1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

questions on 2011 Prius 3 (first time owner)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by prince, Aug 31, 2014.

  1. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2011
    3,318
    1,103
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I hear ya prince. The used Gen 2009 that we bought before we got the new one this spring was a CPO (Certified Pre Owned). With that said and the fact it came from Autonation which is a valid Toyota dealer we figured everything was good. Found out later on that the brakes were bad, and the guards I mentioned were missing. Like I said, we did a lot of repairs that IMO should have been done by the dealer before the sale. But alas, things like brakes, tires, interior, guards and covers are what is considered "wear items" and are usually not subject to pre inspection before sale. The rotors on the car were pitted very deeply with rust due to the car coming from Florida. They also were wore down to a thickness that if they were machined, the rotors would then have been out of tolerance on the thickness. When the brakes were finally redone and the calipers were torn down, we found the inboard pads were down to the metal on the left side and the right side was normal. On further investigation it was found that the glide pins were corroded due to the salt (Florida). The repair consisted of cleaning, re lubing glide pins, replacing inboard and outboard pads on both left and right front calipers, and also replacement of the rotors. All of that was over a grand at the dealer. It is DIY if you have the tools, and the knowledge of how to do the work properly. But there are techniques that must be followed when doing that sort of work. The Prius brake system is not like your average car. Anyway, the reason I am mentioning this stuff is just about every used car I ever dealt with always had something wrong with it. And sooner or later that item needed to be addressed. Even with said warranties offered by the seller, there have been times when we still ended up spending extra money for repairs that might be considered excessive under normal operating conditions. It seems that fleet cars take a beating due to various drivers who do not have a interest in said vehicle. They just put gas in them, and drive the *(#* out of them.

    So, take the time to try to learn what the car should like before you sign the dotted line. If you are not sure, take it to another Toyota dealer and ask them to do an inspection on it. From that point, you should have a good idea of where you really stand. I would trust a different dealer more so than the one who is actually selling the car.

    Just speaking from wisdom and lots of years of experience buying and selling used cars...
     
    prince likes this.
  2. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2012
    1,391
    543
    0
    Location:
    Santa Monica, Ca. 90405
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    With the JBL speakers it is a 3, hope it works out for you.
     
    prince likes this.
  3. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    dorun - I think that is sound advice. I have purchased a fleet vehicle before at 21k miles and at a little over 50k miles now without any issues. This prius here is at 61k miles so more chances to run it every which way. It is a risk but I am just banking on being able to find things within 100 days. I have 7 days to drive it around and if I don't like it for whatever reason I can return for a full refund so I'm hoping to take it to a dealer and get it checked out within that timeframe.

    munpot - Thanks! I guess now the only question is whether that leather upgrade is a seat cover or installed.
     
    dorunron likes this.
  4. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    8,245
    1,202
    0
    Location:
    NorCal
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I have a 2011 Three, no nav. If it has Bluetooth phone buttons on the steering wheel, it is a three. If not, it is a Two. If it has tweeters on rear doors, it's a three. If not, it's a Two. Three will also have JBL badge on radio unit and speakers and an audio amplifier underneath front passengers seat.

    If there's a 'Katzkin' label on the seats, good. That's what I'd get for aftermarket leather reup.

    Here's a leather cover over seat. GT Covers btw. not cheap but great quality. Look around edges to see if a cover or reupholstery.
     

    Attached Files:

    prince likes this.
  5. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
  6. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2011
    3,318
    1,103
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    prince,

    FWIW once you get the Prius, take the time to read the owners manual. It is NOT a thin book. Actually very thick. Plus study any and all additional material's that came with the car.

    If you don't know about how to hyper mile plus all the other tip and tricks, look in my signature below. Plenty of fuel saving tips. If you drive a Prius like a regular car you might get close to the EPA ratings. But if you drive it like a Prius is driven for economy you can easily beat the EPA. YMMV

    Record holder for best MPG in the world is a guy in Japan. Last report I heard - 116 Miles Per Gallon.

