Disabling the door chime

[DGW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close DGW]

I read this thread before I got my 150 and it wasnt until I was sitting in the car reading the guide book on what everyything does, that I realise just how painful and ridiculous this chime is. Hopefully the combined might and determination of the site will find a cure.

The chime must die !!

[mudguts_ Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close mudguts_]

Ok guys the day I picked up my 150 I had the same problem showing the boys at work..........20 min later no more chime!!!!!!!!!!

Now this chime you all talk about is on the back of the speedo cluster and it's built in to the circuit board so you can't rip it out, and in speaking with a few people found out we couldn't turn it off, it was that moment I said that I'm going to fill the chime holes with silicon ))) that's right and 12 months later still no chime noise.

The cluster is very basic to pull out as the dash is all held together with quick clips ( their might of been one or two phillips heads involved) but it has worked for me now I can listen to the radio after a wash and revive the interior with no stupid chime!

Hope this helps
Muddy.

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Thanks mudguts, could you provide a bit more info on pulling out the cluster?

Thanks

[starbuck76 Member Find all posts View Profile Close starbuck76]

A word of advice if you go the silicone method - make sure that you use neutral cure silicone. Most silicone products give off acetic acid as they cure which will cause future corrosion problems with any electrical/electronic components in the vicinity.

[Damienandwendy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Damienandwendy]

And my wife has now just lost the key. I can tell you for sure, this is the last Prado I will own. $600 to replace a key!

If this is going to be your last Prado based on a slightly annoying safety feature and the price of a replacement key, I can only suggest you have a LOT of other issues with this car.
Funnily enough my wife had an interesting twist on the key issue ..... ditch the wife ?
In the end though, your point on the chime is valid. It should be easy to turn off, without having to take things apart.

cheers
Damien

[mudguts_ Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close mudguts_]

A word of advice if you go the silicone method - make sure that you use neutral cure silicone. Most silicone products give off acetic acid as they cure which will cause future corrosion problems with any electrical/electronic components in the vicinity.

Yeah i just used ulta grey, a mechanics best friend......12 months on still working beautifully.
but if your going to do this you dont need to go silly just enought to fill the holes,wait 20 min then plug the cluster back in.

[starbuck76 Member Find all posts View Profile Close starbuck76]

Pushing the button twice stops the chimes when you have the door open.This gives you one hour of radio listening time until the 'smart electronics' times out and switches everything off. Press the button twice to get another hour. Not the perfect fix but it will do until someone figures out a better way.

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Thanks, will try this.

[Damienandwendy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Damienandwendy]

I quite often have the drivers door open to listen to the radio but the door chime is really starting to get under my skin. It only comes on with the car in accessory mode and the drivers door open, any other doors can be open.

If you disconnected the radio from the main accessory loom and attached it to an auxiliary battery, that would leave the radio independent of having the car turned on in any position.
Just an idea at the moment, as I am not sure if it would effect any other part of the system. I don't think the radio is connected to anything else though, so I guess it should be Ok.
Potentially a better solution than disconnecting safety features.
If anyone has had any knowledge or experience of this please let us know as I would consider it an option if I was feeling keen one weekend ........ after I install my aux battery
cheers
Damien

[smoov Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close smoov]

No need to rewire the radio, or remove safety equipment. Here's the simple fix, unclip the facia in front of the instrument cluster, remove the 4 screws holding in the cluster, then at the rear of the cluster unclip the 2 wiring harnesses. Once the cluster is in your hands, look at the back behind the speedo, there you will see a a small grille which is part of the white rear housing, behind it is the notorious dinger that is so annoying.

The dinger has a small hole in its centre which allows the sound to exit from its diaphragm. What you need to do is stop the diaphragm from resonating so that it won't make its annoying sound. The easiest way is to screw a 4 mm thick self tapping screw into the hole. Find one about 12 mm long as the hole is about that deep. If you want you can reconnect the 2 wiring harnesses and open the door, so that the dinger sounds, then start screwing in the self tapper, you'll know when you've gone in far enough, as the sound stops when the diaphragm is touched. So there you have it, no need for any more discussion.

[electron Member Find all posts View Profile Close electron]

The other day I found out that you can leave all the doors open except the drivers door and the chime won't work, it seems to only work off the drivers door.

Ron

[electron Member Find all posts View Profile Close electron]

Pushing the button twice stops the chimes when you have the door open.This gives you one hour of radio listening time until the 'smart electronics' times out and switches everything off. Press the button twice to get another hour. Not the perfect fix but it will do until someone figures out a better way.

Which button are you referring to?

Ron

[starbuck76 Member Find all posts View Profile Close starbuck76]

The start button. Press once for accessories, press again for ON (or what used to be On when cars had keys).

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Guys....

Any chance of some pics of the silicon method and the screw method?

Pictures tells a thousand words

[BNEGXL Member Find all posts View Profile Close BNEGXL]

Thanks Smoov,

I went the self tapper route,

20 minutes start to finish, 10 minutes of that looking for a dropped bolt!

Works perfectly, no door chime, no seat belt chime.

Regarding how to remove fascia, I just used a large, flat, blunt knife and gently pushed it in between the fascia and the dash. Work it around until you find a place that it will slip in easily, then gently lever the fascia outwards.
It is a press fit so will "pop" out.
This doesn't require any force at all, gently, gently is best.
Drop steering wheel adjustment out into cabin as far as it will go and to its lowest position.
Dash pod is held in by four bolts or screws, undo, juggle pod out.
I left it wired up and wound screw in until it had shut up.
Reassamble and enjoy the sounds of silence.