What every newb should know

[richard schumacher]

The wisdom of the ancients, condensed and updated :_>


1. If the last "pip" (pips = little rectangular lights) on the gas gauge starts to flash it means "buy gas right now, damn it".

The fuel gauge is not perfect, and instantaneous MPGs are always varying because of the outside temperature, the route driven, driver technique, and other factors. Further, the 2004-2009 models have an internal bladder whose capacity is not constant. Because of all that, at any moment you cannot know how much gas is still available in the tank and cannot predict exactly far you can still drive before running out of gas. Running out and driving until you drain the large (high-voltage traction) battery can damage the fuel pump and/or the battery, and void the warranty. It can cost thousands to fix these. Therefore it is prudent to buy gas before the gauge gets to the last pip.

And don't top off the tank. That can damage the fill control system (and the bladder in the 2004-2009 models) and cost hundreds to fix. It also increases hydrocarbon pollution emissions; increasing pollution is not why we bought Priuses.


2. If you try to jump start a Prius and get the polarity wrong it can do thousands of dollars of damage to the electrical inverter, the computers and the wiring harnesses.

The owner's manual describes how to correctly jump a Prius. If you're not certain of how to do it:
a. don't do it
b. don't let some random tow truck guy do it
c. don't let some random good Samaritan do it.
Have it towed on a flatbed to a Toyota dealer, or have a Toyota dealer send someone to jump it. If anyone else tries and does it wrong, from a warranty repair standpoint you're screwed. (This applies to most modern cars, not only Prius.)


3. Always lock the car, no matter where you park or for how long. If it gives a long beep something is probably wrong, and you need to find out what. For example, the smart key system allows you to leave the car running and unlocked. Anyone can then walk up to it, get in, and drive it away. Or you may have left a door ajar, which can cause lights to remain on, which will drain the 12V battery.


4. Don't leave the car in ACC or IG-ON or in Neutral for any length of time. These risk draining one or both batteries. If you want to sit in the car listening to the radio or whatever, leave it ON, as though you were about to drive away, and shifted into Park. If you are not in a completely enclosed and unventilated space you can do this with no harm done until you run out of gas.


5. A Prius is not a snowplow: it has low ground clearance and does not have 4WD. If you get bogged down the car's computers will not let you spin the wheels to try to dig or rocket yourself out (it does this to protect the drive train). If you drive in snow you should replace the original tires with snow tires and avoid unplowed roads.


6. Always check the oil level yourself before driving away from every oil change, no matter who does it. This can find simple mistakes before they become annoying or expensive.

[Neicy]

Can't be repeated too many times it seems.

[dogfriend]

2. Is the reason that I carry a portable jumper unit. I am the only person that will ever be allowed to jump my Prius battery. Hopefully I will never need to.

[jdchappie]

Is there a personality that just has to push the gas to it's limits?

I had a co-worker who constantly ran on the edge with a gas can in the back of his wagon, just in case. I would see his wife driving south and I knew he ran out of gas, again, on a Mail route. The same route he drove every day for years. Got me?

[Speedwing]

With the price of gas changing almost every day, it does not make sense to let the tank get low. We fill-up at half tank most of the time.

[confused]

Thanks so much for starting this thread! I have ordered my Prius and will likely get it sometime in July (fingers crossed). No doubt I will need a good orientation and will many questions. These two important pointers about jumping the car and keeping gas in it are great to know. If anyone else has some basic advice to the new Prius owner (some major pointers), it will be greatly appreciated.

Such a different kind of car than I'm used to, so it no doubt needs to be treated differently.

Thanks in Advance--I want to make sure I take good care of my new car!

[freshmtt]

This is great advice.. I have never driven my Prius when it got below 3 pips, after reading all the horror stories about running out of gas. And now that the price of gas is just getting crazy, I decided to just fill up when it reaches a half tank, about 5 pips, no matter what. With a car such as this, that is NOT like the normal car, I will never ever test it with the gas gauge. There is just no sense in doing this. Thus I will never really be able to give figures or facts about the real MPG for a full tank of gas because I will never let my tank get down to empty ever...

[LOVL1TE]

I also fill up after I get down to about a 1/2 tank. I've heard that gas tanks acquire water and pieces of debris over time and that more and more of this ‘trash’ tends to get sucked into the fuel pump (and sent to the engine) as the tank approaches empty. Maybe this is an old wives tale, I don’t know. Filling after a ½ tank makes it difficult to average mileage per thankful, but for those of us who go by the MDF, it doesn’t really matter.

[amm0bob]

The "buy gas now damnit" flasher sounds like a worthy light...

I may never see it.

[Tideland Prius]

*stickied*