This is the first post in 3 years that has mentioned anything except how much too quiet the reverse chime is???
Did Kia finally turn it up?
Did Kia finally turn it up?
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Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS) Reverse Chime is too loud
I don't mind the normal VESS noise, but the reverse chime (gong) is so much louder. I don't believe my system is abnormally loud (I think all Niro's are this loud, but haven't confirmed), but it disturbs my neighbors when I leave/arrive for my night shifts. I'd hate to disable the whole speaker. Any suggestions? The dealer said there is no volume adjustment.
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I dunno, I can hear my wife backing out of the garage from inside our house with our '18 PHEV. Seems fairly loud to me. Not that I mind it, I think it's pretty useful given how quiet the car is at low speeds.This is the first post in 3 years that has mentioned anything except how much too quiet the reverse chime is???
Did Kia finally turn it up?
I wonder if they turned the backup sound down for '19? The sound is pretty low level in mine. I can't hear it when I'm in the house, and it's not very loud inside the car when backing up. If the radio was up much I wouldn't hear it at all. The low speed sound it makes while moving is also unnoticeable within the car.
Yeah, there is on the '19 and later. It's really pretty subtle, just a low "ding" or "bong". I can hear it inside, but it's not objectionable. Nothing like a FedEx or UPS truck does when reversing. Kind of like a quiet seat belt warning.
It's on the '18 too, PHEV at least.Yeah, there is on the '19 and later. It's really pretty subtle, just a low "ding" or "bong". I can hear it inside, but it's not objectionable. Nothing like a FedEx or UPS truck does when reversing. Kind of like a quiet seat belt warning.
I have an '18 PVEH, and I haven't heard it.
it's very subtle "boom" sound in low speed movement. I am sure in the middle of the night it may come across as "loud" but I don't think the low/deep sound can travel far? and not loud enough to wake your neighbor unless your driveway is only few feet from their bedroom.
I don't mind the normal VESS noise, but the reverse chime (gong) is so much louder. I don't believe my system is abnormally loud (I think all Niro's are this loud, but haven't confirmed), but it disturbs my neighbors when I leave/arrive for my night shifts. I'd hate to disable the whole speaker. Any suggestions? The dealer said there is no volume adjustment.
I have a '19 HEV, and /think/ I might have heard the chime once, but I don't notice it at all.
I just bought a '20 kia niro PHEV and the backup sound is super loud, I didn't realize how bad it was until I got home. My neighbors complained so I'm going to see about disabling it, this seems like a silly hack and there should just be some volume adjustment options.
First thing I did on buying a Datsun B210 Plus back in 1977 was to track down the alert speaker, which was under the dash. Simple unplug did it. That should still be the easiest way to disable an alert speaker.
Did a check again with my 2019 Niro HEV: with windows down, radio off and engine not running, I can barely hear the beep-beep-beep backup alarm. My wife couldn't hear it, but then she didn't want to shut up about not hearing it, either. ;-)
I think someone else already mentioned it but I'm sure that simply disconnecting the speaker will throw an error code and likely turn in the CEL. It's a safety feature that's required(?) on hybrids (in the US at least) since they're basically silent at parking lot speeds.
Of course there is a 114 page document from NHTSA describing the MINIMUM SOUND REQUIREMENTS FOR HYBRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES, DRAFT PROPOSAL
YMMV, but I don't find the VESS or backup sounds intrusive at all. The backup sound is a nice pleasant "Bong" as opposed the shrill beep of commercial vehicles. The VESS sound is a nice space ship hum/whine. No complaints here. Other than not being able to customize it obviously.
Of course there is a 114 page document from NHTSA describing the MINIMUM SOUND REQUIREMENTS FOR HYBRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES, DRAFT PROPOSAL
YMMV, but I don't find the VESS or backup sounds intrusive at all. The backup sound is a nice pleasant "Bong" as opposed the shrill beep of commercial vehicles. The VESS sound is a nice space ship hum/whine. No complaints here. Other than not being able to customize it obviously.
Slap a resister across the wires to be done with it if that happens.I think someone else already mentioned it but I'm sure that simply disconnecting the speaker will throw an error code and likely turn in the CEL.
As long as the VESS box is just a speaker that would probably work. Might need to fiddle with the resistor value to find the right one.Slap a resister across the wires to be done with it if that happens.
Still, seems silly to disable a pretty unobtrusive safety feature. How often are people backing up that it's such an annoyance?
If I could hear a reverse beep or chime, I would definitely disable it (it would have been down two years ago)! Every time I drive, I back down driveway 80 feet straight with full vision so no safety issues like say a forklift. It would drive me and my neighbors nuts. I seldom back up otherwise, choosing parking spots that I can drive forward when leaving (to save energy).
In general, I hate unnecessary environment noise. I even turn my motorcycle off at lights (a kill switch makes it easy though). Did this in my last car too.
Audible car theft systems should be banned!
If a car is going 10 mph, tire noise is sufficient to warn pedestrians. I do a lot of bicycling and even in 25 mph zones, I can hear cars a block away. In an environment like NYC, no warning system will be sufficient. So it is only below 10 mph that a warning system is needed. That includes some ICE engined cars that are very quiet. I suppose you could mandate a dB metering system to measure both car noise and ambient noise to make appropriate warning sound at the appropriate loudness.
In general, I hate unnecessary environment noise. I even turn my motorcycle off at lights (a kill switch makes it easy though). Did this in my last car too.
Audible car theft systems should be banned!
If a car is going 10 mph, tire noise is sufficient to warn pedestrians. I do a lot of bicycling and even in 25 mph zones, I can hear cars a block away. In an environment like NYC, no warning system will be sufficient. So it is only below 10 mph that a warning system is needed. That includes some ICE engined cars that are very quiet. I suppose you could mandate a dB metering system to measure both car noise and ambient noise to make appropriate warning sound at the appropriate loudness.
I can hear it from inside the car, but it's not loud at all. The seat belt chime is far louder. And if my window is down while I am backing into the garage, it just isn't that loud. I've also been standing in the garage when my wife has backed it in, and it least for mine it's just not obtrusive. Yes, you hear it. But again, it's like a low seat belt chime. It isn't loud at all.
And the pedestrian alert when moving forward is also very low key. It's more of a Sci-Fi electronic whirring sound, and again just loud enough to be heard without being annoying. Unless they've changed both the sound and the volume level from my '19, I can't imagine why anyone would bother messing with it.
And the pedestrian alert when moving forward is also very low key. It's more of a Sci-Fi electronic whirring sound, and again just loud enough to be heard without being annoying. Unless they've changed both the sound and the volume level from my '19, I can't imagine why anyone would bother messing with it.
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