    Enjoy that new to you Prius prince. Believe me, there is no other car like it on the planet, except maybe a Prius V or a Prius C.

    Best of luck to you.

    Ron (dorunron)
     
    prince likes this.
  7. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thank you Ron!

    I really need to look through all your links as that is the type of mileage I want to go for. Never even heard of hyper mile, lol. Thank you so much for providing those!

    I went ahead and purchased it tonight. I'll take it to the dealership maybe Friday or Saturday to get it checked out. Only things I noticed were there were the wiper blades seemed squeaky and my wife felt the gas pedal felt a bit stiff. We previously test drove brand a brand new Prius which was completely smooth so not sure if the mileage difference or not. It was also raining tonight so that may have made a difference.
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    if you're in eco mode, the gas pedal will feel sluggish. that might be stiff to her. it's probably fine, gas pedals aren't an issue even at high mileage.
     
    prince likes this.
  9. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    bisco - That may very well be it. We had the Carvana guy drive it as well just to see what we were talking about and he said it felt normal to him.
     
  10. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2011
    3,318
    1,103
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Prince,

    FWIW, the gas pedal's only resistance is a small spring to make the pedal return to the non depressed position. There is NO direct link to the engine like a traditional vehicle. When you push on the gas pedal, a small rheostat rotates which sends a signal to the ECU that controls the throttle body which causes the engine to speed up, slow down etc. depending on how much or how little the pedal is depressed. You should also notice that the feel of the pedal will be pretty much consistent throughout the entire travel of the pedal.

    Try this. Experiment with the different drive modes. IE Power Mode, ECO Mode, and also what is known as "Regular Mode". You should see that the pedal response will vary depending on the mode you are in. With Power Mode, the least amount of travel is needed to get the Prius to respond. However even in ECO Mode or Regular Mode the amount of power the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) will deliver will not be increased or decreased. What changes is simply how the Prius responds to the amount of pedal travel in the various modes. I mentioned "Regular Mode" earlier. Regular Mode is all mode buttons off. When in Regular Mode the pedal response will be in between ECO and Power. EV Mode is one mode I would stay away from. Especially if you are new to the Prius. Any time you are in EV Mode you are driving the front wheels with the traction battery only. One would think that is the most economical. However it really is not. Since the ICE and regenerative braking are the only sources of power to charge the traction battery and the fact that the conversion of power is NOT 100% efficient just about all EV Mode use is not as economical as "gliding" would be when doing "Pulse and Glide". There are times where it is good to EV. Such as when you are maneuvering in a parking lot, or creeping along in rush hour traffic. But you must consider that the traction battery does not store a LOT of current. You can only travel a short distance in full EV until the battery is depleted, and then it will begin to charge automatically until it reaches a predetermined SOC (State of Charge) that is programmed into the Prius Computer's (ECU). Don't get me wrong, I do EV from time to time, but only under certain circumstances. I pay attention to the battery level and try to keep it in the five to six bar range. However, when the Prius is warming up especially if you are using the A/C, it is perfectly normal to see the SOC drop down as far as two bars. So don't worry about the traction battery. The Prius will take care of it for you.

    You will find it will take a while to learn all of the tips and tricks. And then even longer to master everything IF you are interested in maximum economy. Remember YMMV.

    Enjoy your new to you Prius. Post some pics if you want to.

    Good luck,
    Ron
     
    prince likes this.
  11. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thanks dorun! I wanted to take some pics but it's been raining lately so the best I can do is this:

    [​IMG]
    I also took it to the Toyota Dealership to get the prepurchase inspection and everything checked out, nothing wrong. The wiper blades are squeaky but the Carvana guy said their service center just installed brand new wipers on it so it may take a few rains to get it normal.

    I also asked about the leather and it is in fact after market leather that the original dealer installed but can't find who they used anywhere.

