that the dashboard is actually a reflection in a mirror... ...and that the prius speedo works in reverse, thus showing the true measurement of distance travelled in the odometer, unlike conventional analog meters that sit at zero and wind the odometer backwards while reversing
I never noticed the car showing the speed while reversing, but perhaps that's because I was looking through the rear windshield... will watch the speedo next time I back up.
Actually a Prius Trivia thread is a really good idea. For instance, just yesterday I found another power outlet inside the armrest compartment. Weird.
yes the speedo is a reflection. there was a post many moons ago from a Prius owner reporting a "bug" in his display... no this was no software error. it was an insect. after we imformed him that the display was reflected, he was able to remedy his "bug" by simply picking it up and throwing it away. before this, he was wondering how the bug got behind the glass.
Maybe in Oz, but hasn't been true in the U.S. for many years. Makes it too easy to take miles off the car for resale. Unscrupulous people used to jack up the rear end and put it in reverse with a brick on the accelerator.
If you look closely at the dashboard above the glove box you may be able to make out an indentation outline of the airbag compartment. I observed it for the first time today when the lighting angle was right. It looks like it just rips through the dash plastics. The compartment is much smaller than I thought it would be. I’m guessing maybe 3"x8".
It's very expandable, though. I would add that the rear storage area contains a spare tire tie-down net (as a trivia item), except that I've never actually seen it. Here's another: the Nav system will show you nearby Toyota (or Lexus) dealers if you request them.
OK Jump in here and shoot me down but there are two reflecting surfaces therefore the original display would be normal. BE gentle remember I am a dyslexic and this right to left and up side down right side up stuff never made much sense to me. When I was little I could read a book as badly right side up as up side down. It is tougher now but I read fairly well up side down.
hdrygas: was that a question? the speedometer is simply lights on the dash.. you see a reflection of that. Turn on the car.. ACC mode i guess.. and move over to the passenger side and look at the speedometer. My families Cadillac is the same way. i was entertained when i first saw it in that car.. when i saw it again in the prius i simply knew the prius was even more cool.
The drawings show the display bouncing off an mirror then off a second to the eyes of the driver that would suggest a double reverse would it not so the original display would be directly readable if you were observing "it on the hood" or something.
lol.. funny you bring that up. I was really tired earlier. I took a nice long nap. much better now :mrgreen:
More trivia: You can visually differentiate a 2004 from a 2005 by looking at the headliner. If there are plastic tacks above the driver and passenger head, it is a 2005.
The instrument cluster is a reflection. There are two mirrors to reflect the image onto the black area. The other lights seem to be on a thin plastic sheet. There are two triangular solid pieces on either side of the speedo which I assume to to prevent reflection of the speedo onto those clear plastic pieces in which the other lights are placed.
anyone have a diagram? i dont' see why anything but the speedo would be a reflection.. i also don't see why the speedo needs to be reflected more than once. Diagram?
well if you look down from the outside (I don't think you can from inside), you will see that it's projected. You need two mirrors otherwise you would get a mirror image
... i just had faith that toyota could make a mirror projecting speedometer *shrug*... still.. i want to see the actual unit then... i'm stubborn like that.
perhaps take a digicam and take a photo of it? or use some fibre optic wire and use that to look down the dash.
