Turn Off VESS (Virtual Engine Sound System)

R P said:
My 2014 Prius hybrid had a VESS sound if the engine was off. Having said that, you couldn't go far before the engine started up.
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I am sure it helps in parking lots, but it would be nice to temporarily disable it to listen for any other sounds you may or may not want to hear.
 
Sorry, if I hit a blind person Because they stepped right out in front of me because they didn’t know there was a car coming, I would feel pretty bad. It’s there for a reason. Sure, it’s your fault, but does that make it any better for the person who ends up in the hospital because you found the VESS annoying?
 
EVRIGREEN said:
Sorry, if I hit a blind person Because they stepped right out in front of me because they didn’t know there was a car coming, I would feel pretty bad. It’s there for a reason. Sure, it’s your fault, but does that make it any better for the person who ends up in the hospital because you found the VESS annoying?
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I'd think that that scenario is pretty unlikely. Teslas have been without such sound for 7 years now and I can't recall hearing about such incidents..
 
EVRIGREEN said:
Sorry, if I hit a blind person Because they stepped right out in front of me because they didn’t know there was a car coming, I would feel pretty bad. It’s there for a reason. Sure, it’s your fault, but does that make it any better for the person who ends up in the hospital because you found the VESS annoying?
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It's unlikely you would permit this to happen. To be fair, this measure has been called for by blind people so they may feel surer about what's around them and act with confidence. It may not prevent many accidents, but if it helps part of the population cope, I'm not opposed.

Cuckoo walk signals are a different story, because that is an annoying sound.
 
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BlueKonaEV said:
I didn't take the picture.. I took it from another thread on here and added the arrow and instructions how to unplug it. It is exactly that connector.. I have thin hands and long fingers, so I was able to get in there easily. On the US version of the KONA, the VESS unit sits very high, at the same level of the radiator. If you can get your hand in there, you can get the connector off.
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Did a connected piece pull up, or did the wiring just unplug? I can't seem to find a pressure tab to release "it." Can you please take a pic of what it looks like disconnected?
 
ehatch said:
Did a connected piece pull up, or did the wiring just unplug? I can't seem to find a pressure tab to release "it." Can you please take a pic of what it looks like disconnected?
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Here we go.. the arrow I painted points right at the tab that you have to push.. I just pushed the top of the tab and the connector came off easily
20190715_212403.webp
 
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electriceddy said:
The tab is probably facing the front making it harder to access.
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No, the tab is facing towards the windshield. It is very easy to remove the connector.. As long as you can get 1 finger behind the connector and the thumb against the tab, it pulls right off.
 
I was finally able to disconnect it. The photo showing the tab helped. The car is running much quieter now. I think the vess was running at higher speeds than advertised. The difference driving in town is very noticeable.
 
KonaTom said:
I was finally able to disconnect it. The photo showing the tab helped. The car is running much quieter now. I think the vess was running at higher speeds than advertised. The difference driving in town is very noticeable.
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Glad that you got it off..
 
KonaTom said:
I was finally able to disconnect it. The photo showing the tab helped. The car is running much quieter now. I think the vess was running at higher speeds than advertised. The difference driving in town is very noticeable.
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Are you going to leave it off or put it back after a bit? Careful, you might grow to like the silence:cool:
 
Over the last 8 months of driving with and without the VESS I haven't found it noticeably affects my detectability by pedestrians. The DRLs are so bright that the car is rarely missed. It seems children notice the VESS the most, one young girl explained to her mom that it was "an electronic car!"
 
electriceddy said:
Are you going to leave it off or put it back after a bit? Careful, you might grow to like the silence:cool:
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The quiet is nice. I put the plug back on top of switch to protect it and can push it back down anytime. I do have pedestrian mitigation still, and I drive slowly and watch for pedestrians in parking lots. When the vess was active I had people walk in front of me, not noticing the sound.
 
KonaTom said:
The quiet is nice. I put the plug back on top of switch to protect it and can push it back down anytime. I do have pedestrian mitigation still, and I drive slowly and watch for pedestrians in parking lots. When the vess was active I had people walk in front of me, not noticing the sound.
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I did the same thing.. Don't want to get dust into the connector.. Sitting on top of the vess unit but not pushed in will protect the connector from corrosion and dust. I love being able to sneak up on people in our work parking garage.. If you are careful, there is little chance that you will hit anyone.. Like I said, Teslas have been quiet for a long time and there is no notable number of incidents where the lack of noise caused accidents with pedestrians..
 
I find that people hear the sound of the tires on road. It’s louder than most cars because of its weight and if you are turning it is quite noticeable.
 
Thanks for the help guy's. The noise has been bugging me and I found it annoying to have to cancel the VESS on every startup/reset. Easy to unplug the sound generator.
 
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