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2008 prius 35mpg whats the point---help!!!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by erkla, Aug 15, 2016.

  1. erkla

    erkla New Member

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    I have a 2008 prius and can't get get more than 35 mpg. The battery is refurbished, I have done air flow sensor, throttle body, spark plugs and have good tires. I drive 120 miles a day and make 50 stops. I get better mpg on the highway. also, the engine doesn't seem to shut off all the time at a light and the battery is hardly ever in green. Also it seems like the engine struggles a lot, almost like there is an engine brake. I am losing faith. what is the point of this prius helllllllllppppp
     
  2. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    What is the pressure in the front and rear tyres? You said you have good tyres - please clarify exactly what make of tyres you have fitted to your vehicle - are they LRR Tyres?

    What is the mileage on the vehicle? Where exactly are you located?

    You said you make 50 stops a day - do you deliver pizzas or some other fast food? Continuous short journeys might prevent your Prius HSD from warming up to optimal temperatures where it runs most economically. It may well be running cold between stops, hence the reduced MPG you are experiencing.


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  3. erkla

    erkla New Member

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    I have 202000 miles roughly. I am in the los angeles area. I drive from universal city to downtown, thru Pasadena, Hollywood, Beverly hills, santa monica and culver city. I used to get 40 mpg on a regular basis
     
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  4. erkla

    erkla New Member

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    sorry I have Michelin tires and keep at 34/35 all around
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how is the 12v health?
     
  6. erkla

    erkla New Member

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    brand new and the hybrid battery was refurbished

    t
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    refurbished batteries can be a problem. pcv and intake manifold? fuel injectors?

    are the tyres low rolling resistance? maybe bump the pressure up a little, 37/35 or 39/37.
     
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  8. erkla

    erkla New Member

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    I cleaned the fuel injectors...pcv and intake manifold...should I be looking at their condition or cleanliness?
     
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  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no idea. i think the pcv should rattle when you shake it. injectors must have a spec the should meet. what about air and cabin filters?

    are you sure it's not the heat, or some other uncontrollable outside influence?
     
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  10. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    As bisco suggested, bump your tyre pressures up to 39 front, 37 rear at least. I have a 2008 in the UK. Mine are at 40/38 - Michelin LRR tyres. Makes a massive difference.


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  11. Kevin_Denver

    Kevin_Denver Active Member

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    Do you turn off the car every time you stop? The Prius goes through a 60 second warm up phase every time the car is started where it runs the engine rich to warm the catalytic converter and the engine will not turn off during this phase. If you push the gas hard at all in this stage you'll burn much more gas and drain the battery much more quickly. Then once the water temp reaches 70 degrees Celsius, the car needs about 5 seconds of idling to do some kind of check-up (only Toyota knows) before stopping and entering S4, the most fuel efficient full hybrid mode. This might be what you're experiencing.

    If you turn the car off and back on again 50 times a day, I would expect that kind of fuel economy. See if you can leave the car on in park if your stops are only a few minutes. Also, air conditioning can affect fuel economy in the Prius quite a bit, which is why you may be getting lower numbers in the summer. Read this to understand the different Prius warm up stages if you haven't seen this previously.

    http://drivesmartwi.com/uploads/DSW_Toyota_Prius_Initial_Stages_of_Warm-Up_Wayne_Revised_2_.pdf
     
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  12. 09Prius2

    09Prius2 Member

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    I have found that 35 mpg is normal when doing lots of short trips. Like previously stated, the on/off energy cycle starts over and peak efficiency is only achieved at full warmup. You may get as much as 60mpg in some places, but probably not in LA. Too much stopping and starting, especially considering the interior climate control has to start all over every time you start a new leg.
     
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  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Does your engine burn oil? How long have you had the refurbished battery? Did the poor mileage start after the Battery change?
     
  14. bisco

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    at 200k, maybe the old girl's just worn out.
     
  15. Lucifer

    Lucifer Senior Member

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    Well, your refurbished battery is used, and you're getting 35 mpgs

    Decide if you want to replace the traction battery with a new, factory battery and get back towards 50 mpgs or lug a thousand pound weight around.
     
  16. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    The repeated short trips basically account for most of the reduced mpg. It would have been even less than that on a normal car. My Mazda MX-3 with its 50 litre tank would give me only 180 miles out of about 45 litres of fuel in winter. All short journeys to work and back, of only 4.4 miles each way. It virtually never got to operational temps either way. Calculate the mpg on that. Truth is, if the Prius doesn't get to SC4 operational temps soon enough, it won't be running at optimum capacity at all.


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  17. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

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    Can you get out on the highway and do a steady 65 for an hour or so? This might tell you whether it's the car or your driving style that's behind the poor mileage.
     
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  18. Franklin Ashley

    Franklin Ashley New Member

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    Whoa running that much pressure is not a comfortable ride,, or advised effects braking too. Explain that to your insurance company if totalled may be deemed your fault, unsafe vehicle etc.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  19. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    You must be new around here. Many many many of us have been doing that, and even higher, for a very long time. Pushing pressures up to either one's personal ride comfort limits, or to either the max number molded into the sidewall, and getting both better MPG and better handling.. What adverse braking effects do you mean? Please be specific for those of us who have not yet found them. I have found better resistance to hydroplaning, an important issue in my climate zone and long ago confirmed by the aircraft industry.

    Insurance issues? That is a British issue for weaseling out of paying benefits, not an American one.
     
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  20. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    Ditto! I can confirm that I run mine at 39/37.

    Dare I suggest it depends entirely on the quality of tyres that you're using on the Prius in question? Budget tyres are more than likely a no no for these kinds of pressures, methinks.

    On my Prius, it's a different story:
    Braking is improved, emergency braking recently used and recorded on my Dashcam was phenomenally effective, and I DID miss a horrible pileup initiated by a jerk who badly misjudged cutting in front of me. The fool would have written both our vehicles off, out of pure idiotic vanity (to get his ramshackle MPV in front of a Prius that was NOT racing him).

    The nose of my Prius can be seen dipping heavily, as I initiated emergency deceleration procedures. I came to a stop on a dime; heavy "g" forces were generated so much so, that the same onboard Dashcam recorded the braking procedure as an "incident", beeped accordingly, and saved the entire incident in a folder where it couldn't be overwritten.

    The Prius came to a halt in a tidy fashion and more importantly in a very straight line. Having 4 12 month old "barely used" Tyres (10,000 miles at least) must have helped too. By the way, at 10,000 miles, I'm seeing NO tyre wear yet. My previous tyres wore quickly at lower pressures.

    Yes, my chosen tyres, "Michelin Energy Savers+ 87H" are pressure rated at 51psi and I chose speed ratings well beyond what I would be using anyway (130mph). They're over engineered - just like the Prius itself. And yes, it is very important in my opinion, having 4 of the exact same tyres on your vehicle. You'd be surprised how the handling and braking can dramatically improve that way.
    And they've handled the worst hydro planing scenarios with professional aplomb too!

    I now drive with a dashcam, and considering how British Insurance Companies seem to have a green light from the Govt to scalp all UK drivers for all they're worth, this is a brilliant idea.

    IF I'm involved in an accident that clearly isn't my fault, and my insurance company tries to wriggle out of it (like they apparently all do these days), I've got footage in HD not only to prove my innocence, but to send to the 6 o'clock news if need be, in a clear attempt to SHAME the company in question. I have absolutely NO qualms about doing that!
    Ergo, these pressures are safe, on high quality LRR tyres.

    So, let's put that myth to bed, shall we?



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