We have a 2008 Prius with 11,000 miles... which is new to us for about 2 months now. My wife and I both have noticed a "shudder of the car - when the motor shuts down" at a stop light or whenever needed. It seems a little bit more noticable than in the previous two months of driving it. I saw the thread for the 2010 Prius.. but was wondering about the Gen 2's? I am guessing it is fairly common/normal... but would feel better if I knew for sure. Thanks !
Unfortunately, it is normal on the Gen 2 and it's usually more noticeable when the engine's cold (i.e. not at operating temperature) and during the winter months. It smoothes out as the engine wears in and the temps rise. I remember when our 2005 was brand new. You would've thought the car was going to fall apart given how violent the shake was at shut down. It's still there but a lot smoother. The 2010's shut down is a lot smoother, nearly unnoticeable.
I just purchased an 08 and have noticed it on occasion already. I think it is very normal depending on situation. I have noticed it more as the hot weather has increased my A/C needs which I think keeps the system guessing a little as to how much power it needs. At any rate I have noticed and I don't think it anything to worry about as it's simply shutting down.
I just bought my 08 ...traded a BMW 330i for it. I wanted to go totally practical and so far am adjusting well. The power difference is obviously a major adjustment but I love the comfort, toys and fuel mileage. The first time it shuddered to a stop ...I thought don't break down now or I'll cry Glad it was supposed to do that !!
Very normal. Soon it will stop doing it so violently and soon you will not even notice it. BTW, what kind of engine oil are you using? Grade and brand please?
The occasional "shudder" on engine shutdown is completely normal. As posted previously, it is more pronounced when the engine is cold. What causes it is: as the engine stops spinning, the computer may have to turn it part of a revolution in order to have it stop @ the correct crankshaft angle for easier startup next time.
actually, if you consider how ofter the ICE starts and stops during typical drive, and compare how smoothly those transactions occur as compared with the virtual explosion when you start a non-hybrid vehicle, in reality it's a pretty smooth thing. Sure, it's a little shake or vibration, but nothing compared to regular cars.
It will shudder a bit when it's cold, but once it warms up it should not. Check what oil it's got in it. If you use 10W30 it will shudder, but if you use 5W30 it won't. Be aware the "shudder" is the engine seeking out the crankshaft position it is supposed to stop at. If it misses on the first try it will bump the crankshaft until it gets there.
I've experienced this in my '05 for the last (and first) 90,000 miles. It always does it at the same physical location at a light that's always red, so it's presumably caused by a particular combination of starts and stops. Oddly, compared to the rest of the observations, it has done it from day one, isn't particularly violent, and hasn't gotten either better or worse in 5+ years. Richard
I also have a 2005, it maybe a little earlier version than yours as mine was purchased in Oct 2004. I have had similar experiences in the 5+ years of ownership. I mainly occurs when the car is just started and is cold. Once it fully warms up it usually vanishes. I've asked about this phenomenon and was told not to worry about it as it is within the parameters of the design. Good Luck.
It's generally correlated with what stage the car is in. See the 1st PDF at http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...angauge-best-threads-mileage-improvement.html.
Brand and type, your choice. I use Mobil 1. Weight is 5W30 for North American temps. It's in the owners manual. RTFM.
My '08 still does that even though I've been driving it for 2 1/2 years now. As others have said, it seems to be worst when the engine is cold, but that isn't always the case and I have a hunch it has to do with timing factors at the moment of shut-down as much as it does engine temp. Nothing to worry about, though. But the first few times it happened I thought I'd been rear-ended or tapped by another driver from behind, it was that noticeable.
My 2004 does this even at full speed. While I don't feel a big vibration, I do notice a mild one as well as a light shuddering noise when I take my foot off the accelerator at highway speeds. The noise is almost like I'm going over a very slight speed bump with wood planks in the back.
