Greetings. I am an "aspiring" Prius owner and would very much like some assistance. I apologize for my ignorance and to some of you, these questions must be asked frequently. However, I need some insight from consumers because there is no way I can get a straight answer from a car salesman <No offense to anyone that might be in sales> 1. How does the Prius do in winter weather? 2. Does the weather have negative impact on the life of the hybrid batteries? 3. How do you know when the hybrid batteries are going bad? I would really appreciate some insight. Thank you very much
1. Most say it does just fine. We can't vouch for the 2010, but the aggressive traction control can be an issue in some specific situations. 2. Life of the batteries, no, but the output may be lower. Also, as with any car, your MPG will be significantly lower as the engine must run more often to keep "warm". Engine block heaters help with this situation and are available here in the PriusChat store. 3. Usually a check engine light if there's truly a problem, but over time they do degrade somewhat. I can tell that the battery pack in my 2004 w/ 114k miles isn't what it used to be, but it's in no sense "bad". Keep in mind, the warranty is 100k or 150k miles, depending on your state.
It charges and discharges faster because the total capacity decreases. As long as it has enough capacity to assist in launch acceleration this has very little effect on MPG. It also means that less regenerative braking energy capture is possible, but that actually contributes little to Prius fuel economy. HTMLSpinnr, have you noticed seen any change in MPG? After 5 years and 37K miles under the same driving conditions mine continues to get 46 MPG overall (80% street driving) and low 50s on the hwy, and it still has little trouble beating many manual transmission cars off the line :_>
this oft-stated position is counter intuitive, to me, and also counter to what I think i experience in my gen 1. Is there a difference between the gens on this point? my 2002 has 140K miles and i notice that when i am very efficient and light on the gas petal, i "pay" for this eventually with the system grabbing power to send to the battery to catch up. if the conditions are juuuust right, i can find the optimum speed where the ice drives the wheels, sends power to the electric engine, and also charges the battery. but that is hard to find with the 02. i still get 50 mpgs in the summer, so i am not complaining. i just note that regen keeps the battery topped off as it were and i don't experience challenging 5 minutes periods where its is obvious the battery is being recharged at the expense of mpgs. thanks in advance
Runs fine in winter (get snow tires, just like you should for any vehicle). Starts as easily at -20F as 80F (unlike regular cars with small starter motors). The 12V only has to start up the computers and open the relays to the 'big' battery. The electric motor starts the ICE through the transmission. Biggest 'starter motor' and 'cranking battery' out there The electric motor is used more when you first start up in winter than in summer unless you have stopped for the night with a low (on ITs scale which shows YOU ~40% to 80% of actual capacity IIRC) 'big' battery. Lets the ICE warm up without a big load (unless you hit the Interstate right off). Good for ICE longevity.
Not to derail the thread too much... I've noticed a subtle MPG drop, but it could equally be from worn plugs than battery. 12V battery needs replacement as well which would affect it. The biggest noticeable thing however is going from 5 to 2 bars charge very quickly from a short stint in EV. However it will take it's sweet time going from green or high blue down to the next lower bar. The gauge, I suppose, is no longer linear. The fan also comes on more frequently during rapid charge events (i.e. from low SOC to normal SOC).
No, they actually get charged by the generators in the car. One is attached to the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), which charges the batteries every time it produces extra energy, and the other generators are on the braking system, and it too charges the batteries.
ABSOLUTELY!!! Neither of our Prii have EVER been in a garage OR under cover of any sort and neither has EVER struggled to start in sub zero (F) weather (unlike EVERY other car we have owned). BTW - Coldest it has been since I got the '04 is about -20F. Buy a Prius and you will never again have to crank and hope, stop and try again until the engine finally turns over and idles roughly. Seatbelts on, foot on the brake, push the Power button. The 'Ready' light comes on in ~3 seconds (less time than it takes to crank a gas engine in warm weather) - DRIVE! -20F +80F - makes NO difference. I have an engine block heater (EBH) in mine. Unlike EBHs in conventional cars which are used to keep the block warm enough that it WILL start, in the Prius, it improves mileage as the gas engine warms to 'auto EV' temps faster. Though if it is really cold, you may NEVER get to 'auto EV' (look up the grill blocking threads to help with that in above 0F temps). No EBH on my wife's '06, she doesn't want to bother with plugging it in or worry about forgetting to unplug. Not sure if the $$ spent on electricity balance the slight increase in MPG. No way to actually test the 'gain' since every day and trip is different.
Thanks for not making me appear ignorant by so many questions!!! You people are GREAT!!! I would also like to know: Is there a remote starter for Prius'? Also, is it worthwhile to get the remote starter and the engine block warmer too???
Ignorance is only the lack of knowledge, we are ALL ignorant in many, MANY ways! And no, no remote start. It was debated as to the technical possibility of doing so and I THINK it is not physically possible (related to the requirement that the fob must be in the car to start it? Not sure). In any case you REALLY don't want remote start. Idling is wasting. 10 seconds of idling a vehicle uses the same amount of gas as starting (so I have read, probably an average for all vehicles, never tested it myself ). You don't need to idle a Prius to get the ICE to the point it will run smoothly and that is the ONLY reason you should idle a vehicle. Remember that the electric motor will be doing most of the work when you first start out. In fact, it always does ALL of the work when the car first starts moving, the ICE starts when needed. ALL ICEs warm up FASTER while driving that when idling. Plus the 2010 has a heat recovery system that routes 'waste' heat back from the exhaust to the ICE so it will warm even faster. If you are worried about having cold buns, pony up for a package that has seat heaters Or wear your coat and gloves. If you need them when the car is cold, you'll need them when you get to your destination anyway
In Maryland it almost never gets below 10F so it looks like the days of hoping the car starts when frigid are gone. Another benefit of this car. Do they ever stop? Keep them coming! Even if I wanted an EBH I couldn't get one since I live in a 3rd Floor condo. I did request a IV so I can heat up my buns. Rich N.
OP's personal info indicates 2010 on order. Remote Start is available on the 2010, for $529 MSRP (my dealer is having it port installed for far less).
Ah, OK then technically possible. Wasting gas AND a lot of money I'm glad the port option is cheaper though I wonder, is it OEM? I would think it would be cheaper to put it in during assembly rather than tapping in after it arrives in the destination country.
this has all been discussed in this THREAD. It's an OEM Toyota part: (copied directly from toyota.com) Enjoy the luxury of having your vehicle ready and waiting with a comfortable interior temperature on cold winter mornings or hot summer afternoons, courtesy of the VIP Remote Engine Starter. This clever accessory allows you to start the engine - and to activate the air conditioner, heater, defroster and defogger functions - before entering your vehicle. It's fully integrated into your factory security/keyless entry system, so there’s no need for an additional remote.
Angel - thank you for this thread! These are all questions that I've been asking myself as an owner-in-waiting. My new little guy will be parked out in the cold as well. Thanks guys for your answers - I feel much better! :angel:
