Prius off-roading in dusty, alkali desert?

Regarding #1 above, unless you plan to bring along a large tent to park your car within, I don't see anything practical that you could do to minimize the impact of the high ambient temps. There are lots of Prius in AZ and NV and most of them seem to perform OK after being exposed to those high temps daily in the warm summer months.

Regarding #2 above, what condition is the 12V battery in? If it is four years old or more I suggest that you replace it now and fully charge the new battery after installation. That will reduce your chances of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a dead car.

Regarding #3 above, when you clean your car be aware that the engine valve cover is a weak spot with regard to water dripping into the spark plug tubes and causing engine misfire. So you'll want to minimize your use of water and avoid spraying the valve cover area. Good luck.

 

You may consider adding a home heating vent filter to the HV battery vent. Take a look here:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...-fur-dirt-causing-major-battery-problems.html
I was too lazy to do the fancy trimming for the inside fit so I just taped a piece of filter outside.

Good luck!

 

An interesting situation...

The passenger compartment of the Prius is not really airtight, I think
this could lead to the alkali dust getting into the interior, and worse the
HV battery case, in windy/gusting conditions.

Even when the air conditioning is set on recirc, outside air is admitted in
small amounts into the cabin. It comes through the slotted vents just
below the windshield wipers. I would consider blocking these when the
car is not in use.

Perhaps worse is the exhaust vent situation at the rear of the car.
There are two exhaust vents under the rear bumper cover. Both are
accessible by taking out the rear hatch area floor panels. The vent on
the driver's side vents the cabin directly. The vent on the passenger
vents the cabin by way of the HV battery case. Both these vents have
just a plastic flap as closure, which I guess is meant to prevent wet
weather water splashing from entering the vents.

I can easily see how in gusting conditions these unsophisticated devices
would admit alkali dust into the interior. Granted, on the drivers side it
would mostly be contained below the hatch area floor. But on the
passenger side, the dust would have easy access to the HV battery
compartment... not good. I would be looking for a way to tape the vent
openings closed when the car was not in use.

I would also consider carrying a fresh new intake air filter to install
as I left the desert area.

All this from a guy who is nowhere near the desert...

 

My prognostication based on many years of engineering experience, is that "nothing good will come of this"...

 

i live in the high dessert in southern california and the prius runs great in the dessert ,softer then my silverado....

 

A mirror silver car cover would address some of your concerns. Failing that, just a big dust cover for while it's parked. After you get well away from the playa you could drive down the highway at maximum speed and open all windows to blow the dust out. This is what I do for dog hair. You should also crank up the radio for maximum effect. :rockon: You should also realize that significant amounts of EL wire decorating the outside is De rigueur for all attendees.

 

I recently did mouse screening on the two vents and took a bunch of photos:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ng/71909-diary-wimpy-diyer-2.html#post1141598
I suppose one could install some home heating vent filters as opposed to sealing/unsealing the vents every time the car is parked/driven.