Question for Prime owners: How sensitive/annoying are the eye cameras, really?

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Main Forum' started by Hammersmith, Apr 28, 2025 at 3:20 PM.

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  1. Hammersmith

    Hammersmith Senior Member

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    After learning my car(AWD HEV LTD) has the wiring to easily add the front side radar sensors to enable Front Cross Traffic Alert(FCTA) and probably Lane Change Assist(LCA), it got me wondering about the final missing TSS 3.0 feature on the HEV: Traffic Jam Assist(TJA). While adding it would probably never benefit me(considering where I live), it might be pretty easy and relatively cheap. I could always contact the salvage yard that provided the steering wheel and seats to me from an XSE and have them remove and ship the camera portion of the steering column as well.

    But the question is less about whether I can do the upgrade and more about whether I should do it. I've heard a bunch of negative comments about how annoying the eye-watching system is. I'm really curious to hear from as many owners as possible as to whether it actually is that annoying or if we've just been hearing from a small but vocal minority of owners. I'm mostly asking for opinions from US owners, as the software could be different from country to country, but feel free to still chime in even if you're from Canada or Europe. Just please mention if you're not from the US if you don't already have it in your profile.


    My two biggest questions are:
    1. Do you get 'eyes on the road' warnings in all driving situations or only when you're in Traffic Jam Assist(<25mph, vehicle in front of you)?

    2. Does looking at the infotainment screen(with minimal head movement) trigger an 'eyes on the road' warning, or does it take more than that?



    Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.
     
    #1 Hammersmith, Apr 28, 2025 at 3:20 PM
  2. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    Mine is frequently telling me my eyes are closed when they are not.
    BTW, when I do test it by closing my eyes, it doesn't detect anything.
     
    #2 Paul Gregory, Apr 28, 2025 at 3:24 PM
  3. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    The driver monitoring in my 2025 Camry with TSS 3.0 was the first thing I turned off (2 places) before I even drove the car. You do NOT want the annoying FCTA that cannot be turned off. It turns back on whenever you restart the car.
    Sorry, I cannot comment on the driver monitoring because I disabled mine.
     
    #3 Prodigyplace, Apr 28, 2025 at 3:40 PM
  4. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    Any idea how to disable it on the 2024 Prime? I've been through the menus several times and haven't found it.
     
    #4 Paul Gregory, Apr 28, 2025 at 5:57 PM
  5. Blackat

    Blackat Active Member

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    Should you? I vote no
     
    #5 Blackat, Apr 28, 2025 at 6:02 PM
  6. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    Did I ask for your advice?
     
    #6 Paul Gregory, Apr 28, 2025 at 6:06 PM
  7. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    On the 2025 Camry the settings menu items are all three letter acronyms. If i recall, there is one setting to disable & another to disable logging. i need to check further.

    EDIT:
    My Settings menu is in the Meter display. From the Settings menu, select Vehicle Settings. The 2 parts are both under there.
    First, I went to the Driver Monitor Settings menu. There, I turned off Driver Monitor Alert
    Second, I turned off DMC Recording.
     
    #7 Prodigyplace, Apr 28, 2025 at 6:12 PM
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2025 at 6:44 PM
  8. Blackat

    Blackat Active Member

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    Hammersmith did.
    Tool
     
    #8 Blackat, Apr 28, 2025 at 6:17 PM
  9. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    So that's a no?
     
    #9 Paul Gregory, Apr 28, 2025 at 6:18 PM
  10. tovli

    tovli 2023 Prius Prime replaced 09 Prius

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    I find the "driver distracted" warnings to be welcome reminders most of the times it barks at me, except when I am driving by our local airport and I want to see what planes are in runup, or driving in a community looking at Cristmas lights, or looking to see in my neighbors' open garages. It also barks at me when fall into (a bad habit?) driving one handed with my right hand on the top, left of the wheel. That is actually the only one that I feel is unjustified because I am paying attention when it complains I need to review the owners manual, but I move my hand to the side of the wheel so it is happy again.
     
    #10 tovli, Apr 28, 2025 at 7:46 PM
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  11. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    I was able to turn off my DMC (Driver Monitor Camera) by drilling down in the "settings" menu.
    I never felt better.
     
    #11 Paul Gregory, Apr 28, 2025 at 7:52 PM
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  12. RX808

    RX808 New Member

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    Mirrors my experiences. I'm accustomed to driving with my left hand, top center of the steering wheel - when I'm up to speed, cruising on a clear road. The warning is not really that irritating, and I really shouldn't be holding the wheel that way...so...I guess it's helping me. As far as warnings when I'm doing something other than looking at the road? Less and less frequently, now. Most of those alerts were merited - Really, looking anywhere other than the road should be minimized, and a quick glance can sometimes last longer that you think it does..though it's a struggle with all the new gadgets, tools, and settings accessible, you know?
     
