2009 Prius Package 2. Let's see if I can explain my problem regarding the Consumption screen on the Touch Screen. We often drive about 25 miles down the interstate with about 5 minutes on each end of the trip on city streets. After about the first 5 minutes the screen shows a little more that 25mpg in the first bar. Once we get on the interstate, the second bar(5-10) begins to fill and after a short time it gets to little more than 25mpg. As time goes on duing the second interval, the first bar (0-5) jumps up to a little less than 50 mpg and the second bar stays around 25 mpg. This sequence continues as time passes and the remaining bars fill and the preceding bar jumps up to almost 50 mpg as did the first bar during the second interval. The overall average at the bottom of the screen usually shows between 45 mpg and 48 mpg for the total trip which seems about right. It is strange that the preceding bar would change after its time frame had passed. What in the software would account for that? I will appreciate any insight into this. Thank you very much.
The 1st bar should continually move leftward at each 5 min segment and never change. Same with following 5 min bars. There's a problem, take it to the dealer.
jsquareg, I notice that you have a 2009. From various reports here on PC, it is apparent that over a model's sales period, Toyota makes subtle changes to the operating software/algorithms without any public announcements -- they are very secretive about the inner workings of the control systems. So far, there haven't been any reports of any special conditions/features of the HSD or MFD displays that are particular to the 2009. But as more 2009s are in daily use, it won't surprise me to hear of some tricky little changes. If I had to guess, it sounds like the computation of the "fat yellow bars" may have changed. It sounds almost like there are two overlapping computations going on with averaging across the 5 min. segments. Sounds strange, but by doing so, it would at least look like that you're getting better MPGs as the car gets through the initial warm-up period. Then again, as andyprius suggests, something may be amiss.
yes, i agree, the first 5 minutes are exactly that, it's gone in time and we can't travel back in time to change it. sounds like a dealer fix here.
Thank you very much. That could well be the answer. I thought the progression of the bars was the opposite of what you described and I will take a close look the next time we we take the trip which will probably be next Wednesday. My old, faltering memory of what has been happening says you have the provided the answer. Thanks again.
Didn't make it to next Wednesday. We went on another short trip the other way on the interstate and found your explanation of the progression of the bars answered my question. Thanks very much.
