New Owner Here

[seanyob]

While this isn't my first experience with PriusChat, I just bought my first Prius on Friday (June 23rd) and am glad to have my first post here. My former car, a Dodge Neon SRT-4, had a great website (www.srtforums.com) of owners of the car, on which all the people were always very helpful. I'm glad to be part of the Prius community, as this website seems to be very helpful as well. I do however have a few quetions if anyone could answer.

My largest concern is over the battery / MFD situation. I have yet to see the battery completely full, and rarely see it at 1 green bar. Is this typical? Also, on the 'consumption' screen, what are the green cars with the graph for? Confused as to for one interval, I'll have it at 50mpg, with 1 car, and then 50mpg, with 3 cars. More cars good or bad, or what?

My second question is about the built in MP3 player. My last car could also play MP3 CDs, however the Prius' interface is MUCH larger and has many more features. But how come in the top right corner, the button that reads 'FOLDER LIST', doesn't always work for the MP3 cds. Sometimes you can push it, and sometimes it's dulled out, even with the same CD. Just me, or anyone else run across this problem?

Any answers would be helpful. And again, I'm looking forward to this new found community.

[auricchio]

1. The battery is kept between 40 and 80 percent. You don't see 0-20 and 80-100 on the MFD. The computers will keep the battery in an optimum State Of Charge (SOC) at all times. Don't worry about it.

2. Each green car indicated 50watthours of regenerated power. More is generally better, because you're getting back some power instead of simply generating heat by using your brakes.

3. The Folder List function is locked out when you're in motion.

[TonyPSchaefer]

First of all, welcome to Priuschat. We are as happy to have you as you are to be here. Grab a chair a get comfortable.

About the battery, one of the secret in the long life of the Prius battery is that under normal useage it will never discharge to a point lower than something like 40% charged nor will it ever charge to a point exceeding something like 60%. If it gets to depleted, the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) will engage to charge it. If it ever gets too charged, the software will simply stop routing energy to the battery. Most of the time, you will see from three to 7 bar. If you see purple or green, it's most likely a rare occurance.

About the cars, they represent 50 watts of energy created and stored by your car in a single 5-minute interval. Should you have to run your ICE quite a bit for five minutes (let's say constant uphill) you will see a few of the cars or more. But if you are able to stealth (all battery) for a short distance in five minutes (let's say creeping in traffic) you will see no cars.

Let's see, good or bad about the cars? I think most people will tell you that the fewer cars you have the more efficiently you are driving the car.

My 2004 dosn't have the MP3 player and thanks for reminding me. I'm just going to sit over here and pout.

[TonyPSchaefer]

First of all, welcome to Priuschat. We are as happy to have you as you are to be here. Grab a chair a get comfortable.

About the battery, one of the secret in the long life of the Prius battery is that under normal useage it will never discharge to a point lower than something like 40% charged nor will it ever charge to a point exceeding something like 60%. If it gets to depleted, the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) will engage to charge it. If it ever gets too charged, the software will simply stop routing energy to the battery. Most of the time, you will see from three to 7 bar. If you see purple or green, it's most likely a rare occurance.

About the cars, they represent 50 watts of energy created and stored by your car in a single 5-minute interval. Should you have to run your ICE quite a bit for five minutes (let's say constant uphill) you will see a few of the cars or more. But if you are able to stealth (all battery) for a short distance in five minutes (let's say creeping in traffic) you will see no cars.

Let's see, good or bad about the cars? I think most people will tell you that the fewer cars you have the more efficiently you are driving the car.

My 2004 dosn't have the MP3 player and thanks for reminding me. I'm just going to sit over here and pout.

[auricchio]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Jun 25 2006, 09:20 PM) [snapback]276750[/snapback]</div>

Should you have to run your ICE quite a bit for five minutes (let's say constant uphill) you will see a few of the cars or more.[/b]

My understanding is that the green cars are only created by regenerative braking. Any charging done by the ICE will not show on the "history" graph.

[john1701a]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Jun 26 2006, 10:42 AM) [snapback]276818[/snapback]</div>

My understanding is that the green cars are only created by regenerative braking. Any charging done by the ICE will not show on the "history" graph.
[/b]

That's correct.

