Prius
PEG 2011 Prius key fob battery is CR1632.
Prius headlight replacement. Replacing the headlights on P’s 2011 Prius did not require moving hoses or other fixtures but did require a lot of hand strength to remove the dead bulbs and a fair amount to then fully seat the new bulbs.
How to reset the oil maintenance indicator on a Gen3 Prius.
- Power on, ensure that display shows ‘Trip A’, press ‘Park’, then press ‘Power’ to power off.
- Press and hold down ‘MPH/Kilometers’ and ‘Power’ until the indicator has been reset.
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System)
The US Government required TPMS in all light motor vehicles by September 2007 (phased in starting October 2005) in response to the Firestone – Ford controversy of the 1990s – though TPMS first appeared in Europe in 1986. Each wheel on a US car has a tire valve / TPMS transmitter. When the tire pressure drops below 25% of the recommended level, then when the car is started, a solid TPMS warning light appears. Once the tires have been properly inflated (to the recommended levels listed on the edge of the driver’s door), the warning light should automatically turn off. If the light remains on, use the TPMS reset button (which on an older Prius is located directly to the right of the diagnostic port way below the steering column in a hard to see and reach location). However, the reset button does not work if the problem is with the transmitters.
(Vehicles with a full sized spare tire – such as some SUVs – may also have a transmitter in the spare tire. The spare tire on most passenger vehicles is smaller and at a much higher pressure – but it’s pressure should be regularly checked.)
When the car is started, if the TPMS warning light flashes for a minute before turning solid, then one or more of the transmitters has failed. A tire dealership can quickly check the transmitter in each wheel with a hand-held scanner. Replacing a failed valve / transmitter unit involves removing the tire from the wheel, replacing the unit (an $80 part on an older Prius), and re-registering all four transmitters with the car’s TPMS – not an easy and/or inexpensive DIY project. If the battery on one unit has failed, then likely the other three will soon fail; replacement of all four units by a tire dealership on an older Prius costs around $400. (The batteries are not replaceable.)
The TPMS receiver can be disabled but it’s not an easy DIY project. If the flashing light is annoying (!), mask the light with a strip of black electrical tape. (A flashing warning light will not prevent the vehicle from passing a California smog test.) To ensure that your tire pressure is maintained, replace the valve caps with tire pressure monitoring valves of the appropriate psi ($10 for a set of four 32 to 35 psi caps). Before driving, check that all four caps are green; if a cap is yellow or red, then the tire pressure is low.
Older Prius TPMS Reset
Method I
- Turn on the ignition, press the TPMS Set button until the light goes out, and then turn off the ignition.
- Turn the ignition back on, press the TPMS Set button until the Tire Pressure light flashes 3 times, and then turn off the ignition.
- Drive at least 10 miles.
Method II
- Turn on the ignition.
- Press the TPMS Set button three times until the blinks slowly.
- Run the engine run for a few more minutes.
- Turn off the ignition.
Glass
- PEG has had good experiences with Novus Glass (formerly Speedy Glass) via Amica.
- John Thurston recommends Evan at In and Out Glass, 510-893-3800.