Declare your independence!

hobbit · 07-01-2007, 10:33 PM

Here's something that will entertain the techie owners, service
technicians, and engineers in the crowd. As part of participating
as an instructor in recent training events, I've developed a fairly
extensive slide presentation on the Prius and some related topics.
As backward as it sounds, it seems to be increasingly difficult to
get techs to actually attend such events these days, especially with
the "big boys" like NAPA and CarQuest and Snap-On getting into the
hybrid training act with all the resources they can bring to bear
[even despite getting the occasional facts mixed up]. It's hard to
pull people out of their shops, especially if they haven't seen any
hybrids come in and don't think they need any training on them yet.
They thought that about electronic fuel injection back in the
eighties, too...
.
Therefore, to lower the barrier even farther to people who might
want to learn more about hybrids but can't make the time, my Prius
material is now available FREE on the net, in the same sort of
simple bullet-point slides format. Read the introduction at this
URL carefully -- it points to my stuff and other sources too:
.
_ http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/training/
.
As a community mostly composed of Prius owners, do you still feel
100% locked in to Toyota as the only service option? Did you have
a local tech that you trusted with your previous car, and feel a
little guilty about not being able to send him your maintenance
business anymore? Here's how you can re-forge that connection!
Download the flyer and get it into the hands of those independents,
and urge them to get up to speed on this stuff even if they haven't
seen hybrids come in yet -- they're everywhere, and they're coming
off warranty, and it's high time to stem the flow of dealer horror
stories and beat down the doors of those local shops, asking "service
my hybrid". Help them get started, by sending them to the *numerous*
free sources of information that are now on the internet. If you're
feeling a little bolder, let them learn a few simple things on your
car -- they'll appreciate it! You have a prime opportunity to help
introduce some genuine competition in this field.
.
Most normal service items are just like on any other car, and I think
many of the independents are somewhat aware of that but aren't quite
confident enough yet. But when I hear a shop owner say, and this is a
direct quote, "Hmm, hybrids ... yellow wires and 30,000 volts, right?"
I see a serious need to fill. By opening a channel between technicians
who really care about their customers and the vast wealth of knowledge
WE have accumulated on the forums, that process can begin.
.
_H*

Malarkey · 07-01-2007, 10:45 PM

All I can say is, "Wow."

Well, that and Thank You!

FL_Prius_Driver · 07-01-2007, 11:19 PM

Dang it. It's 11:00, time for bed, and you put this out.

Rangerdavid · 07-02-2007, 07:57 AM

very very nice *Hobbit !!!! great work there. Should be some way you could market this to the masses... hmmmmmmm..........

tochatihu · 07-02-2007, 08:38 AM

Gandalf warned us not to underestimate what hobbits can do.

It did sound like only the NHW20 needs transmission fluid refreshed, though. Or else I missed the other part.

DAS

priusFTW · 07-02-2007, 10:23 AM

I'm not a technician in any sense of the word, but I had a gander at the information...

Wow! Nice job!

Ichabod · 07-02-2007, 12:10 PM

It's been said already, but wow! Nice collection of info, hobbit. I'll take this to my local shop and see what they have to say about it.

Winston · 07-02-2007, 03:18 PM

"Brake Fluid - Dot 3 (not Dot 4)" - How can that be?!?! Dot 4 just has boiling points a bit higher.

Coolant. No aftermarket?!?! Dont think that is really true.

dmckinstry · 07-02-2007, 04:40 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Jul 1 2007, 07:33 PM) [snapback]471263[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

_ http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/training/
.

_H*
[/b]

Thanks Hobbit. It's more than my brain can handle right now, but I may use it in the future.

Dave M.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Winston @ Jul 2 2007, 12:18 PM) [snapback]471666[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

"Brake Fluid - Dot 3 (not Dot 4)" - How can that be?!?! Dot 4 just has boiling points a bit higher.

Coolant. No aftermarket?!?! Dont think that is really true.
[/b]

Well, how often do you expect the brakes on the Prius to actually get hot?

Or are you just joking?

Dave M.

NoMoShocks · 07-02-2007, 06:07 PM

Hobbit, this is very interresting to review. I am sure the slides are much more interresting with the acoumpanying instruction.

