I just came across a recent posting on our Toyota Rav4 long-term test car written by Senior Copy Editor Doug Lloyd. While Doug wrote an extremely favorable review of the Rav4's driving capability he noted his irritation at the constant âbeeps and whistlesâ that remind you of an open door, unfastened seatbelt etc.
I've noticed these sounds, but had not been bothered by them until what seems to be a minor malfunction in the beep and whistle system. On more than one occasion this week I've been driving the Rav4 with my seatbelt tightly fastened when the driver seatbelt warning light began beeping to indicate that I was not in fact securely driving the vehicle. At first, I assumed that I may have mis-fastened the buckle in some way or ticked off the sensor, but as the beeping turned incessant and I was certain that my buckle was completely secure I began to resent the insistent high pitched beep. Unfortunately, talking back to such technology got me nowhere and my 2 year old (who has the capability to sound like an ongoing beeping reminder on occasion) repeating âWhat happened Mommy?â from the back seat was no great help.
On the bright side, the beeping stops after about two full minutes at which point the unfastened seatbelt light remains illuminated as a constant silent reminder until the car is parked. This happened on 3-4 separate occasions, have no doubt, my seatbelt was securely fastened in each. But it can sure be annoying!
Alison Steinlauf Anziska, Marketing Coordinator
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speeder31 says:
01:12 PM, 04/25/07
Was it the light that you show in the picture or the one in the instrument cluster (because the one pictured on the console is for the passenger--but I'm sure you realized that...)? If you have something on the passenger seat (like a laptop or something), it will do the same thing. Otherwise, have the electronics checked out by the dealer. My friend's Sport doesn't do this, so it seems pretty abnormal...
greenpony says:
01:32 PM, 04/25/07
Now I don't have a RAV4, but my car also beeps if I don't put my seatbelt on after x amount of time. Buried in my owner's manual I found out how to disable the beeping (the dashboard light remains though). Simply sit in the car with the doors shut and unlocked, and the handbrake set. Turn the key to accessory mode. Before the seatbelt alarm sounds, but after the majority of the warning lights have turned off, turn the headlights on and off three times. Then fasten and unfasten the seatbelt three times. Then turn the headlights on and off three more times. The seatbelt light will flash at you to confirm (like Microsoft Windows saying "are you sure?") Then fasten and unfasten the seatbelt once more in the next few seconds (to say "yes I'm sure!"), or else you'll have to start all over again. One more time, the seatbelt light flashes to confirm. Then you're done.
Maybe there's as easy a way to turn off your seatbelt alarm. :-)
billt9 says:
01:36 PM, 04/25/07
... it's malfunctioning... shouldn't that get fixed?
desmolicious says:
05:45 PM, 04/25/07
no, it's only malfunctioning if it's in a Mercedes/Audi etc. In a Toyota it's just something you ignore.
;)
210delray says:
07:17 PM, 04/25/07
The reminders have become more incessant because studies have shown that they get more people to use seat belts, the most important safety feature in any vehicle.
I don't understand why people would want to disconnect such a system, as about the only place I don't wear a belt is moving the car in my own driveway/garage.
Clearly though, this RAV4 needs fixing!
cbmorton says:
12:05 PM, 04/26/07
The RAV4 has two seatbelt warning settings:
1. Two minutes of beeping: first slow, then fast
2. Six seconds of beeping
It comes from the factory using setting #1. The dealer can adjust it to setting #2. If you're the kind of person who's going to wear their seatbelt on the road anyway, the extended beeping can be an annoyance even in your driveway/garage.
Whether there's a malfunction with Edmunds' RAV4 or not depends on which warning light was blinking, as speeder31 correctly pointed out.
bimmerjay says:
09:00 PM, 04/26/07
I rented a 2006 Peugeot 807 minivan in Europe a few weeks ago... drove it for 600 km with a malfunctioning pax seat sensor. The incessant (but sometimes random) beeping from the warning was pretty awful, although we soon figured out how the passenger needed to sit to keep it silent. And yes, of course he/she was always belted.