I just got a Prius and it's starting to feel like a steep learning curve to drive it. I am a somewhat nervous driver so there is one "issue" I'm having that's particularly disconcerting. I've noticed that when I'm slowing to a stop, the car gets extremely close to stopping but doesn't seem like it's going to stop unless/until I do a hard brake at the end. I definitely give myself lots of time to stop due to a bad wreck I had 14 years ago (yeah, I know, I should be over it by now) so I'm kind of concerned that this is just something I have to start doing. Given that the brakes are very sensitive, even hard stopping from a very slow roll results in a halt/jolt feeling. I'm also not seeing an automatic lights option, does that not exist for my model/year? Any advice? Is this just a me problem?
welcome! how many miles her? prius brakes switch from region to friction around 6mph, so it is something you have to get used to. that being said, it might be worth having a qualified shop look things over for peace of mind. plug your vin into the toyota owners website. it should provide the options on your car all the best!
Thank you! I really appreciate it. I'm not a knowledgeable car person so I'm not sure what you mean by "region".
"region" i belive he meant regenerative breaking. basicaly at speeds above 6mph car is usualy using MG1 as generator to charge traction battery(big battery) and slowing down your car, but bellow 6mph normal brakes take over and this switch can give scary/weird feeling of breaks failing too stop the car
If I may- that was a spellcheck or transcription error from "regen" short for "regenerative." The Prius has two braking systems. The regenerative system is all-electric and uses the front wheels only. You step on the pedal and the hybrid system instantly reconfigures itself as electric brakes and starts harvesting power from the front wheels, to be stored in the battery. Once your speed drops below 6mph this system naturally loses effectiveness, and a computer automatically phases it out and applies pressure to the standard hydraulic brakes- same type as any other car would have. This hydraulic system can also take over at any speed if there is a fault detected in the electrical system, or if you panic-stomp the pedal. Normally the two braking systems are well balanced, and the blending system makes an almost imperceptible transition from electric to hydraulic. However, if one system isn't up to scratch the transition will feel sloppy and you'll notice that you have to change your footwork whenever you cross down through 6mph. Usually this means the hydraulic brakes need service- the electric brakes are nearly maintenance free while the hydraulics tend to need periodic work. tl;dr your car probably needs an ordinary brake job. ADDED: not sure which automatic lights you're referring to.
