Adjustable Settings and Recommendations

[Dan Albrich]

Settings -> System (or Settings -> Vehicle)

So I used to drive a car with 'always on' headlights -- daytime running lights or whatever. Clarity being an energy saver does not do that (or exactly that) by default.

I was delighted to find that we can adjust the AUTO headlight sensitivity. For my preferences, the highest sensitivity works great. It still leaves lights off in broad daylight, but then even come on during the day when diving down a very shady lane. Just right in my book.

The other obvious one that most people know (and I really like) is the walk-away auto-lock. Not all like the way this one works, but for my particular habits, this feature has been 100% reliable.

Anyway, I'd be interested in other folks use of the available settings, and which they prefer and why.

 

[JCA]

Our Clarities do have Daytime Running Lights -- those are the distinctive L-shaped LED lights on the front that are how I first notice a Clarity approaching. They probably should be called "Always-on Running Lights" because they stay on with the headlights at night too. You may be thinking of the first implementations of DRLs where manufacturers either had the regular low beams stay on, or the regular high beams at some reduced power (which still glared annoyingly). Most cars with DRLs now have dedicated lights of some sort -- sometimes there's a way to turn them off (our Highlander has a DRL Off position on the control), sometimes not (Clarity not in any driveable mode).

Thanks for pointing out the auto headlight sensitivity -- I will play with that. There's a congested spot on my morning route under an overpass where the headlights usually come on (dimming the screen right when I'm glancing to check the traffic/arrival time), would be nice to avoid that.

Other settings:

I do use walk-away auto-lock but am thinking of turning it off, because our other cars don't have it and I've forgotten to lock them, and because once I clean out the garage I'll want to leave the car in it unlocked so people can get stuff/put stuff in to take the next day without needing the key. Plus, there's enough of a lag in the door handle sensor that I usually have to pull at least twice before it opens; our Highlander senses the key and opens on the first pull.

I set the auto-unlock to unlock all doors (default is just driver), since otherwise I have to dig out the key or fumble for the button on the door to let the family in. If I'm in a dark parking lot alone I'll just use the fob to unlock the driver's door (one press vs two) instead.

I just today turned off the right-side Lane Assist camera automatically coming on with the signal. I've given it a chance but don't find that it gives me any information I don't get from properly adjusted mirrors, and it's annoying when I'm waiting at a light for a right turn and want to adjust something on the screen. Yes, you can press the end of the stalk but it's still slow to switch. I'll still use the button to get the camera view when parking or looking for cyclists etc.

 

[2002]

Settings -> System -> Home -> Configuration of Instrument Panel

This allows you to delete and rearrange the different menus that appear in the small display under the speedometer. And you can have up to three configurations. I just use two, Configuration One is my trimmed down version with just the menus that I use most of the time. Configuration Two I left as default and switch to that one in the rare case when I want to look at one of the other menus. It is easy to switch between configurations, either in the settings menus or even easier there is a small "Instrument Panel" icon on the infotainment screen that I can press to bring up the three configuration choices. I don't remember if I found the Instrument Panel icon already on one of the five infotainment "pages" that you can swipe through or if I added it as a widget. I just remember trying it and wondering what it was, then later realizing that it switches between instrument panel configurations.

Similar is Settings -> System -> Home -> Home Screen Edit Order, this is for the infotainment screen icons, although you don't really need to go into settings for this you just press and hold anywhere on the main screen. Then you can drag the icons around on the screen and move them around the five pages. I wound up leaving only two icons on the main screen so that my background graphic is better displayed, the two icons that I use most are Android Auto and Info. On the second page I put other less used icons and the Instrument Panel icon that I mentioned.

There is also an alternate skin but I found I didn't like it as well, for one thing you couldn't customize it the way I wanted so I stayed with the original skin.

