2010 prius sluggish acceleration in hot weather

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by ATlam, Jun 23, 2017.

  1. ATlam

    ATlam Member

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    the last few days my car has been sluggish, we just had a heatwave in california and it was in the 100s outside ( probably more inside the car) and the car's acceleration has been sluggish the first 10 minutes of driving, I have AC on full blast when starting. When I press the gas pedal, the car would hesitate like it has very little power, then some power kicked in, and then it hesitate again. It stopped once it picked up some speed.

    Other than the last few days, my car been running very well and the acceleration is very smooth and responsive, my mom drove the car and even commented on how great it runs.

    I recently had spark plugs and coolants changed, car has about 225k miles on it. Is this normal for the prius?
     
    #1 ATlam, Jun 23, 2017
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yes, the computers protect the battery in the heat. at 225k, it's probably somewhat weak to begin with.
    make sure the intake grille is clear, and the cooling fan is clean, and keep the a/c on high.
    try to park in the shade, or keep the sun from beating in the hatch. use sunshades, and tinting.
     
    #2 bisco, Jun 23, 2017
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  3. ATlam

    ATlam Member

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    thank you for the fast reply, I'm glad to hear that, I'm planning to keep this car as long as I can!
     
    #3 ATlam, Jun 23, 2017
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    batteries that rack up a lot of mileage like taxi's, instead of sitting around a lot, tend to do better. all the best!(y)
     
    #4 bisco, Jun 23, 2017
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  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I'm not sure if you're using ECO mode, but when it's really hot outside and your AC is blasting, don't use ECO mode
     
    #5 JC91006, Jun 23, 2017
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  6. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    What maintenance have you done on your Prius? Anything on the intake side? At 225k miles, there could be some carbon deposits on the intake. Do you have a lot of elevation changes on your commute?

    We have a 2010 Prius II with 157 k miles on it and going strong. I drive over Willow Pass on Highway 4 everyday and even in the recent heat wave, did well going up the pass with the AC on;).

    Do you drive in PWR mode a lot, or is it eco or normal mode?
     
    #6 Raytheeagle, Jun 23, 2017
  7. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

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    the dreaded egr cooler
     
    #7 tankyuong, Jun 23, 2017
  8. ATlam

    ATlam Member

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    I recently had the EGR valve replaced by dealer with warranty, is the EGR cooler part of that?

    dealer replaced parts number are 0400458137 and 2568537010. (thank god the light came on like a month before the TSB warranty expired)

    I drive in normal mode, the car drove fine today without the heat wave. I was just worrying if something in the car wasn't working right

    edit: looks like the second part number is the EGR cooler, so it has been replaced.
     
    #8 ATlam, Jun 24, 2017
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2017
  9. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    The second part number is the egr-to-cooler gasket. The first p/n is the EGR.

    VS985 4G ?
     
    #9 mjoo, Jun 24, 2017
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