although i love and admire john 1701a as THE prius guhru im still going to try a little test. i have been running 42f and 40r for the last year im now going to try the official tire pressure recommended by factory and located on the door of "smiley". i sometimes leave nashville to "invest" in metropolis il on the riverboat. normally i average between 44 to 47 mpg at speeds from 68 to 70. for some reason i get 47 plus on the way back. probably because my wallet is way lighter! or for the reason that im going slightly down hill (not sure). speaking of hiding money i use the sunglass space above the mirror so i dont walk around with a wad of cash. anyway the round trip is almost exactly 300 miles so well see if i get the ssame or less with the lower tire pressure. ill let you know sunday.
That reminds me, I just had my oil changed and tires rotated Saturday, yet hadn't checked/adjusted tire pressure yet. Be sure to try the pressure test in both directions for each pressure. Also note wind speed and direction relative to you. I think one of the reasons I got great mileage at the beginning of my last tank was because the wind was quite strong and mostly at my back.
you are right dan. see my part II entry on the forum. i probably will go a little higher in pressure like 38/36 but im not feeling the need to be at 42/40 anymore.not unless the suspension was a little more aggressive
Oops. That was to read be sure to try the MPG test in both directions for each pressure. I just raised my pressure to 40/38 during lunch.
yeah i think the 40/38 is fine but im going for the compromise. i normally like stiff cars but ifeel im just getting stiff tires at 42/40 and not getting a lot of bang for the buck. im still a car guy so ifa prius based 2 seater sportscar comes out. im in!!!(still have to get the killer mileage, though)
I had been doing 38/36, but I decided to try 40/38. If I don't like it, I can always let air out. I don't feel comfortable getting much closer to tire max.
you know, dan you actually hit an underlying concern of mine during this past year. i mean im not really concerned that the tire is being unduly stressed at 42/40 but it just "feels" a little much. let me know about your new pressures. its strange but its almost like doing a weight lifting training. you kind of adjust this a little and do this alittle more or this alittle less until you feel comfy
So far, not much different. Will be filling up in a few days, I'll probably have a better idea after that.
