Hi....I didn't see an intro thread...so I hope I'm posting in the correct area. Admin: please move if I've made a mistake. I've spent a few hours reading posts on the forum, and there's some great info. here. Some contrasting views, too, so I thought I'd try a direct approach to my queries... *My previous vehicles were 2 Civics, a Corolla, and a Cruze, (-not in that order). This Prius is by far the nicest car I've ever owned, (top trim level, too), and the most complicated; my head is spinning. 1. I live in a northern climate. I'd like to warm up the engine before driving in the winter. If the car is started remotely, and the outside temperature is low, will the gas motor automatically start up? Should I buy a block heater? I know that if I sit in the car and hold the brake and tap the gas pedal in HV mode, the motor will start up. 2. My previous car, a 2019 Civic, had cloth seats and a mostly plastic interior, so I only wiped the interior down with a damp microfiber cloth as necessary. The Prius has soft-tex seats, a leather steering wheel, etc., and I'd like to keep these surfaces in good shape. Does ArmourAll cut it on the soft-touch materials? Should I use leather conditioner on the seats and steering wheel? Brand/product recommendations appreciated. 3. Is there a brand of extension cord that you'd recommend, something that would protect the external connection to the charger from rain/snow? I believe I read that a shorter-length 10 gauge cord would be better/safer (?) 4. Driving: when I don't use my turn signal, the car will actively steer against me. This has caught me off guard a couple of times, hehe. Sometimes I don't want to signal when approaching an intersection where I'm turning right and there's a driveway. *There can be a driveway and a car wanting to pull out which mistakenly thinks I'm turning into the driveway, (-of say a gas station). Typically I use the signal after passing the driveway, but the car doesn't like that. Is there a way to disable this? I've watched numerous videos and can't seem to find what I'm looking for. The owner's manual is a monster, and is not intuitively written, IMO. It's a real chore to dig though. *I've already disengaged the eye-follower function, as the car always felt I wasn't looking at the road... Thanks for any advice. Here's what I've learned from the forum and done to the car so far: -I learned not to charge the battery to 100 percent, (-to maintain the battery for the long haul), unless I drive a bit the next day, -an extension cord can be used if necessary, -the headliner material is very delicate, -ammonia free glass cleaner is recommended, -electric only mode is ideal for city-driving, HV mode is best for highway driving, -hybrids are tough on their gasoline engines and should be warmed up a bit before heading on the highway, -I've had PPF film applied to the full front, (hood, lights, plastic bumper), A pillars, hatch and door sills, all fenders -I've had the metal parts under the car treated with 'corrosion free' anti-rust formula, (EV safe and non-dripping) -I've had a 5 year ceramic coating applied, (glass and wheels, too). I plan on keeping this car as long as I can. -I've installed interior screen protectors for the infotainment system, and dash -I bought the Toyota trunk liner -I bought expansive seat mats that protect the carpeting, (-Tuxmat) -I bought an amazon tray that installs in the main cubbyhole beside the driver
Why? I live in Minnesota and have done countless winter commutes without consuming a drop of gas. Here's one I recorded doing exactly that...
Yep... The whole notion that hybrid engines are somehow problematic because of all the starting and stopping it does is bogus fossil fool industry propaganda based on non-hybrid car engine data. The truth is you get double the lifespan of a hybrid car engine (not counting Gen3 Prius) because it gets used less often. And if you have a plugin Prius and drive in EV mode around town most of the time you're going to get way, way, way more than double the lifespan. All that being said, if you're interested in doing everything you can do to take care of your car, as well as boost MPG, get an engine block heater and plug it in the night before, or put it on a timer to turn it on while you sleep before days you know you're going to be needing to use the engine in cold weather.
