Lower Mileage

There are so many, many reasons why MPG goes down... There's a worksheet you can use that usually makes it onto most of these types of threads... Just start searching and reading on here for an hour or two. I'm starting to think 'low MPG' is the most popular redundancy on PriusChat.

 

Change the Inverter Coolant and the trans fluid.

 

Yeah, I saw that, you commented on 682 posts...

Regardless, newbie or veteran your overall MPG depends on so many different systems working perfectly that you can't just find one quick fix, you have to go by process of elimination. This problem is compounded by the likelihood that the dealer considers MPG betwee 38 and 50 to be within the normal range and not need of repair until the car throws an error code at which point the repair may be way more expensive. High MPG is more likely if you practice as much preventative maintenance as possible, which is what edthefox5 is suggesting with his input.

Checking the Air Conditioner is also good idea... An AC pro on here said there is only 2 or three ounces of fluid difference that will make a Prius AC work full blast and waste gas vs. one that works efficiently... And most Toyota dealers are not seasoned experts when it comes to AC.

Also 1/2 quart too much oil can give you bad mileage, so can bad alignment, or low tire pressure, or brand new tires, or inverter running hot cause of inverter pump dying, or your mass air flow sensor is dirty, or your throttle body is dirty because it's never been cleaned or is contaminated due to overfilling with engine oil, or one of your cells in your HV battery isn't up to par, or you need new spark plugs, or a new air filter, or you're lacking in basic maintenance intevals... It goes on and on, that's why someone is going to come to this thread and say please fill out the worksheet so you can eliminate all the possible causes of low MPG.

A quick and easy one is to reboot your computer by disconcerting the 12volt battery for a little while, sometimes that helps to restart everything fresh and gets rid of any slightly off sensor readings or other electronic anomalies.

As for the dealer: buyer beware on that... They are great at fixing stuff under warranty but once you're paying for it yourself, be careful. There are many stories of expensive repairs that dealers did that may have not been essential because the actual fix ends up being an different expensive repair. Kinda like your water pump leak. Some on here say that some of those leaks are better off just monitoring rather than making unnecessary repairs on. Many Prius owners I have met have passed on that particular repair and have driven their car for many years after without any further issue than just that little splatter that so many cars have.

The more you can do this worksheet yourself the more affordable the repairs needed to get you back to high MPG will be.

 

Hybrid battery warranty should be 8 years/100K miles for non-CARB states and 10 year/150K miles for CA and CARB states.

Your warranty booklet should confirm the above and which warranty yours is eligible for. I believe IN is not a CARB state.

 

Here... I dug this one up for you:

Fuel economy complaints/queries? Please copy, paste & answer these questions, esp. if you're new | PriusChat