Prius-Aid Kit

Years of reading about sick Prius has suggested the following 'Prius-Aid' kit for new (and old) NHW11 owners. Prices change so these are only estimates but we're assuming the owner wants to keep their 2001-03 Prius up and running.

12V Air Pump with Gauge - $15 (Harbor Freight)

With the loss of 'free air,' one the best mileage and tire wear tricks is to keep them at or just under the maximum sidewall pressure embossed in the rubber near the rim. Harder tires have lower rolling resistance and can easily add 2 MPG as well as longer tire life. It takes about 6-8 weeks before the tires need to be topped off and at $0.50-.75 for gas station, tire pump machine, it doesn't take long before the fuel and tire savings to pay for the machine. There are manual ones for those who want the exercise. Carry it in the car and you'll never have to worry about a flat 'spare tire.'

Oil Plug and Filter Wrench - $10-15

Because of overfilling, many of us have given up on paying for an oil change. Filling the oil over the "F" (some believe the optimum is 1/4" below "F") lowers MPG ~2-3 MPG by reducing internal "stirring" losses. There are anecdotal reports that overfilled oil also leads to leaks out the PVC and around the rings that can 'poison' the catalytic converter.

I prefer to change the oil and filter once in the Spring and again in the Fall. Others follow mileage rules but it ultimately is owner's choice. I've adopted the 3 quart change system but have no problem with using 3.5 quart changes and keeping the extra container for six months. Four quarts is too much and commercial services will often put in more, as much as five have been reported . . . by Toyota service centers!

Scangauge II - $150

The Prius has multiple, control computers that operate the engine, transmission, traction battery, brakes, body, and air bags. When they detect a problem, they'll usually raise an error light for any one of hundreds of potential failures. But they will report the detailed codes and measurements via the On Board Diagnostic (OBD) interface to a reader that "knows" the Prius.

The Scangauge II is designed to give the driver metrics like engine rpm and coolant temperature which are important for fuel efficient driving. But the Scangauge II also has the ability to add 30, Prius specific definitions, XGAUGE, to read out detailed codes and measurements from the Prius such as:

• traction battery - total voltage, minimum pair, maximum pair, temperatures . . .
• engine metrics - rpm, coolant, ignition advance, injector timing . . .
• transmission - MG1 and MG2 temperature, torque, rpm . . .
• brakes - error codes for specific faults . . .
• air bags - which one is at fault . . .

Programming an XGAUGE is a button pushing affair similar to sending text messages with a cell phone. But once entered, the data can be shown on any of the four, data positions of the Scangauge. It is an affordable tool to fault isolate current or future problems with the Prius just take time to enter the Prius codes before a trip or carry the printed definitions in the glove compartment.

Summary

By 'Prius-Aid', I mean things you can carry in your car and use daily up to every six months. If you extend the time range, more stuff can be added but I wanted to identify the handy, most frequently used and value returning tools.

Bob Wilson

 

The Fumoto valve is a little beyond the scope of Prius-aid:

A parallel thread, perhaps called, 'Trickin' the Prius,' would go over 'good things' that work with our Prius and those that don't. Like many of my posts, I often have to reflect on the goal of a thread before 'fingers to keyboard.'

Bob Wilson

 

Photos? Do you have one mounted on the dash to provide additional instrumentation like the tachometer and coolant temperature?

Bob Wilson

 

No rush,

Let me suggest starting a thread on advanced diagnostic techniques that could also include as AutoEnginuity and Techstream. I'll bring photos and data from the old Graham miniscanner. This will provide a comprehensive roadmap for Prius rebuilders.

Until several years ago, I was not aware that there are people who hang out at auto auctions to score Prius at very low prices to rebuild them using salvage parts. Their profit comes from a rapid diagnosis and 'good enough' repair to return the Prius to service. Financially risky, it also teaches them a lot of 'hands on' facts and data.

Bob Wilson

 

Nice but this is just a quick test of the signature block text on the left.

Bob Wilson