.com in my ML and they're nearly as bright as stock from off angles and much brighter dead on. I also like the clean on/off cutoff instead of the slower ramp up/down on the incandescent bulbs. A word of warning, if there is a bulb out sensor on the Prius you'll need a load equalizer (also on the site). The snake lights are also neat for ambient lighting, but the Prius isn't my car and my wife hasn't complained yet.

http://www.formymercedes.com/mb_results.asp?model=W163&class=m-class&category=LED+Replacement+Bulbs

 

[tdonoughue]

Re: LED bulbs

I've got LED bulbs from http://www.formymercedes.com in my ML and they're nearly as bright as stock from off angles and much brighter dead on. I also like the clean on/off cutoff instead of the slower ramp up/down on the incandescent bulbs. A word of warning, if there is a bulb out sensor on the Prius you'll need a load equalizer (also on the site). The snake lights are also neat for ambient lighting, but the Prius isn't my car and my wife hasn't complained yet.

http://www.formymercedes.com/mb_results.asp?model=W163&class=m-class&category=LED+Replacement+Bulbs

Thanks for the hint. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have the Prius bulbs (which are 7440s and 7443s); they only have the round 1156 and 1157 bulbs...

 

[jdbower]

Shoot Jerry an email...

Try shooting Jerry an email, he may be able to get the right size from the same company.

 

[tdonoughue]

FYI, Jerry says that he doesn't have him and neither does his supplier, but he expects them soon. He explains that it is the *hyper* bright that you need to look for, not the *super* bright.

Some additional research suggested that the 3157 might be a suitable replacement. So I have ordered a couple of those that are the hyper variety to see if they will fit.

Will report when I have results...

 

[GreyMud]

Thanks, Tim.

*waits patiently for someone else to do the testing*

;^]

 

[tdonoughue]

Thanks, Tim.

*waits patiently for someone else to do the testing*

;^]

<ordering> <wait> </ordering>

Well, I got them.

They seem bright enough, these ultra brights. But there is one *little* problem. They fit into the socket, but they won't fit into the lens opening. Too large a diameter.

Going to do some slight mods and see if I can get them to fit without destroying the entire back end of my baby...

More later!

<tinkering> ...