[IsrAmeriPrius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Jun 25 2006, 08:53 PM) [snapback]276747[/snapback]</div>

2. Each green car indicated 50watthours of regenerated power. More is generally better, because you're getting back some power instead of simply generating heat by using your brakes.[/b]

I disagree with the more is better part.

While regeneration of energy is preferable to wasting it in the form of heat, I get my most efficient driving and highest mileage when I minimize needless acceleration and thus braking and maximize coasting instead. Converting energy into electricity is far from 100% efficient.

Lots of green cars = poor mileage.

Fewer green cars = efficient driving and higher mileage.

[Cheap!]

There is a learning curve when it comes to driving the Prius. You need to drive it wrong before you can tell what is right. By that I mean, at first more cars are good because it shows you how much energy you were wasting in your last car based on the way you drive. Later on you will learn about the conservation of momentum, meaning later you will not over accelerate, and you will not over brake. You will coast a lot more. This will generate fewer cars at the same time you will save a lot of fuel.
When you get settled in your new Prius go for a drive down a road with no traffic on it but you. Speed up to about 40 mph but stay less then 40 mph don’t go over and then take your foot off of the accelerator completely. Coast for a few seconds and notice on your Energy screen that the arrows show you are charging the batteries. Now press on the accelerator ever so slightly until the arrows go away but not so hard that the arrows go the other way from the battery to the motor.
You should feel the car start to coast with no friction. You can coast a long, long way on a flat road. You’re not generating any power for the batteries, you’re not using any power from the batteries, and you’re not using any fuel.
Understand anytime you use the motor to put power into a battery you loose some power due to friction in the wheels, the motor, the wires, and in the battery itself. Again pulling power from the batteries to run the motor you loose power due to frictional forces. So if you could just glide without charging the battery you are better off in the long run.
Don’t go so slow you endanger yourself or others. Press the accelerator firmly to get back to 40 mph fairly quickly and the repeat the process. If you go below 30 you start to use more fuel to get your momentum back, if you are trying to get back to 40 mph. However, if you get to 30 and see that then next light is way ahead and has just turned red then keep gliding. You may be able to cost so no one is in your way when the light turns green again.

[Sarge]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Jun 26 2006, 01:42 PM) [snapback]276888[/snapback]</div>

I disagree with the more is better part.

While regeneration of energy is preferable to wasting it in the form of heat, I get my most efficient driving and highest mileage when I minimize needless acceleration and thus braking and maximize coasting instead. Converting energy into electricity is far from 100% efficient.

Lots of green cars = poor mileage.

Fewer green cars = efficient driving and higher mileage.
[/b]

Hmmm... I disagree with both theories.

My understanding is that the leaf car represents 50Wh that is regenerated, whether by regen braking or by coasting (simulated engine braking by running generator).

I don't think it is accurate to say a blanked statement about leaf cars being good or bad, as it would depend on the driving situation. It merely indicates that energy that would have been lost in a conventional car was preserved in this car.

Consider, if you are in bumper to bumper and constantly doing gas/brake/gas/brake, then you will see the cars appear for the braking, but this is less efficient driving than coasting at a moderate speed which will use less energy for both accelerating and decelerating (and in turn generate fewer leaf cars). So these leaf cars are bad with respect to efficient driving.

On the other hand, if you are rolling downhill applying no throttle, the 'engine braking' will run and generate 'free' power to be used later, of course assuming the SOC is not already full. So these leaf cars are good for efficient driving.

I'm not an engineer, so I don't know if that theory is accurate, but that's the way I understand how the system works...

Just my $0.02...

- Kevin

[Lil Mo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Jun 25 2006, 08:53 PM) [snapback]276747[/snapback]</div>

3. The Folder List function is locked out when you're in motion.
[/b]

A number of things on the Nav system get locked out.

Sometimes it really gets my goat!

On the other hand, it probably keeps me safe.

For several days after getting my 2006 Prius, I thought the Bluetooth phone had a problem because I could not consistently get to the functions. The I realized, they were greyed out during motion. Doh!!!