Killing acoustic vehicle alerting system

[anko]

A Dutch comedian said once:

At pedestrian crossings, you sometimes have a traffic light. That is useful for those who are deaf. Sometimes, you hear a sound instead. That is useful for those who are blind. Sometimes, there is a light and a sound. That is useful to those that are deaf and blind.

 

[jaapv]

And those that are neither blind nor deaf will ignore the traffic light... :roll:

 

[Icerunner]

Ahh - one of the advantages of getting old. I can't hear the AVAS when I'm in the car with my reduced hearing capacity. :lol:

I reckon my hearing is pretty good, but I still had to get my wife to drive past me before I was able to hear it

I can tell an Outlander PHEV is coming from about 75 metres in a typical neighbourhood (no exaggeration) - and I truly have bad hearing. Not just any car, but specifically an Outlander PHEV. I find the sound to be plain silly (the type of sound), like a subwaytrain is approaching.

As for the if-possibly-safer-than-do-it: it is possibly safer to have a speaker proclaim 'warning, PHEV approaching, warning!', with playing cards rattling in your wheels - somewhere however it crosses that being-a-nuissance-line ;-)

 

[greendwarf]

As usual, the Victorians had the answer - you employ a man to walk in front of the car carrying a red flag to warn others :lol:

 

[Countryboy]

Is the silver box easy to find ?
Any chance of a picture as I'm paranoid about touched the wrong thing ....

 

[jaapv]

I rather like the hum - it makes me think of the Enterprise

 

[user 816]

I rather like the hum - it makes me think of the Enterprise

Yes me too!

If only the electric boot opened like an Enterprise door (or at least a bit quicker than it does..)

 

[Regulo]

Is the silver box easy to find ?
Any chance of a picture as I'm paranoid about touched the wrong thing ....

If you have a RHD, it sits behind the fuse box above the passenger footwell. Pop off the lower panel under the glove box, and you can get to it easily. Nothing else under there to confuse it with, as far as I could see.

 

[jaapv]

I rather like the hum - it makes me think of the Enterprise

Yes me too!

If only the electric boot opened like an Enterprise door (or at least a bit quicker than it does..)

Now that would be a thing - a boot door that works like an iris.

 

[Pancake]

Is the silver box easy to find ?
Any chance of a picture as I'm paranoid about touched the wrong thing ....

If you have a RHD, it sits behind the fuse box above the passenger footwell. Pop off the lower panel under the glove box, and you can get to it easily. Nothing else under there to confuse it with, as far as I could see.

And on the LHD model it is in front of your left knee. But which fuse is the AVAS fuse'on the MY16 model? I have to destroy that particular one, and not the brake fuse for instance...

 

[Regulo]

No need to fuss about with fuses, just unplug the connector from the silver box.

 

[Countryboy]

Thanks , I will have a look up there

 

[Skruffel]

Hi! First post on this forum (YAY!) and I write this because I've tried several times to locate said plug and silver box. I have a 2015 GX4Hs, with the steering wheel on the left. I can't find the plug. I've tried looking in the fusebox (under the glove compartment) and in the little compartment under the steeringwheel where I *think* the plug should be located. But to no avail.

Could someone please upload a picture of the damn thing (maybe even mark it using an arrow or something) so I can get rid of the most annoying sound on earth? :roll:


Best of Regards,
A not-so-smart PHEV driver.

 

[MikkB]

TBH I'm a little surprised by this thread. I would have thought that if you did unfortunately hit a pedestrian, and it was subsequently discovered that the AVAS system had been permanently disabled, you may have some very awkward questions to answer in court.

 

[anko]

TBH I'm a little surprised by this thread. I would have thought that if you did unfortunately hit a pedestrian, and it was subsequently discovered that the AVAS system had been permanently disabled, you may have some very awkward questions to answer in court.

Funny you seem more concerned with 'answering questions in court' than 'pedestrian safety'. Don't get me wrong, I think you may have a point.

BTW: My november 2013 PHEV has AVAS. At that time, formally it was illegal to have a car make 'unnecessary sounds'. There was however a policy of tolerance, as 'they' new AVAS would be declared mandatory within a few years.

 

[MikkB]

TBH I'm a little surprised by this thread. I would have thought that if you did unfortunately hit a pedestrian, and it was subsequently discovered that the AVAS system had been permanently disabled, you may have some very awkward questions to answer in court.

Funny you seem more concerned with 'answering questions in court' than 'pedestrian safety'. Don't get me wrong, I think you may have a point.

BTW: My november 2013 PHEV has AVAS. At that time, formally it was illegal to have a car make 'unnecessary sounds'. There was however a policy of tolerance, as 'they' new AVAS would be declared mandatory within a few years.

Well, yes, I am concerned about pedestrian safety, but even if I wasn't (as maybe some posters appear to be) then the prospect of potentially having to justify it in court might make me think twice about disabling AVAS.

 

[Regulo]

On a normal street AVAS serves no purpose whatever, the usual ambient noise masks it. In car parks and similar places, you shouldn't be driving so fast that you can't immediately stop if someone walks out in front of you. Another ridiculous piece of knee-jerk legislation. If it's necessary, make it as loud as a normal car, not some indistinct electronic whine. I don't want to hear it every time I start the car, and if it's so important, why fit an "AVAS off" switch at all? If it comes to court, simply say, "I had the AVAS switched off, as permitted".

 

[MrPastry]

I always switch mine off too. :shock:


Found these today:

 

[MikkB]

On a normal street AVAS serves no purpose whatever, the usual ambient noise masks it. In car parks and similar places, you shouldn't be driving so fast that you can't immediately stop if someone walks out in front of you. Another ridiculous piece of knee-jerk legislation. If it's necessary, make it as loud as a normal car, not some indistinct electronic whine. I don't want to hear it every time I start the car, and if it's so important, why fit an "AVAS off" switch at all? If it comes to court, simply say, "I had the AVAS switched off, as permitted".

I can't actually hear it inside the car so it makes no difference to me whether it's on or off. Maybe you have particularly keen hearing.

 

[Skruffel]

Anyone able to post a pic and highlight where that damn plug / connector is located in the silver box?
I've tried unplugging several connectors already (LHD model) but without any success.
I'm either blind or stupid, but I simply cannot find any silver box at my left knee. :roll: