Does the Prius ECU learn your driving habits?

[ZC1]

It's a real question... brought on by some salesman who told me the Prius learns your driving habits and runs accordingly.

According to what I was told, If you drive like a Grandma, the Electronic Control Unit (or one of the other 13 computers) learns your habit and then gives appropriate performance.
But if you drive like Mario Andretti, the Prius is programmed for heavy acceleration and gives better accelerating performance.

From a technical standpoint, I can see this happening because the ECU would merely record various operating and control parameters, store the parameter values in a table and after repeated uses, remap them as normal accelerating parameters for this car, trying to give the driver what he/she wants.
(This is not fact, unless someone can confirm it.)

Or is the Prius like a standard computerized car, which takes in various variables and quickly decides the output it needs and make the adjustment on the fly. No ongoing parameter tables necessary?

Anyone?

ZC1

[Patrick Wong]

If this is true, this is an undocumented feature. I have not been able to find mention of this in the 2004 New Car Features Manual or the tech training documents.

[penbed]

Drive by wire...

[Jiipa]

My wife and I must really have our Prius confused then because I try to wring out as many mpgs as possible a she has a lead foot.

[racerbob]

Nope, no training by use of accelerator, brakes, or steering. Normal automatics in ICE powered cars will change transmission shifting baselines according to driver input. This is the only "learned behavior" that the user can control. This is evident when performing an TCM or ECM reset or disconnecting the battery. Prius doesn't have any trans shifts, so no learned control. The ECU will adapt to wear and vacuum leaks, to keep the engine running smoothly as it ages. Disconnect the battery on a 100k domestic car and see how poorly it will run when cold. It will take 10 miles or so and a few starts to relearn proper fuel trim.

[patsparks]

It learns what you want from the engine instantly, put your foot to the floor on the loud pedal and it learns you want to accelerate hard, press gently on the right pedal and it learns you want to accelerate slow.

Mine seems to have learnt it is near home after it goes up the hill at 80km/h because once I get to the top of the hill and the battery it all topped up it hardly runs the engine from there to my home.

[racerbob]

Just like a good horse.

[Rokeby]

Originally Posted by ZC1

It's a real question... brought on by some salesman who told me the Prius
learns your driving habits and runs accordingly...

ZC1,

your question is very similar to one I posted a while back. The postings here
are essentially parallel to those I got, with the possible exception being that
the earlier responses were more detailed.

As I see it, the Prius doesn't really "learn," it does record a whole lot of stuff
for possible later use when conditions warrant.

Here's the earlier thread:

How/What Does the Prius' CPU(s) "Learn?"

Don't be mistaken, I haven't the slightest idea what a "fuel map" is.

Enjoy!