 

[coutinpe]

Our Clarities do have Daytime Running Lights -- those are the distinctive L-shaped LED lights on the front that are how I first notice a Clarity approaching. They probably should be called "Always-on Running Lights" because they stay on with the headlights at night too. You may be thinking of the first implementations of DRLs where manufacturers either had the regular low beams stay on, or the regular high beams at some reduced power (which still glared annoyingly). Most cars with DRLs now have dedicated lights of some sort -- sometimes there's a way to turn them off (our Highlander has a DRL Off position on the control), sometimes not (Clarity not in any driveable mode).

Thanks for pointing out the auto headlight sensitivity -- I will play with that. There's a congested spot on my morning route under an overpass where the headlights usually come on (dimming the screen right when I'm glancing to check the traffic/arrival time), would be nice to avoid that.

Other settings:

I do use walk-away auto-lock but am thinking of turning it off, because our other cars don't have it and I've forgotten to lock them, and because once I clean out the garage I'll want to leave the car in it unlocked so people can get stuff/put stuff in to take the next day without needing the key. Plus, there's enough of a lag in the door handle sensor that I usually have to pull at least twice before it opens; our Highlander senses the key and opens on the first pull.

I set the auto-unlock to unlock all doors (default is just driver), since otherwise I have to dig out the key or fumble for the button on the door to let the family in. If I'm in a dark parking lot alone I'll just use the fob to unlock the driver's door (one press vs two) instead.

I just today turned off the right-side Lane Assist camera automatically coming on with the signal. I've given it a chance but don't find that it gives me any information I don't get from properly adjusted mirrors, and it's annoying when I'm waiting at a light for a right turn and want to adjust something on the screen. Yes, you can press the end of the stalk but it's still slow to switch. I'll still use the button to get the camera view when parking or looking for cyclists etc.

I have had the same problem with slow screen turnaround times. A friend on this forum recommended doing a reset of the unit (long-press the audio button). It improved for a few days but it's again sluggish. Do you use the original or the alternate skin? I fear the slowness is due to the alternate skin but I would hate to switch back to the original.

 

[2002]

The other obvious one that most people know (and I really like) is the walk-away auto-lock. Not all like the way this one works, but for my particular habits, this feature has been 100% reliable.

I had not used it until now for reasons explained in my comment below, but after reading your message I turned it on and so far I really like it.

I do use walk-away auto-lock but am thinking of turning it off because ..... I'll want to leave the car in (the garage) unlocked so people can get stuff/put stuff in to take the next day without needing the key.

This was the main reason I didn't use it, also I wasn't sure how reliable it is. But after reading
the above post from Dan Albrich I decided to give it a try. Seems to work quite well. And I found that after I park in my garage I just have to unlock the doors with the fob and they will remain unlocked. The trick is you have to start walking away and wait until the auto lock does its thing before using the fob to unlock the doors. True that means an extra button push when I get home that I wasn't doing before, but that's the tradeoff of not having to manually lock the car whenever I am out somewhere. Worst case is if I forget to unlock it when I get home, and then later go out to the car to get something, I'm sure I will grumble a bit when I realize I have to go back inside the house to get the fob.

Plus, there's enough of a lag in the door handle sensor that I usually have to pull at least twice before it opens; our Highlander senses the key and opens on the first pull.

I haven't experienced that so far, does that only happen for you when the walk away lock is active?

 

[Dan Albrich]

One more to mention: I live in a smaller rural community. I'm less likely to get car-jacked (I hope). Anyway, I have my Clarity set to always unlock all 4 doors every time I unlock the car, including with my touch of the driver's door handle. I then don't have the doors lock automatically until we're moving.

This combo of settings is very convenient for passengers. I virtually never have to manually open a door for them specifically. My car still auto-locks when I walk away. It just unlocks all automatically, and stays unlocked until enough movement happens.

Again gets into personal preference but the open-all doors unlock has been super-useful to me.

 

[cokeb5]

I haven't experienced that so far, does that only happen for you when the walk away lock is active?

This also happens to me. Most of the time when I've walked up and placed my hand on the handle, I'll pause for a moment and wait for the audible unlocking sound before pulling the handle or else I'll end up having to pull it twice. It seem to happen regardless of if walk away lock is enabled - maybe my natural walk pace is just too quick.

