How Often Do You Use the Braking Feature on Trans Shifter

I also have a ScanGuage, and also have the current in and out of the battery displayed.

There are many threads on PriusChat that explain it and a post above by joedirte links to a good source that explains it in great detail. It is based on an earlier version of the liftback, but the principles apply equally in the c. It is worth a read and if you compare it with the real world you will understand how it applies.

I strongly suspect you have misread my post anyway. If you are just rolling along with your foot off the pedals, the c simulates the engine drag of a traditional drivetrain by applying some regenerative braking. If you shift from D to B with your foot off the pedals then it will slightly increase this "default" level of regenerative braking. It does not give you any additional regenerative braking. It will never give you more regenerative braking than you can get in D mode using your foot.

The issue with B mode is that it doesn't just "turn up the default level of no pedals regenerative braking". Its purpose in the car is to do something else. Over 20 mph or so B mode is there to waste energy. It will use the electric motor to turn over the ICE without fuel. This doesn't achieve anything except waste a whole lot of energy.

You could have got the maximum level of regenerative braking in D mode, without wasting energy, just using your foot. The difference with B mode is the use of the engine to waste energy on top of this. You don't need this in normal driving conditions - it's just a waste.

 

The default "no pedal" amount of regen braking does increase under B mode, but you could have done this just by pushing on the brake pedal in D mode, without the downside.

 

I don't see there being any downside when I use it when I decide to do so. I don't use it all that much, but did use it some during snowy conditions where brakes wouldn't be the first consideration.

Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

 

Try a half dozen of one, but just three of the other. There is a real difference, and Rob.au describes it correctly.

The downside of B mode on flats, and on short and moderate mountain descents, is that it puts less total energy into the battery. E.g. on a nearby drop of just 400 vertical feet, D mode with regeneration can completely fill my battery without heating the brakes, but B mode will waste some of that potential energy and only partially fill the battery.

B mode is meant for taller hills, such as a steep mountain descent of 2000 vertical feet that I often travel. The battery fills up either way, but B mode keeps the friction brakes from smoking.

No, he is totally right.

We do too.

 

Not to be rude, but I really don't care what you guys think or think I need to do, or whether I'm correct in any way you may need to measure against.

I'll use it when it suits me, and for the reasons that make me want to use it. And, personally, if I lose a bit of energy I don't give a (fill in the blank.)

You, on the other hand, can do with the B mode whatever you wish. I will not try to tell you otherwise.

 

He didn't care what you thought either. He was correcting misinformation so that when people come by and read this thread later, they know what is accurate. You are completely entitled to do whatever it is you please... such as it is, it's your car.

 

Obviously, he doesn't care what anyone else thinks. We're even.

I don't do any of the things he was discussing so the information is not relevant to me. Should I ever descend deep descents, it may be. As it is, I do not. What I use it for is fine for my use. Being judgemental of it because it doesn't fit your idea of "proper use of the B mode" is pretty messed up.

I say use it just to piss people off, if there are no better uses for it.

 

The federal government requires it. Secretly, that is the only reason it is there.




Standard No. 102; Transmission shift position sequence starter interlock, and transmission braking effect. - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration


subpart 3.12

 

You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts. I don't care about how you use it in your own car, it won't hurt anything except overall mpg. But you were feeding false information to others about how 'B' works, and became judgmental when faced with corrections.

 

Daily.
And no.
I'm not interested in any "educated" opinions as to whether or not using "B" mode on a sweeping off-ramp is a good, bad, or neutral thing to do.
I also use the power button at least weekly.


My 5,000 mile running average is 50.2MPG (measured)....and according to Fuelly.com that means I'm I'm doing OK.

 

- so let me get this correct, you press your brake pedal but you don't use your brake pads ? what does the brake pedal do then, deploy an anchor ? - sorry for my misunderstanding, I was not aware that the brake pads where not directly connected to the brake pedal, like most other cars

 

Have you not yet heard about 'regenerative braking' in hybrids and electric cars and electric trains?

 

apparently it can be a difficult concept to understand.
An older gentleman was asking me about my prius and if it was any good( he was thinking of buying a fusion hybrid to save money on gas but was a little wary of the "new" technology). Among other things I tried to explain regen braking as best i could and the benefits of extended brake pad life but he couldn't fathom it, he told me the regen brakes must wear out then, and they must be expensive to replace.

 

here is my best explanation of the anchors used. B under the D in the Drive gears? | PriusChat

 

No doubt it was also deeply imbedded somewhere in the health care bill...

 

If anyone would look more closely to my comments they would find plenty of qualifiers in them. "If, may, could" etc. I never gave ultimatums or insinuations of lesser mental capacities if not toeing the self-official line. If you want to think this down to the last ten decimal points, fine. Go ahead. You wouldn't be the first, you won't be the last.

I said only that I use if for engine braking under circumstances in which I find it useful to use. That is all. Whether there are any spare electrons left standing at the bus stop is not my focus. I couldn't care less. It may be important to some, but it isn't to me. Castigate me if you wish, (insert Grumpy Cat "Good" here).

Amazingly enough, for something so important to know the owner's manual only says this: "Use engine braking (shift position B) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep hill. Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effectiveness. (→P. 174)"

 

If they had a health care bill in the late 50's, yes it was.

 

Sheesh, didn't this kick off while I went about the last 24 hours? You've nailed it here plain and simple.

I don't care if anyone wants to use B mode in their car when they decide they want to use B mode. I do care if people post information about something that isn't right, because that means when others come along and read the thread, they don't get the chance to make their own choices from the right information. One of the fantastic things about PriusChat is that it has led me to so much great and useful information to understand the very unconventional nature of this car. I like to contribute to that where I can, or point people in the right direction when they ask questions.

While anyone can decide when they do and don't want to use B mode, the facts of what B mode actually does and doesn't do are not debatable. There is nothing new about it on the c and this is one of the great many things the "Prius Elders" (which is how my mind defines anyone who drives a liftback and joined PriusChat before I did) have figured out for us well before any of us c kids showed up on the block. There's an awesome write-up of it which was linked on the previous page, and Jimbo's explanation linked above is also a great summary. The behaviours are easily observable in the c, making it easy to confirm it behaves no differently.

I'm not sure how much your last comments were meant to be directed at me if at all or towards someone else (I don't think them fair in either case, but that's just my opinion), but speaking for myself where I did reply to you yesterday it was because you did actually make a comment about it that was factually incorrect. You did say you weren't sure about it and I was careful to leave that part in when I quoted it and replied with the correct information. There was no judgement on my part. I wasn't trying to score a point. I just saw something that wasn't right and attempted to correct it, then went to bed and fell asleep. Believe it or not, I thought I was being helpful.

xkcd: Duty Calls

TL: DR -

The best summary of braking in the Prius and what B mode does is:
B under the D in the Drive gears? | PriusChat

The best comprehensive overview of braking in the Prius and what B mode does is:
http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/b-mode.html

 

No matter. It's all quibbling now.

Readers can decide for themselves. There's enough there for just about anyone.

 

This was both entertaining and frustrating to read.