    Only issue I'm noticing since I'm a new Prius driver is when I attempt to accelerate sometimes I feel a grinding noise. When the Carvana guy drove it around, no noises. But then again he's been driving a few Prius around for awhile so he may have gotten used to driving them properly.

    I am in the midst of reading all those links in your sig though, thanks for those! :)
     
  12. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2011
    3,318
    1,103
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Hmmm. Grinding noise? Doesn't sound right. I will accept hearing a "whine", but grinding does not sound right. Find someone who owns a Prius like yours and have them listen to it.

    Don't trust the dealers. They will lie to you. Trust your gut and other Prius drivers first.

    Ron

    PS Nice looking car. Why the flat bed?
     
    prince likes this.
  13. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thanks! It's not really a hard grind, but not a whine either, kinda hard to describe. Once I start going there are no noises, it's only when I'm trying to accelerate really hard in a quick amount of time. I do have another friend who drives a prius. But when the carvana guy drove it he didn't do it at all. I'm thinking it may be the way I'm driving it? But I'll have my friend drive it around sometime to see.

    And that flatbed is what Carvana uses to deliver their cars. They're like this online car vending machine, you buy the car online and they either deliver to you or you can go to their vending machine building and it comes to you.
     
  14. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2011
    3,318
    1,103
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Got it on the flatbed. There really should be NO grinding noise whatsoever. Sounds like something is just not quite right. Get your Prius friend to check it out. Might be the brakes rubbing. Might be a bad wheel bearing. But grinding does not sound right. I can push our Prius real hard. All I ever hear is the ICE wind up and the MG's whine when in EV mode. The only time I ever heard grinding was on the old Gen II we had. Come to find out the inboard pads were down to the metal. Had to reline the pads up front, relube the slide pins, and replace the rotors. After that, it was nice and quiet like it should be.

    Ron
     
    prince likes this.
  15. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I may be confusing the ICE wind up with the "grinding" noise as it's not really a grind, just a louder noise than usual when accelerating but again, only when I drive the car. When the carvana guy did it when I was trying to show him we didn't really hear it.

    I did have a major flub today. I got out of my car after lunch and walked into the office without turning it off. I thought I had but realized I hadn't about 5 hours later. The only thing I noticed was the bluetooth turned off and wouldn't turn back on until I shut it off for a few seconds and turned the car back on. I hope all that idling didn't do any serious damage. Only thing I noticed is my gas mileage dropped from 53mpg to 37mpg in the time I was gone.
     
  16. ftl

    ftl Explicator

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2009
    1,812
    790
    0
    Location:
    Long Island NY
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    No harm done - the engine would have been off most of that time, just coming on occasionally to maintain the charge on the traction battery. A number of us here have kept our cars in Ready mode for many hours while using the Prius as an emergency backup supply during electrical outages. My longest run was 54 hours after Hurricane Sandy!
     
    prince likes this.
  17. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Oh wow, talk about a huge relief and a pleasant surprise knowing my Prius has multiple uses! :D
     
  18. kbeck

    kbeck Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2010
    420
    274
    0
    Location:
    Metuchen, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    There's a bunch of threads about the "use it as an emergency generator" trick. Main trick: The inverter that converts from 12V to 120 AC should (a) generate a sine, not a square wave and (b) Really Thick Wires Clamped Down Tight To The 12V Battery. So, it's not a huge deal, but it's not running around with a pair of dinky gator clips, either. :)

    KBeck
     
    prince and ftl like this.
  19. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thanks KBeck, will have to do some research :)

    I ran into another question while exploring the Prius...

    [​IMG]

    What is this mat? It's folded in half in there, obviously too big for the space it's being held in. It doesn't really fit neatly in the trunk space above it either. Just curious...
     
  20. prince

    prince Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2014
    52
    16
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I pulled it out of that little cargo space and spread it out in the trunk but as you can see it doesn't really fit the dimensions so curious what it could be...

    [​IMG]