    #12 RX808, Apr 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
  13. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    Did my instructions help? Apparently you can turn off the alerts but still have it log.That is why i had 2 settings to change.
     
    #13 Prodigyplace, Apr 28, 2025 at 8:04 PM
  14. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    You showed me it was possible, but I learned the steps from YT video.
     
    #14 Paul Gregory, Apr 28, 2025 at 8:06 PM
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  15. otatrant

    otatrant Active Member

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    I get it mainly when I am steering with one hand on the wheel. I have a habit of keeping my left hand on the wheel at about 3 o'clock position which blocks the cameras view of my eyes. Overall I think it has had a positive influence on reinforcing good had position on the steering wheel. The heated steering wheel is often an incentive to keep my hand on the wheel too.
    I don't usually or ever get it when I move my eyes to the infotainment screen. For a while I didn't have a functioning cell phone mount and would get the warning a lot when I would glance at the phone screen of my iPhone stored in the center console. Now have my iPhone mounted to the left of the steering wheel on the dash and I can use my cell phone while driving and it does not trigger the warning. My hunch is that it is tracking pupils. If it can't see your pupils it triggers the warnings.
     
    #15 otatrant, Apr 30, 2025 at 3:33 AM
  16. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    Where is the camera located? On the 2025 Camry it is n the top of the steering column & looks like the old automatic shift position indicators.
    [​IMG]
     
    #16 Prodigyplace, Apr 30, 2025 at 8:56 AM
  17. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    That's where it is in the Prius.
    DMC.jpg
     
    #17 Paul Gregory, Apr 30, 2025 at 10:18 AM
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  18. Hammersmith

    Hammersmith Senior Member

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    Thanks for all the input. In the end, it looks like it would be just too difficult for me to add whether it's a good feature or not. While my car is pre-wired for the FCTA sensors, it's not pre-wired for the driver monitor camera. Half of the wiring is fairly easy to do if you pull the dash. And I might have considered it if I was doing this a year ago when I had the dash pulled to add the side mirror options. I just don't think I want to do that all over again. And it's the other half of the wiring that might be effectively impossible.

    Toyota uses a special shielded cable and unique connectors to link cameras and computers. And they don't typically sell the connectors or the cables separately. I'm 99% certain the driver monitor camera cable is bundled into the main dash harness in the Prime, so I can't buy it separately. That means I have no idea how I would connect the cameras in the steering column to the driver monitor computer that sits behind the climate controls inside the dash. The best chance would be to buy all the parts from a wrecked Prime and have them include the pigtails from both ends. Then try to cobble together a cable using the salvaged ends and some generic 4 or 5 connector shielded cable. I don't love the idea of that for something I might leave disabled most of the time anyway.


    Parts list:
    86471-42010 - Driver monitor camera
    45286-47060-C0 - Upper steering column cover (the lower cover is the same in both HEV and PHEV)
    90159-50327 - Screws to mount camera into cover (x3)
    86470-47010 - Driver monitor computer
    90179-06274 - Nut to secure computer to existing DCM bracket (x1)

    The camera has a pair of connectors. One connector has two wires going to the computer for communication, and the other connector is the special cable that carries the camera feed. At the other end, the computer also has two connectors. One is the dedicated camera feed input, and the other has the two communication wires coming in from the camera and four wires going out. The outgoing wires are a constant power, a ground, and two wires that connect the computer to the CANBUS network. None of the regular wiring is all that tough, but you need the dash pad out to access everything.

    If I lived in an area where I'd use Traffic Jam Assist regularly, I might consider it more strongly. But I don't, and it would be a $15/month fee to keep it active in any case(it requires a Drive Connect subscription to work).
     
    #18 Hammersmith, Apr 30, 2025 at 2:05 PM
  19. Paul Gregory

    Paul Gregory Senior Member

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    The Traffic Jam Assist seems to kick in randomly. There are times when I would like to engage it, but I can't find a way to do it. The annoying thing about not engaging, is that the car won't resume when stopped behind another car at a light.
     
    #19 Paul Gregory, Apr 30, 2025 at 2:09 PM
  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    And then you may need some of the modules to get the proper firmware programming.
     
    #20 Prodigyplace, Apr 30, 2025 at 3:37 PM
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