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Lag in engine response

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Abu_Gemar, Jul 2, 2014.

  1. Abu_Gemar

    Abu_Gemar New Member

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    Hi......I'm facing a new problem with my 2010 prius, i daily go to work and park my car in sun for 8 hours, when i turn on the car to go back home i feel a laggy response from the engine (the engine responds after 1-2 seconds from pressing the pedal) especially when pressing the gas pedal and reach the power mode area, after 10-15 minutes of driving the problem disappears and the drive gets more smooth. Any suggestions about the cause of such problem?
     
  2. kronos89

    kronos89 CHRRYPRL

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    i have experienced the same issue, i believe its due to the inverter not getting to operating temperature. I usually do a bunch of stops a day, where i am shutting my car off for 30 mins at a time and when i get back and drive off, i experience the issue. I find that it doesn't do it if i let it shut off before driving away.
     
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  3. macman408

    macman408 Electron Guidance Counselor

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    Maybe the battery or something else is too hot? Any chance of parking in the shade, or at least something that will be shady right before you leave work?
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    is your battery cooling fan clean?
     
  5. ursle

    ursle Gas miser

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    And after checking your battery cooling fan, check your 12v battery, it's a '10, sucker is 4 years old, little things add up.
    Clean the cabin filter, clean the ice filter, clean the throttle intake.
     
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  6. Abu_Gemar

    Abu_Gemar New Member

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    So what did you do to solve the problem?
     
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  7. offib

    offib Member

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    Might as well dig this up since I can't find any other thread like it.

    Normally I thought engine response was quite reliable when asked for. But after a yearly service with oil and transaxle oil changed, the response is upsetting and unnerving.

    I tried to see what's wrong under the bonnet. I did find that the seal of the air filter wasn't fit into the groove properly, it was pretty taught. New rubber maybe. There was also immediate signs of carbon on top of the filter. It's only been 300 miles since said service. Maybe I'm just convincing myself here but after shoving the filter's rubber bits where they should I think engine response is a bit quicker.

    If it's the carbon showing on the filter paper, would this be all caused by a dirty MAF? I never cleaned that.
     
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Top of the filter is the clean side.

    Can you describe the carbon in more detail? It's loose/sooty, or embedded in the paper? At all oily?

    How many miles on it? Has the PCV valve ever been checked, or changed?

    Pardon me if it this is obvious, but if you opt to clean the MAF sensor, use cleaner specifically for that job, and maybe google a few videos on how to do it. CRC suggest multiple squirts of the cleaner, and a bit in the connector as well. I just did this, and used a bulb blower to hasten drying.
     
  9. offib

    offib Member

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    Oily and embedded. It was normal oil and oil filter change. Not sure about the PCP. It almost has 154,000 miles on it and 300 since the ssrvice

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm thinking if the lower PCV valve is clogging, maybe more oil will be coming through the upper PCV hose, that vents between valve cover and air intake. Our son's Civic air filter was sooty/oily, and I could see evidence of oil around the upper PCV hose connection at air intake. We changed the PCV valve and air filter, and to tell the truth have not checked it since. Will have the car in our garage this weekend though, will take a look.
     
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  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Did you check the oil level to ensure it isn't over filled?
     
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  12. offib

    offib Member

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    I have, yes. It's just under the full mark. It's also super clean, so that black stains on the new filter may be the PCP valve.
     
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  13. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    These guys likely have a gummed-up throttle body causing initial lack of engine response. The gum is from blow-by entering the intake snorkel. You likely have a sticking PCV valve like Mendel suggested.

    Time to remove the air filter box and snorkel and get busy cleaning and replace PCV valve. It's not that hard

    Pixel XL ?
     
  14. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    The grease on the new air filter is probably from the guys fingerprints after changing your oil.
     
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  15. offib

    offib Member

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    Well. I put in some Dipetene (it's like a fuel additive that's sold here in Ireland). It's a 1:200 concentration additive that was first used to clean carbon deposits off of the cylinders, valves and injectors of old, clapped out diesels so they can pass their emissions tests. I deliberately put in 20 litres worth (like a dribble) and ran it on the motorway and accelerating hard with that rich stuff on a near empty tanks for 6 miles or so before filling the tank normally.

    Butterfly valve and surrounds isn't as pitch black. I would say that engine response has improved with some mpg gains. Also seeing more amps (around +5 Amps more) being generated by MG1 while on idle and gentle acceleration with an OBDII app.
     
    #15 offib, Oct 12, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2017
  16. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Fuel with your additives get no where near your butterfly valve. Only thing that goes through a throttle body is air and pcv gases.
    But your additive is working as it's convinced you things are happening which they are really not,
     
  17. AzWxGuy

    AzWxGuy Weather Guy

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    There may be other things going on that are unrelated to what has been observed. I would like to comment on the air filter situation. From what I have read, it sounds like there is a problem with the air filter housing. The upper removable section of the air filter box contains an activated charcoal element, which functions similar to the old charcoal canisters that provided an exit to the atmosphere for closed circulating fuel systems. It captures fuel vapors and holds them until removed by intake air flow. Sounds like oil has fouled this element and caused it to come apart, hence the charcoal on top of the air filter element. I suppose it could also be restricting airflow. Might need a replacement.
     
  18. offib

    offib Member

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    Maybe for those in the US market but most if not all examples sold in the EU doesn't have that additional layer on top. Regulations are paradoxically not as strong here.

    Most likely then. I'm just basing this off from what I saw down the intake. It was once dull and black/grey and after 250 miles since then, the valve is a bit cleaner showing the copper or brass or whatever underneath. I wouldn't know how to explain it.

    In regards to the response and acceleration, there's a marked improvement. It has been 30,000 miles since the plugs were replaced and the injectors were never seen too. The petrol where I am is universally 95 octane.

    The Dipetane additive is described as a non-linear alkane of pentane of some sort. It's basically a low octane fuel that burns easily and fully.

    Actual question, are atkinson cycle engines more prone to incomplete combustion and carbon build up?

    Anyways all it really claims to do is burn off any excessive carbon deposits in the combustion chamber which I hope was the root cause to the lag.
    It's compared to fuel aviation fuel for propeller planes with low-compression engines and high altitudes. Fun fact, in the 80s and before hand, old engines would be ran on plane petrol that was said to be shorter and ''lighter'' than the stuff at the pump. The stuff kind of a household name thing here and there are decade old forums about the additive. Some detailed how when used in diesels it can produce knocking if ran hard or if the fuel/additive concentration is incorrectly too high. Some poured in a whole bottle (that's 3 tanks worth) into a near empty tank to achieve knocking in order to prove that it's just a very low octane fuel.
     
    #18 offib, Oct 17, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2017
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  19. offib

    offib Member

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    ... Ugh, I hate to bring this up from the dead again. But I've recently cleaned the MAF sensor with a spray can that's made to clean it.
    While the additive did make a subtle but noticeable difference in engine responsiveness, cleaning the MAF definitely got the job done. I would even call it crisp. So I guess my A/F mix ratio was well off.

    It did bring up code C0300 (or idk C0301)