Warning sound (continuous scream, not a beep) when reversing

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by SarcasticFringehead, Sep 7, 2025 at 11:54 AM.

  1. SarcasticFringehead

    SarcasticFringehead Junior Member

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    Hey everyone,

    Just now when I started my 2007 Prius and put it into reverse gear I got a warning sound in the form of a continuous scream. ETA: this is the noise
    but there are no warning lights.

    To be clear, this sound is not a beep as in beep-beep-beep. The proximity sensor is a beep which is staccato and therefore not continuous. The sound I heard was one prolonged note, as in EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. It sounded every time I put the car into reverse gear.

    There were no warning lights. This situation is not documented in the manual as far as I can see.

    Anybody know what it could be? Maybe a false alarm caused by corrosion, stemming from the body leak last year (2007 model, hybrid warning light | PriusChat)?

    Also, I discovered one of my rear seat belts will not buckle. I will fix this immediately, but does anyone know if it’s gonna cost an arm and a leg?
     
    #1 SarcasticFringehead, Sep 7, 2025 at 11:54 AM
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2025 at 1:07 PM
  2. ColoradoBoo

    ColoradoBoo Senior Member

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    Hmmmm....any time a hybrid has a strange electrical gremlin my first question is always, "How old is the 12-volt battery?" Sure it may let the system start but if it's about dead, can cause all kinds of trouble. Get it tested free at an auto parts store if you don't have a tester. (I've found 70% or less means it's about time to replace.)
     
  3. SarcasticFringehead

    SarcasticFringehead Junior Member

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    The 12v battery was replaced in April.
     
  4. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    At the beginning of that video there is a continuous tone (which I can barely hear, too high a frequency for me) but the car isn't in READY, not sure what is going on, lots of lights flashing. What does it mean to put it in reverse in that state, or even, how can you?

    Assuming it does that when the car is in a normal READY state, and only in reverse, I would guess that the tone generator circuitry is on the fritz. Maybe pull the fuse for the radio though, it could also generate a spurious noise, although why it would do so only in reverse would be a mystery to me. Or that tone could signal some other problem like with the brakes or the transmission. Was it tested in any other transmission setting besides park and reverse? That is, does it go away when the car is rolling forward?
     
  5. SarcasticFringehead

    SarcasticFringehead Junior Member

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    I have no idea what it would mean if the guy in the video put that car in reverse, as reverse gear doesn’t seem to have anything to do with whatever his problem is.

    The sound is perfectly audible to me throughout the video, and both my passengers could hear the sound in my car.

    It starts when I put the car into reverse gear, and stops when I shift out of reverse gear.
     
  6. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    We're getting way ahead of ourselves here you have abs buis going on I believe let's start with code read not paper clips . Most of this stuff is old wives tales that people have just been doing because they didn't and so on . Test not guess .
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    do you think there will be codes with no trouble lights?
     
  8. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Is that noise coming from right behind your CM display ?
     
  9. SarcasticFringehead

    SarcasticFringehead Junior Member

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    “We're getting way ahead of ourselves here you have abs buis going on I believe let's start with code read not paper clips”

    So you think this is caused by “abs buis”? What is that exactly?

    “let's start with code read not paper clips”

    So you’re saying I need to get a code reader. Yes, I understand that a code read is necessary and in fact that I need to get it to a garage, but yesterday was Sunday, so I was asking if anyone had encountered this before so I would at least have some idea what was causing this while I wait to get it to a garage.

    I haven’t mentioned paper clips and there aren’t any replies mentioning paper clips either.
     
  10. SarcasticFringehead

    SarcasticFringehead Junior Member

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    I don’t know where it’s coming from.
     
  11. SarcasticFringehead

    SarcasticFringehead Junior Member

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    Just to clarify, that video is of someone else hearing the same sound on their 2006 Prius. It is not a video of me in my 2007 Prius.
     
  12. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Very good now see if you can locate where the beeps coming from I know It's tricky you want to listen above and behind you're speedo. There's a speaker on the back of the board of the speedometer ittends to beep or chirp at brake issues and other.. is another beep chirp added if you open the door if you open hatch . The alarm /Immo is not active . I have to know what's making tone . They're a few speakers on car . Not the ones for the sound system
     
  13. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    That's not either / or: many systems in the car let you use a paper clip to read codes.

    Blink (a/k/a Flash) Codes – How to. | PriusChat

    It's the fastest way to get the codes if you haven't already got a scan tool.

    The OP did say there are no warning lights though.

    The only continuous beep on purpose that I know of is the one for severe brake system issues, but there would also be brake warning lights and codes with that.

    This could be something much more off the beaten path, like wires getting crossed between the back-up lights and the brake beeper.

    Might have to start by ducking under the dash to try to be sure which little beeper is making the beep.
     
  14. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    A lot of these tricks on the internet you see people doing aren't to get blink codes they're jamm8ngvstuff into connectors not knowing Wth they doing . Getting blikies is one thing . But the paper lip nonsense all over the net is shady at best. Of course as they break them down here in the South I get them for near nothing so paper clip away.