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Hi all, I have gotten so used to using the Mute button on the steering wheel of my 2001 Sienna that I really miss not having it in my 2014 LS. I use the Mute when I want to have a conversation without the background sound. It is a pain to lower the volume all the way down and bring it back up to the original level. Switching Modes is not satisfactory either because I have to cycle thru the all the media options to get back to the one being used. I could turn the Power Off and On, but that seems so inelegant. How do you all manage? Any tips? Thanks!
Thank you, Scrutator!! You have saved me from more angst!
I tested it with all the media and radio options, and it works great. For the FM, AM and AV inputs (I have iPhone mirroring, so have AV input), hitting Pause functions like a Mute button. For BT audio, it pauses the track just like for a CD or DVD.
Actually it's even better than that. Holding down the "MODE" button on the steering wheel also mutes the audio. Press volume up once to un-mute.
Yeah, I read about it on CL. I tried this (holding Mode for a couple to several seconds); it "muted" alright, but it went to the next source on the media input (AM / BT audio etc.), and I had to cycle back to the initial source. What am I doing wrong ?
Yeah, I read about it on CL. I tried this (holding Mode for a couple to several seconds); it "muted" alright, but it went to the next source on the media input (AM / BT audio etc.), and I had to cycle back to the initial source. What am I doing wrong ?
What you're doing wrong is hitting it again to unmute. If you just hit the volume up button it will un mute and stay on the source it was on when you muted it.
OK, I will check again. It seemed to me that as soon as I pressed Mode the first time, it had already switched from FM to AM because it didn't really mute; I could hear the white noise in AM. So, let me get this straight: If you press Mode for a second or less, it will switch sources. But if you keep it pressed longer, it mutes?
Use of the Mode button for Mute is simply a matter of duration...short taps are for Mode selection, longer sustained hold
will pause a media playback such as iTune, CD or streaming and mute for AM/FM/XM. If you release too soon it jumps
to the next mode.
Different feature - when the media mutes during a phone call you can use the remote to select the tall thin triangle
icon and play back up to 15 minutes of broadcast AM or FM that you missed. No need to configure this, just take
and end your call normally and it will be there. All recordings will then erase when you shut off the car.
Use of the Mode button for Mute is simply a matter of duration...short taps are for Mode selection, longer sustained hold
will pause a media playback such as iTune, CD or streaming and mute for AM/FM/XM. If you release too soon it jumps
to the next mode.
Different feature - when the media mutes during a phone call you can use the remote to select the tall thin triangle
icon and play back up to 15 minutes of broadcast AM or FM that you missed. No need to configure this, just take
and end your call normally and it will be there. All recordings will then erase when you shut off the car.
Nice explanation and tip. Is all this information, especially the Mute feature, in the owner's manual? I searched but came up empty.
2014 LS460 Owners manual, Pg 442 for using the dash pause button to mute and pg 557 for using the Mode button on the steering wheel. It does however state that if hold down the button as you did to mute it will unmute and implies it will stay on the same media.
09-12-17, 04:45 PM
No Mute button
Thank you, Scrutator!! You have saved me from more angst! 