For now, can you expand on the Oil Pump being Off as a protential pitfall for the PHEV conversions? Are you saying that the small amount of oil slung by the electic motor is not enough to lubricate the moving parts of the two motors during extended EV mode opperation?

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07-01-2007, 10:33 PM	#1
hobbit Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bahstahn Posts: 2,981 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Here's something that will entertain the techie owners, service technicians, and engineers in the crowd. As part of participating as an instructor in recent training events, I've developed a fairly extensive slide presentation on the Prius and some related topics. As backward as it sounds, it seems to be increasingly difficult to get techs to actually attend such events these days, especially with the "big boys" like NAPA and CarQuest and Snap-On getting into the hybrid training act with all the resources they can bring to bear [even despite getting the occasional facts mixed up]. It's hard to pull people out of their shops, especially if they haven't seen any hybrids come in and don't think they need any training on them yet. They thought that about electronic fuel injection back in the eighties, too... . Therefore, to lower the barrier even farther to people who might want to learn more about hybrids but can't make the time, my Prius material is now available FREE on the net, in the same sort of simple bullet-point slides format. Read the introduction at this URL carefully -- it points to my stuff and other sources too: . _ http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/training/ . As a community mostly composed of Prius owners, do you still feel 100% locked in to Toyota as the only service option? Did you have a local tech that you trusted with your previous car, and feel a little guilty about not being able to send him your maintenance business anymore? Here's how you can re-forge that connection! Download the flyer and get it into the hands of those independents, and urge them to get up to speed on this stuff even if they haven't seen hybrids come in yet -- they're everywhere, and they're coming off warranty, and it's high time to stem the flow of dealer horror stories and beat down the doors of those local shops, asking "service my hybrid". Help them get started, by sending them to the numerous free sources of information that are now on the internet. If you're feeling a little bolder, let them learn a few simple things on your car -- they'll appreciate it! You have a prime opportunity to help introduce some genuine competition in this field. . Most normal service items are just like on any other car, and I think many of the independents are somewhat aware of that but aren't quite confident enough yet. But when I hear a shop owner say, and this is a direct quote, "Hmm, hybrids ... yellow wires and 30,000 volts, right?" I see a serious need to fill. By opening a channel between technicians who really care about their customers and the vast wealth of knowledge WE have accumulated on the forums, that process can begin. . _H*

07-01-2007, 10:45 PM	#2
Malarkey Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Connecticut, USA Posts: 119 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	All I can say is, "Wow." Well, that and Thank You!

07-01-2007, 11:19 PM	#3
FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 1,227 My Car: 2001 Prius Package: N/A Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Dang it. It's 11:00, time for bed, and you put this out.

07-02-2007, 07:57 AM	#4
Rangerdavid Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Boone, North Carolina Posts: 1,066 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 11	very very nice *Hobbit !!!! great work there. Should be some way you could market this to the masses... hmmmmmmm..........

07-02-2007, 08:38 AM	#5
tochatihu Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kunming Yunnan China Posts: 1,818 My Car: 2001 Prius Package: Pioneer #1 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 7	Gandalf warned us not to underestimate what hobbits can do. It did sound like only the NHW20 needs transmission fluid refreshed, though. Or else I missed the other part. DAS

07-02-2007, 10:23 AM	#6
priusFTW Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 332 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #2 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I'm not a technician in any sense of the word, but I had a gander at the information... Wow! Nice job!

07-02-2007, 12:10 PM	#7
Ichabod Artist In Residence Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newton, MA Posts: 1,774 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 7	It's been said already, but wow! Nice collection of info, hobbit. I'll take this to my local shop and see what they have to say about it.

07-02-2007, 03:18 PM	#8
Winston Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SF Bay Area, California Posts: 553 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	"Brake Fluid - Dot 3 (not Dot 4)" - How can that be?!?! Dot 4 just has boiling points a bit higher. Coolant. No aftermarket?!?! Dont think that is really true.

07-02-2007, 06:07 PM	#10
NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Camas, WA Posts: 1,024 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Hobbit, this is very interresting to review. I am sure the slides are much more interresting with the acoumpanying instruction. For now, can you expand on the Oil Pump being Off as a protential pitfall for the PHEV conversions? Are you saying that the small amount of oil slung by the electic motor is not enough to lubricate the moving parts of the two motors during extended EV mode opperation?