How do I turn the pedestrian warning on?

[Rat]

My 2011 Leaf used to have the pedestrian warning sound but now it no longer does. Is there a way to turn it back on? I suspect the dealer turned it off when I had them upgrade the brake software. I live in an area with no sidewalks and two weeks ago a teenager walking on the right decided to cross to the left midblock without looking behind her directly in front of my car. I hit the horn and swerved, missing her, but it was a near thing. She about jumped out of her skin and I wasn't much calmer. This sort of scenario happens pretty often around here. I decided to check and sure enough the sound is no longer operative. I searched the topic but all the posts seemed to be about how to turn it off. I prefer not to have to take it back to the dealer unless necessary.

 

[Rat]

Over a hundred views and no replies. I guess this is a new one. I suppose I'll have to go back to the dealer or do without.

 

[dhanson865]

I'd be curious to know how to confirm mine as well. 2012 SL and I've never heard it. I tried telling my wife that you had to be exactly in line with it as the speaker is directional but after months of use neither of us has heard it.

 

[mjblazin]

Unless you test it with someone, you don't know. You have be going a particular speed range with the pedestrian in harm's way and have someone to hear it. I have head pedestrians step in front, but I think I was below the bottom end of range. If I cannot see the space, I creep ahead, likely cancelling need for alarm. Pedestrians look alarmed seeing a car with no noise but were not in any danger.

 

[Levenkay]

I can hear it reflected off the walls of my garage as I'm easing in to park.

 

[Rat]

In the past I was able to hear it any time I drove 18 MPH or less and had the windows open. It was easily loud enough to be heard from inside the car if the windows were down. Now, nothing.

 

[redLEAF]

My 2011 Leaf used to have the pedestrian warning sound but now it no longer does. Is there a way to turn it back on? I suspect the dealer turned it off when I had them upgrade the brake software. I live in an area with no sidewalks and two weeks ago a teenager walking on the right decided to cross to the left midblock without looking behind her directly in front of my car. I hit the horn and swerved, missing her, but it was a near thing. She about jumped out of her skin and I wasn't much calmer. This sort of scenario happens pretty often around here. I decided to check and sure enough the sound is no longer operative. I searched the topic but all the posts seemed to be about how to turn it off. I prefer not to have to take it back to the dealer unless necessary.

Here's the thing ... MY 2011 LEAF's had a on/off switch (see photo below, its the one in the bottom row with the car profile and speaker icon over it) that the owner could switch on or off for the pedestrian warning sound; MY 2012 removed it. Look at your dashboard and see if someone removed the switch or if its simply in the off position; the other possibility would be that someone disconnected the speakers for it; possible but probably not the case. It also works only up to about 15 MPH so if you were going faster than that, typically tire noise alone would be sufficient to warn someone; we own a '12 so no switch but can definitely hear it within an enclosed area (like our home garage or a parking garage, etc.); it's enough noise for someone to hear it unless they're wearing ear buds, etc.

 

[mjblazin]

I think I recognized the warning. I was expecting more beeps. It sounds more like an engine whine. I wondered what the noise was as I pulled into a garage spot. It did not make any sense because the "whine" seemed independent or inversely related of motor speed.

I don't know what a pedestrian would think. Maybe it is supposed to sound like an engine or electronic facsimile.

 

[Rat]

Sure enough, the button is there. It had been turned off, either on purpose or accidentally. I spent at least twenty minutes going through the owner's manual trying to find some reference to it. I examined the index for Pedestrian, Alarm, Alert, Warning, Sounds, Audio, Horn, and everything else I could think of and reading every reference those sent me to. It's just not listed in the index. Considering the fact that it took over 600 views before anyone pointed that out, I guess it's not very well known to others, either.

 

[GerryAZ]

I think the switch on the 2011 is a momentary switch so you press the switch to turn off the sound and it stays off until you turn the car off. The next time you start the car, the sound defaults to ON. Perhaps the button was stuck in the depressed position.

 

[DaveEV]

Gerry is right. Unless your car has been modified, sound defaults to on every time you turn on the car.

I know, because I've pushed that button about twice a day now for 4 and a half years over 3000 times.

 

[Rat]

Yes, I see that now. Knowing where the button is, I was able to find the section in Ch. 2 of the manual in Instruments and Controls. That is where I found that the acronym VSP is used and the full term Approaching Vehicle ... etc. So it can be found in the index if you already know where to look, which is so typical of badly designed indexes. I had no memory of the acronym VSP from when I bought the car 5 years ago and would never in a million years have thought to look for the word "approaching" in the index. You'd think someone would think to put the terms warning and pedestrian in there. Anyway. I find that the light comes on and goes off on the button, but when I test it, the sound is still not there.