 

[KentuckyKen]

This also happens to me. Most of the time when I've walked up and placed my hand on the handle, I'll pause for a moment and wait for the audible unlocking sound before pulling the handle or else I'll end up having to pull it twice. It seem to happen regardless of if walk away lock is enabled - maybe my natural walk pace is just too quick.

I think I may have the solution to the “double handle pull” unlocking problem. It is my experience and observation that it is not the proximity of the fob that unlocks the door but rather the capacitance touch sensor located on the inner side of the door handle in the presence of the fob.
You can test this by trying to open the door with your thumb and finger on the wide painted part of the handle without touching the inner surface. You’ll find the door won’t unlock. Whenever I have had to double pull it has not been because of any lag but because I didn’t fully touch the inner surface pad with all my fingers.
If you’ll insert more of your fingers into the handle and grasp the handle a little less casually with full contact, you’ll find it will unlock right away. Or at least it does for me and now always opens on the first pull.

 

[David Towle]

To me the major failing of the auto unlock is it doesn't work on the rear doors. My wife's Lexus works on all 4.

 

[Dan Albrich]

To me the major failing of the auto unlock is it doesn't work on the rear doors. My wife's Lexus works on all 4.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding. My car unlocks when I have my fob and I touch the handle. I adjusted the setting in the vehicle settings to unlock all 4 doors every time I do this. Anyway, that's what my 2nd post in this thread was for. To indicate that it *is* possible to always automatically unlock all 4 doors, and yep I do it usually several times per day, daily. Works great on my Clarity.
(I never actually use the fob buttons for anything, so maybe that's what you mean? -- I also use auto-lock as I walk away, so I don't need the fob buttons)

 

[David Towle]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding. My car unlocks when I have my fob and I touch the handle. I adjusted the setting in the vehicle settings to unlock all 4 doors every time I do this. Anyway, that's what my 2nd post in this thread was for. To indicate that it *is* possible to always automatically unlock all 4 doors, and yep I do it usually several times per day, daily. Works great on my Clarity.
(I never actually use the fob buttons for anything, so maybe that's what you mean? -- I also use auto-lock as I walk away, so I don't need the fob buttons)

From what I can figure out it only works when you touch a front door handle and yes that unlocks all 4 doors. But with kids I always want to open the rear doors first so I have to touch a front door handle first then go to the rear. When he's big enough to open his own door it won't be an issue anymore but for now its an ongoing annoyance.Yes I could use the key fob when approaching the car but I never remember.

 

[2002]

Update on the walk-away auto lock, I don't know what I did before but now I can't get it to keep the doors unlocked when my car is in my garage. My plan was that after it auto locked that I would unlock the doors with the fob prior to going into the house. However when you unlock the doors but don't open a door within 30 seconds the doors lock again. I really thought I had waited that long when I was trying it before, but maybe not. It can be set to 30, 60 or 90 seconds before relocking but it cannot be disabled. Tonight for example when I got home and had things to unload from the car which took several trips inside the house, I was constantly having to unlock the doors as they kept locking again by the time I went back out to the garage, even when I had it set to 90 seconds. That's really too bad as the walk-away auto lock is an otherwise really nice feature, but I have now turned it back off as that is the only way apparently to keep my car unlocked when it is in my garage.

To me the major failing of the auto unlock is it doesn't work on the rear doors. My wife's Lexus works on all 4.

Very Lexus like, works that way on all Lexus models even the IS. Toyota is only front doors, including Avalon. Some Acura the rear doors work, others just the front doors. Honda as far as I know only front doors on all models.

My 2006 Prius it worked on the front doors and the hatch. Very few cars including luxury cars had this feature back then and I didn't even have the highest trim. One reason that I didn't get the Prius Prime (among a few others) is that the trim level that I wanted only the driver door opened by touch. I was way too spoiled by then with three door touch opening.

