Shutting off the Prius

[mtsarpilot]

Seems redundant to have to push Park before pushing the "Power" button to shut off the car. A number of times I have pulled into the garage, just pushed "Power" and the car goes into Park automatically then shuts off. If this is all computer controlled, then I'd surmise it does not matter. The software would simply do the Park step for you before shutting off.

Any reason why this should not be done?

[ekpolk]

Good question. I've forgotten to select Park myself a few times (hey, I'm just now no longer grabbing for a key...). I surmise that the "Park" button is arguably superflous at shutdown, but is still useful/necessary for those times when you need to sit for an extended time, stationary, but with the car "ready".

Being relatively new to this, I would, of course, defer to the "gurus" as there may be something more subtle that I've missed.

Oh yeah, I have noticed that the car lurches a little when I shut down without selecting Park first. Might be a clue about better practice there...

[daniel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mtsarpilot @ Aug 10 2006, 06:14 AM) [snapback]300743[/snapback]</div>

Seems redundant to have to push Park before pushing the "Power" button to shut off the car. A number of times I have pulled into the garage, just pushed "Power" and the car goes into Park automatically then shuts off. If this is all computer controlled, then I'd surmise it does not matter. The software would simply do the Park step for you before shutting off.

Any reason why this should not be done?
[/b]

The only reason for pressing Park first would be to get yourself into the habit, so you don't one day forget to put it in park before getting out of the car with the car still in Ready. As far as the car itself goes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with just pressing Power to shut off the car. As you have noted, it puts itself into park.

But let's say you have the car in Ready and decide to get out for a moment. If you have not put it into Park it will roll away and probably bump into something. (This is why I don't let anyone drive my car but me, except at the dealership, where I have no choice but I presume the people at the Toyota service department know how to drive it.)

[nwprius]

The answer is simple..... No, you do not have to put it in Park first, just turn it off with the READY button and the car goes into PARK automatically.

[bruceha_2000]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ekpolk @ Aug 10 2006, 09:28 AM) [snapback]300754[/snapback]</div>

Oh yeah, I have noticed that the car lurches a little when I shut down without selecting Park first. Might be a clue about better practice there...
[/b]

Keep your foot on the brake until the car HAS put itself in Park. A horribly long wait: 2 seconds or so. You can avoid the long delay in exiting the car by starting to unbuckle your seat belt during that time. By the way, the car might roll a little until the parking pawl is seated in the gears if you don't use the parking brake. I always push in the parking brake at the same time I push Power. You still need to keep your foot on the brake until it is in Park.

[rufaro]

I have trained myself to push park and the parking brake for EVERY stop (no, I don't mean at stop signs or traffic lights...like pulling over to answer a phone call...or read a map...or reprogram my gps... ) because I want to be SURE I haven't left it in gear once I take my foot off the brake. And yes, I am of the "disable the d**n backup beeper. The car supplies me with more than enough visual distractions--I can't deal with audible ones as well! The parking brake thing was a little difficult to start remembering...I used to get very peeved w/ dh when he, a stick driver, would drive my automatic Acura and set the brake. I didn't believe it was necessary in an automatic car. BUT, one day, not long after getting my Pri, I leaned against the back of the car and felt A LOT of "give," and I am NOT a large person, and the car was NOT on an incline. Made me worry a bit...so retraining began!

[Drift Motion]

i think its pretty bad for the gears when u leave the car in Park without using the parking brake on a hill

but u dont need to press P before u press Power button, i believe i saw that somewhere in the manual

[DaveG]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mtsarpilot @ Aug 10 2006, 06:14 AM) [snapback]300743[/snapback]</div>

Seems redundant to have to push Park before pushing the "Power" button to shut off the car. A number of times I have pulled into the garage, just pushed "Power" and the car goes into Park automatically then shuts off. If this is all computer controlled, then I'd surmise it does not matter. The software would simply do the Park step for you before shutting off.

Any reason why this should not be done?
[/b]

All that the park button does is disengage the CVT and put the "parking pawl" (small metal pin) into one of the gears to prevent the car moving while stopped. Turning the car off with the Power button does exactly the same thing.

(You can check it if you want - when you start the car again, leave your window down, then put it in "D"rive mode before the internal combustion engine starts and you'll hear a faint "click" as you shift when the pin is withdrawn from the gear).

dave

[InfideNino]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Drift Motion @ Aug 11 2006, 09:40 AM) [snapback]301369[/snapback]</div>

i think its pretty bad for the gears when u leave the car in Park without using the parking brake on a hill[/b]

Can anybody confirm this?

[ekpolk]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(InfideNino @ Aug 11 2006, 04:38 AM) [snapback]301387[/snapback]</div>

Can anybody confirm this?
[/b]

What it can do is make it very difficult, if not impossible, to withdraw the parking pawl, which is just a small metal pin that moves forward and engages a gear in the transmission (I'm not sure exactly where in this CVT). In a traditional car, you could usually muscle the thing free with enough effort, but sometimes intervention (for example from a tow truck) would be necessary to relieve the pressure sufficiently to disengage the pawl. In the Prius, with the entire weight of the car jamming the pawl against a gear, it's conceivable that the withdrawal mechanism might not have enough "pull" to disengage Park. And since it's purely electronically controlled, you can't rely on the old "more muscle" method. You'd be literally stuck. Whether or not the Prius is actually vulnerable to this ages old auto trans issue is another matter, and as a "flatlander," I'll readily defer to the "hill people." Anyway, regardless of the incline, I always get my parking brake firmly ON before I put my car in park. Brake parts are cheap compared to the insides of a transmission, and I prefer to have the brake doing as much of the actual immobilization as possible. A good solid parking lot bump can be enough to shear or damage the pawl on a car left with the brake off. Food for thought.