<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NOPEC Chris @ May 29 2006, 03:29 PM) [snapback]262472[/snapback]</div> Why would you flush your radiator this time of year? That is a fall thing! Flush in the fall, rejoice in the spring, warm weather, summer gas, rising MPG. There is a "dance" (series of button pushes) that allows you to run the ICE for a exhaust test. That should do it. I wonder what the manual says: Well of course you do not use a lame'o ICE start to purge the system you use the THHS to activate the electric water pump! This is a 21st Century car. None of that 19th Century stuff.
Activate the inspection mode: Go to ignition on (not RUN), fully depress accel pedal twice in P, then twice again in N, then twice again in P. Now the display shows HV! warning. Today only, this is a good thing. Now start the car. Engine stays running. It is not approved to drive in this mode because if you have front wheel slip, you could break $omething Expen$ive. Cancel inspection mode by shutting off Prius. PS: 99.99% sure you don't need a radiator flush. If you do, something is wrong that a flush won't fix.
tochatihu, Does that little pedal/park-button/shifter dance really turn off the TCS? NOPEC Chris, Another quick and easy way to keep the engine running is to put the car in neutral when the ICE is running. For some reason the engine cannot start or stop when the car is in neutral. It also might be a good idea to put your parking brake on when the car is in neutral. Also, remember that the NiMH battery cannot charge when the car is in neutral, so you shouldn't leave your car running like this for too long. Take care, ~Andrew
"Does that little pedal/park-button/shifter dance really turn off the TCS?" To the best of my understanding, it does, or else we would not be so warned against driving in this mode. "...For some reason the engine cannot start or stop when the car is in neutral." It cannot dump power into MG1 to spin up the ICE for starting while in N. "It also might be a good idea to put your parking brake on when the car is in neutral." I agree completely. The parking brake pedal is your friend whenever you wish to hold your position.
