Car is acting differently since trip

[Michou]

I agree with everyone else that tire pressure has a pretty big impact on your overall mph, as does how much weight you carry in your car, and the type of gas you use. However, to get a very accurate idea of what your mph is, next time you fill up write down your mileage, then when you are down to empty again compare with your current mileage to find out what you are getting mileage wise.

The fuel guages and nav screen consumption display aren't always the most accurate.

Best,

Michou

[saminjax]

Originally Posted by jdonalds

I've learned a number of things can cause ICE mode. Heater on, air conditioner on, cold starts when the catalytic converter must be warmed up.

I can't get 50 feet from my house in the morning without the ICE starting and running for 5 minutes. I also have a short drive at 15mph in my mobile home park; sounds something like your situation.

I think it's normal behavior.

Well, I've not been running the heater or air conditioner. Even with the air conditioner on in the past, however, I could stealth from the stoplight leaving my housing area. Now, I have to wait 10 minutes into my trip to do so. Something changed.

[qbee42]

Just to make sure we are on the same page, here is what should happen when your power up your Prius:

1) Power up; idiot lights flash, MFD comes on.

2) In about 20 feet or 15 seconds the engine (ICE) comes on.

3) The ICE stays on until the engine and catalytic converter heat up, AND you come to a complete stop.

4) After the complete stop, and with a warm engine, the Prius will run for short intervals in EV mode, assuming the following:

a) Good SoC.
b) Warm engine and catalytic converter.
c) Low power demand.
d) Low speed.

5) When any of the above are no longer true, the ICE will come back on.

Tom

[saminjax]

Originally Posted by qbee42

Just to make sure we are on the same page, here is what should happen when your power up your Prius:

1) Power up; idiot lights flash, MFD comes on.

2) In about 20 feet or 15 seconds the engine (ICE) comes on.

3) The ICE stays on until the engine and catalytic converter heat up, AND you come to a complete stop.

4) After the complete stop, and with a warm engine, the Prius will run for short intervals in EV mode, assuming the following:

a) Good SoC.
b) Warm engine and catalytic converter.
c) Low power demand.
d) Low speed.

5) When any of the above are no longer true, the ICE will come back on.

Tom

Sounds about right. I'm doing everything I was doing last week, but the ICE is acting differently. Wants to be on all the time for the first 10 minutes. I will, however, be mindful of coming to a complete stop. I have several stops on my route (stoplights, stop signs, other drivers, etc.). Thanks for the info.

[FBear]

I suspect that the reason your gas mileage dropped was the last fill-up contained ethanol which will lower your overall mileage.

[morpheusx]

is it possible that you haven't reset your MFD by pressing the reset button and you may be seeing the trip avg combined with your local avg.

[bestmapman]

Double check that your front and rear defrost is off. I had the same problem when I first got my car. I am not talking about the temperature or the head/foot selector. On the bottom of the screen are the 2 defrost switches. If either is on then the car will act this way.

[john1701a]

This is the perfect opportunity to point out the new ENGINE AIR-FILTER illustrated section in the User-Guide (pages 29-30).

Build up of crud on that filter will have a negative impact on efficiency.

.

[richard schumacher]

I suspect that the reason your gas mileage dropped was the last fill-up contained ethanol which will lower your overall mileage.

Ethanol has about 70% of the energy content of gasoline, so E10 has about 3% less energy that pure gasoline and MPGs should decrease by only that same amount; in this case from 52 MPG to maybe 50 MPG.

[saminjax]

Originally Posted by morpheusx

is it possible that you haven't reset your MFD by pressing the reset button and you may be seeing the trip avg combined with your local avg.

Umm...yeah, that is certainly possible. I've never reset my MFD. I've only had the car for a little over a month, though. 49.6 is my lifetine average, everything and the trip included. I thought I should leave it as is, so that I would keep my lifetime average displayed. That's the reason why it hasn't climbed up yet, I'm sure. However, my MPGs have been consistently lower with my ICE engine running more.

Also, I do have ethanol gas in the car (less than 10%, according the pump.

I will definitely check the tire pressure again and avoid ethanol-laced gas in the future, but I still don't understand why the ICE is being so stubborn about running longer. If I have the battery fully charged and I've been driving it for a few minutes, it should let me stealth, right? That is the main thing that's bothering me. It wasn't doing that last week, but it is now. After about 10 minutes, it will let me stealth, but before then, it stubbornly comes on when I am trying to stealth drive. Last week and before, it would let me stealth after approximately one minute. My drive to my son's school and to work is mostly 30-35 mph driving, so I can potentially get a lot of stealth driving in if the ICE will lay off. Maybe it will get back to normal in a couple of days - perhaps it is some kind of fluke after its first long trip. Before the trip, I had not run it at speeds over 60 mph for any consistent length of time. My trip was three hours each way and ranged between 65-70 mph.

Thanks for all your input, everybody.