Hi all, I purchased a 2004 Prius about 6 months ago. I come from a Jeep Wrangler background so the Prius was a bit of a culture shock. My question is...During the summer months we averaged 42-45 MPG, now it's winter in NY with temps. I get that mileage is worse in cold temps due to battery being cold. I drive 2.5 miles to work (5 miles both ways) When I checked consumption for the last 150 miles I'm averaging 19 mpg. The ICE doesnt stop running and I'm barely up to operating temp in the short ride. Should I let the Prius get up to full operating temperature before leaving? Thanks.
No. Warming up before moving could raise the displayed MPG number while moving but it would burn more gas in total. The best way to warm up any car is to drive it, gently for the first couple minutes. Short trips and cold weather kill fuel economy in every car, it's just more obvious in a Prius. Don't forget to check tire pressures at least monthly. Keeping them near 44/42 PSI front/rear year-round makes it noticeably easier to get better MPGs.
I live in Norway, so the lower mpg is quite apparent here too What I have done to remedy it is to install both an electric engine- and coupé heater that I use every single day, both when parked at home and at my office. That works wonders for winter mpg!
Engine block heater, higher pressure in your tires, and except the fact that a 2mile trip will never allow for great gas mileage. You're a prime target for a plugin Prius. See this thread for more info. http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...y/99492-why-mileage-gets-worse-in-winter.html
2.5 miles is a FE killer. Your Prius never gets to operating temp..Max fuel consumption. Walk as that is perfect exercise for the day? Hal
Lack of use during winter is a 12V battery killer, which can also impact MPG. 19 MPG implies multiple factors (weather, tire pressure, 12V battery, etc.) My avatar picture shows a battery with a shorted cell that came out of a car with almost the exact same driving pattern as yours. Put your 12V on a 2A charger overnight and see if anything improves. I'm surprised that Richard didn't point you to the test procedure: http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/73400-weird-stuff-happening-mpgs-dropping-test-battery.html Readings in mid-high 11Vs are ok due to temperature, but if you see anything <11V, that 12V battery is weak and needs a full charge or replacement.
Your commute is too short to ever get good mileage from an internal combustion engine (ICE), especially in cold weather. I have a Jeep TJ and a 2006 Prius. It is a culture shock moving between the two. Tom
I'm in pretty much the same boat (very cold winters, very short commute, and what there is of a commute is all stop-and-go traffic). In the winter, the MPG tends to go south of 30 MPG. Since we also have very hot, muggy summers, using the AC is a must, so in the summer it hovers between the 30-35 MPG range. I really, really like the spring and fall.
Or skip straight to http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...mileage-gets-worse-in-winter.html#post1411488. Better heater usage and more (or proper) air in the tires is free. Grille blocking is super cheap. EBH is a lot more money...
Does not matter what you do, a Prius or any car with a ICE will not heat up in 2.5 miles. Get yourself a EV car. I.E.Leaf, Volt or golf cart. Hal.
Its not that the battery's cold it's because it needs to heat up the exhaust catalytic converters to meet its ZERO Emissions mission. That's mission number 1 over fuel efficiency and the engine will run till the cat's are up to temp. So freezing car and short trips the engine will not shut off because the cat's are very cold. I assume the car is outside. If garaged install an Electric Block Heater asap and block the front grill.That will help the warm up cycle and the blocked grill will keep all the heat in the engine compartment.
Thanks everyone. I checked the 12V first thing in the morning, with a volt meter, before starting the prius. It was just a tad over 11V. After start up it was barely at 12V. It is the original battery installed in 2004. I'm amazed it lasted 8 years. It looks like the ICE is running a lot just to keep it charged. I'm ordering the new yellow optima with the pencil posts. You guys are great
Yeah at 11V it's starting to get really marginal.. You probably would have had even more problems pretty soon. The cold weather would be taking its toll on an older battery too. I imagine it's not all that warm in NY right now.
