Have you ever wondered why cars with automatic transmissions have tachometers? First, let me say that I have never fact checked this. But, what I heard, many years ago, when the smaller cars began flooding the market, was that, because they run so quietly, new owners would think they had stalled out at red lights and try to restart them, thus damaging the starters and/or flywheels. The manufacturers discovered it was more prudent to include a tachometer, which indicated the engine was running, than to have unhappy customers lining up for expensive parts replacements.
I am surprised that those who thought this thing up and engineered it together didn't foresee the silent/quiet problem and already have a built in back-up signal of some kind.
It has been a topic for yuears, especially amongst advocates for the blind. I believe I heard Prius now has an option for some noises, but the difficulty has been determining what noise people most often associate with being a nearby car. Fanbelt? engine? what is it that sends the message?
Anyway, no, you are not the only one to notice this, and a solution is being sought and perhaps legislation will follow if the manufacturers don't get it together.
Just the same, I rented one down in Albuquerque this summer, and was awed by the 56 mpg we tweaked going up Sandia and out to Madrid and back. We got the 57 driving the highway up to Raton, with the AC running, but my son sent me a pic of the dashboard reading 68mpg for his return trip back to Albuquerque where he played around to get the most he could while still maintaining Interstate speeds.
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Bolshevik
just stick a playing card in the spokes
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waysider
Have you ever wondered why cars with automatic transmissions have tachometers? First, let me say that I have never fact checked this. But, what I heard, many years ago, when the smaller cars began flooding the market, was that, because they run so quietly, new owners would think they had stalled out at red lights and try to restart them, thus damaging the starters and/or flywheels. The manufacturers discovered it was more prudent to include a tachometer, which indicated the engine was running, than to have unhappy customers lining up for expensive parts replacements.
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krys
I am surprised that those who thought this thing up and engineered it together didn't foresee the silent/quiet problem and already have a built in back-up signal of some kind.
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HAPe4me
It has been a topic for yuears, especially amongst advocates for the blind. I believe I heard Prius now has an option for some noises, but the difficulty has been determining what noise people most often associate with being a nearby car. Fanbelt? engine? what is it that sends the message?
Anyway, no, you are not the only one to notice this, and a solution is being sought and perhaps legislation will follow if the manufacturers don't get it together.
Just the same, I rented one down in Albuquerque this summer, and was awed by the 56 mpg we tweaked going up Sandia and out to Madrid and back. We got the 57 driving the highway up to Raton, with the AC running, but my son sent me a pic of the dashboard reading 68mpg for his return trip back to Albuquerque where he played around to get the most he could while still maintaining Interstate speeds.
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Ron G.
Tractors, forklifts and garbage trucks have the little beepers in reverse. Why not install one of those?
Or better yet, have some sort of diode and loud speakers that sound like a 440 hemi with glass packs.
That would give your Prius some personality.
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