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"Officially" Done with conversion.

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by earthwindwater, Apr 8, 2011.

  1. earthwindwater

    earthwindwater Hybrid Chief

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    I recently installed my Enginer 4kw PHEV kit. I am routinely averaging 99.9 mpg now with the warmer weather. I finally picked up my "Official" emblem, so I thought I would share. :)

    [​IMG]
     
    #1 earthwindwater, Apr 8, 2011
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sweet! where did you get the emblem? did you install the system yourself? keep us posted on mpg's and reliability, all the best!
     
    #2 bisco, Apr 8, 2011
  3. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Congrats!!!

    This isn't the first time I've seen a pic of an Enginer install---but it is the first time I've seen a pic of a for-real G3-I....if the info in your profile is correct.

    You're lucky. I've read the Enginer is not selling DIY kits anymore. Probably a marketing decision more than a liability one, as I've read the install instructions and I didn't find them intimidating even for my humble mechanical abilities.

    Sadly...I'm going to have to wait a few years for both Prius ownership and conversion (I have a company car---a G3-II interestingly enough!)

    Wear that PHV emblem with pride. You've earned it.
     
    #3 ETC(SS), Apr 8, 2011
  4. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    #4 Paradox, Apr 8, 2011
  5. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    Very cool, and nice add-on with the emblem! I hope the reliability turns out well for you, fingers crossed.
     
    #5 mikewithaprius, Apr 8, 2011
  6. earthwindwater

    earthwindwater Hybrid Chief

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    Thanks all. Yes, I do have a Gen III. I ordered the kit from a dealer and installed it myself. Then, I documented the install and I am now an installer also. I agree with Enginer not selling to just anyone.

    @ETC(SS), you would be surprised at how far "humble" skills can help! The instructions for the Gen III are less than nominal, to put it mildly.

    I have a mechanical / electrical background and I thought it was fairly easy, but it does take some patients and knowledge of basic mechanics and electronics.

    @ Bisco, I got the emblem from a local Toyota dealer. It is actually the side emblem for the plug-in versions.

    So far the kit has been very reliable. (knock on wood).

    As for my fuel economy, it has been great! As I said, I average 99.9 now on a routine basis. I will get a scangauge to find out exactly how much in a short while.

    I will post my first and second tank averages when I get them. But it will take a while at this rate! :D
     
    #6 earthwindwater, Apr 8, 2011
  7. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    earthwindwater,
    99.9 mpg. Great! What is your typical commute like? (length of drive, speeds, etc)
     
    #7 ericbecky, Apr 8, 2011
  8. earthwindwater

    earthwindwater Hybrid Chief

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    I am lucky with my typical commute. I drive from home to work to the gym and back home. It is about a 20 mile round trip. It is mostly semi flat with light hills. I used to take the interstate and now I go through town to take advantage of the lower speeds. Doing so added about 5 min to my drive.

    About 8 miles of the total commute is on a back road. 35 mph speed limit. Through town is another 35 mph limit. The rest is 45 mph and the total for that is about 10 miles.

    Yesterday, I drove about 50 miles one way to Toyota and back for a total of 100. I only averaged 83 because the pack died on the way back. But, I think that is still good.

    I hope this helps.
     
    #8 earthwindwater, Apr 8, 2011
  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Awesome! I'm jealous :)
     
    #9 F8L, Apr 8, 2011
  10. Moopz

    Moopz New Member

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    Congratulations! That's just awesome. Something I hope to have done sometime in future...
     
    #10 Moopz, Apr 8, 2011
  11. Ryanpl

    Ryanpl Active Member

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    When we leave NYC I'm thinking about getting the Enginer 4kw PHEV kit for my car. Of course I'll need to find an installer but that's another story. Plan on buying the wife a v when they come out, we need a wagon.
     
    #11 Ryanpl, Apr 8, 2011
  12. donalmilligan089

    donalmilligan089 Member

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    Good news : where in tn are you I am in sw va.
     
    #12 donalmilligan089, Apr 26, 2011
  13. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    I would be interested to hear how well it holds up and whether my impressions about it being hacky and unreliable are true/false.
     
    #13 cwerdna, Apr 26, 2011
  14. BtotheG

    BtotheG New Member

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    How much weight does this add to the car? If you were to take a long trip and you could not recharge until the tank emptied, what would you expect your milage to be? I'm very curious about this....
     
    #14 BtotheG, Apr 27, 2011
  15. Flaninacupboard

    Flaninacupboard Senior Member

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    They are true. Most users have one or more problems. Once they are resolved (or if you're lucky like earthwindwater or Floyd2 and everything works out the box) reliability seems good. Battery longevity is unknown with the newer Realforce packs, they only started shipping in November time, but their mfg rating is 1,000 cycles.

    I had an issue the last week or so, the system would intermittently shut down (but could be switched straight back on) and i couldn't understand why. When i picked my wife up from work yesterday she slammed her door and it shut down, so a loose contact somewhere. Sure enough, the Ready signal tap behind the glovebox was a little loose. after making sure the connection was secure i then cable tied the tap to the wiring harness and no amount of slamming/hitting the glovebox causes a problem anymore. This is one area the more expensive kits are better, because they use replacement harnesses/ECU's rather than cable taps on existing harnesses. But, i obviously should have cable tied the connector in the first place, and official installers probably do do that...

    It's heavy, about the weight of an adult(180lbs). I've never noticed a significant difference in fuel economy from carrying one passenger, or even three passengers so i think this is a non-issue. I also removed the spare + tools, so the net increases may only be 140lbs or so. A full tank of petrol weighs about 80lbs, so we are not talking about an unmanageable weight gain. The 300lb+ systems which require a suspension upgrade may be more of an issue here...
     
    #15 Flaninacupboard, Apr 27, 2011
  16. RHFACTOR

    RHFACTOR Junior Member

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    WAs wondering if you could comment on how well the engine system has held up? I'm considering a phev conversion and have heard negative things about quality. Thank you, RHFACTOR.
     
    #16 RHFACTOR, Jul 15, 2013
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