new owner, power/start-up issue

Please make sure you are depressing the brake pedal while pushing the power button. It is very easy to forget the brake pedal and just press the power button -- turning only the accessories on.

Just curious -- why put the FOB in the FOB slot if you don't have to? I love not having to get my keys out of my pocket. I wish the lock on the front door of my house worked the same as my Prius. I experimented with the FOB lock button under the steering wheel because I thought not following the normal "put the key in the ignition, drive, take the key out" process would throw me off. I shouldn't have been concerned.

By the way, after step 4 your dash should show "READY."

 

I had the same thing happen to me when I rented a Prius to try it out, lol i felt like an idiot but i was on the phone with the rental customer service then Toyota was on a 3 way phone call with us, I too some how the first time i went to start it at my work without the brake depressed i guess and then brake depressed with the emergency brake having been on the first time some how confused the cpu for a moment, it took about 10 minutes to get it going and it was fine for the rest of the weekend no other issues i guess if you try hard enough you can screw up anything lol, Im still shopping for one.

 

I'd put my money on the brake pedal. This same story repeats itself on the forum, and this sounds like a classic case. Either people forget to push the brake pedal, or they push it fractionally too late as they hit the power button, or not push it hard enough, but it almost always comes down to the brake. On rare occasions it's a failed or failing brake pedal switch.

Make sure you methodically go through this sequence: 1) Press hard on the brake pedal, 2) Press the power button, 3) Wait for ready, 4) Shift into drive. Do that slowly and methodically and it should work every time. If it doesn't, then you have a problem.

Tom

 

Do you tend to stab at the power button? Be certain to press the brake pedal and the power button firmly and hold them until things get going.

Otherwise, it could be a bad brake pedal position switch. It's happened before.

 

It might have confused your CPU for a moment... you know, that mushy pink stuff between your ears. Once you know the subtleties of the different operating modes, it's pretty hard to get it wrong, even accidentally.

I'm going to throw in my vote for "brake pedal" for the OP's dilema as well. Not pushing the brake far enough can do it.

 

I vote for the brake pedal. I didn't have the starting problem, however the first couple of days that I had the car, on a few occasions I would forget to have my foot on the brake when moving the gear selector then wonder why the car wouldn't go.

In a year of ownership, I have only put the fob in the slot one time and that was just to show someone that feature.

 

Good question! 2008 Package 2 has a Smart Key. The only time the fob should leave your pocket is when you take your pants off at night. Or when Spring finally arrives and you need to move the fob from the winter parka to the spring jacket

And don't waste your time pushing the Park button or turning off the headlights if you normally drive with them on. All Prii put themselves in Park when you Power off and the lights will shut off when you open the door. They will go on when you Power up the next time.

Parking should include ONLY:

1. Foot on the brake to stop the car
2. Push the Power button
3. Push in the Parking Brake
4. Unbuckle the seat belt (2, 3 and 4 can be done all at the same time if you like)
5. Open the door and get out
6. Close the door and lock the car by pushing the button on the handle as you walk away

 

Or when you change purses...

This makes is sound like it's bad to press the Park button before powering off, which is not true. I remember a thread recently where folks agreed it's a good habit to put the car in park before powering off, although I don't remember the reason offhand.

 

It isn't bad, just unnecessary and a waste of a tiny bit of time
You could also lock the car with the button on the door handle then lock it again with the button on the fob. But I presume people don't do that because there is no value in doing it twice. And of course you don't HAVE to lock the car.

You also don't HAVE to use the parking brake, but it is generally considered to be a 'good thing' even on a relative flat. In the case of the Prius it is a REALLY good thing on any slope since the car will roll a bit until the parking pawl is resting against a gear edge. Saves wear on the pawl and if there is enough slope/pressure, makes it easier for the pawl to be retracted when you want to drive away.

I suppose one could argue that you might get out of the habit of putting a vehicle in Park and forget if you were driving some other car. However, I've never seen a 'regular' vehicle that would allow the key to be removed if the transmission was in Drive or Reverse (shy of the key and slot being old and worn).