 

[JCA]

Update on the walk-away auto lock, I don't know what I did before but now I can't get it to keep the doors unlocked when my car is in my garage. My plan was that after it auto locked that I would unlock the doors with the fob prior to going into the house. However when you unlock the doors but don't open a door within 30 seconds the doors lock again. I really thought I had waited that long when I was trying it before, but maybe not. It can be set to 30, 60 or 90 seconds before relocking but it cannot be disabled. Tonight for example when I got home and had things to unload from the car which took several trips inside the house, I was constantly having to unlock the doors as they kept locking again by the time I went back out to the garage, even when I had it set to 90 seconds. That's really too bad as the walk-away auto lock is an otherwise really nice feature, but I have now turned it back off as that is the only way apparently to keep my car unlocked when it is in my garage.

That was my experience too. Our Hondas and Toyotas all have the auto relock after remote opening if no door is opened; always annoying when the car's in the garage unlocked and I accidentally hit the unlock button; even though the car was unlocked before it locks after the timeout. And if you open a door, the walk-away auto lock will kick in, so there doesn't appear to be a way to leave the car unlocked if walk-away auto lock is enabled.

Very Lexus like, works that way on all Lexus models even the IS. Toyota is only front doors, including Avalon. Some Acura the rear doors work, others just the front doors. Honda as far as I know only front doors on all models.

My 2006 Prius it worked on the front doors and the hatch. Very few cars including luxury cars had this feature back then and I didn't even have the highest trim. One reason that I didn't get the Prius Prime (among a few others) is that the trim level that I wanted only the driver door opened by touch. I was way too spoiled by then with three door touch opening.

The Clarity is either front door or the trunk (but I don't think opening the trunk unlocks the doors). Rear doors would be nice, since I often want to put my backpack in the back first, but have to open the driver's door first to do that.

 

[2002]

Rear doors would be nice, since I often want to put my backpack in the back first, but have to open the driver's door first to do that.

You shouldn't have to open the driver door, just touch the handle, same as on the passenger side. Maybe that's what you meant. For me that's acceptable as a cost savings since they don't have to install sensors in the rear door handles. And not just the touch sensors but from what I understand they would have to install proximity sensors also, at least that's what the Lexus diagrams show, proximity sensors for each door. Maybe they could make it work with just one proximity sensor on each side of the car, I don't know.

 

[JCA]

You shouldn't have to open the driver door, just touch the handle, same as on the passenger side. Maybe that's what you meant. For me that's acceptable as a cost savings since they don't have to install sensors in the rear door handles. And not just the touch sensors but from what I understand they would have to install proximity sensors also, at least that's what the Lexus diagrams show, proximity sensors for each door. Maybe they could make it work with just one proximity sensor on each side of the car, I don't know.

You are of course correct, I hadn't quite internalized how it worked. Our Toyota Highlander works the same way (touching inside of handle while key is nearby is what actually unlocks), but it must be a fraction of a second faster so "feels" like it's either unlocking before I touch the handle or by the pull itself, and the door usually opens right away. With the Clarity if I just walk up and pull it's too fast, have to touch and pause for a beat then pull. Not a big deal, and now that I know I can just touch to unlock all the doors without actually needing to pull the driver's door open, that makes life easer!

 

[cokeb5]

I think I may have the solution to the “double handle pull” unlocking problem. It is my experience and observation that it is not the proximity of the fob that unlocks the door but rather the capacitance touch sensor located on the inner side of the door handle in the presence of the fob.
You can test this by trying to open the door with your thumb and finger on the wide painted part of the handle without touching the inner surface. You’ll find the door won’t unlock. Whenever I have had to double pull it has not been because of any lag but because I didn’t fully touch the inner surface pad with all my fingers.
If you’ll insert more of your fingers into the handle and grasp the handle a little less casually with full contact, you’ll find it will unlock right away. Or at least it does for me and now always opens on the first pull.

I didn't realize that this was how it worked - for the last day or so I've been careful to touch the inside of the door handle and I actually haven't had to "double pull" at all yet. Thanks for the information!