What every newb should know

Thanks, here in Az heat, I'm told that most batteries only last 2 yrs on average. So good to know. It is easy to mistakely leave the accessories on. I am guessing, that is when using a smart key. Hard to believe that Toy would not put in some safety trigger to shut things off, if the veh is not in use after a certain time frame. TOM

 

Hello, Alex......

:yo:

 

Yep.

As long as you turn the car OFF before opening any of the doors!

(If you for some reason decide to open your door before turning the car off, then the headlights will not automatically be turned off. For the Gen 2, anyway. I think they changed this for the Gen 3, so in your case it may not even matter.)

 

Thanks for all the info here. It took me all morning to read through it. I just picked up my Prius yesterday so spending half a day on the Internet seems like a waste of time but I'm glad I read some of the important points here. The only thing I can add is every owner or potential owner should watch the Toyota videos on YouTube (they are easier to find on iTunes if you search Toyota Prius and look in the podcast results). Scroll down a bit to find the Prius related videos.


www .youtube. com/view_play_list?p=216B6614C99927A4
(sorry I can't post links yet)

After watching those I knew more than my salesman about the car.

 

Why always lock the door? I leave mine open at night in case some one wants to break in at least they won't break the glass

 

If you accidentally leave a door open so that the dome light is on, when you try to lock the car, it will warn you with one long beep instead of the normal short beep. This could prevent you from running down the battery.

Same thing if you accidentally leave the car in "Ready" or any other mode besides "Off".

 

Thank you so much for this post!

Yesterday I tried "pushing" my G3 Prius to the limits. My "guess" gauge was down to 10 miles and I thought I could make it home (approx 2 miles).

No sooner did I get to the next intersection than the guage said 0!

I quickly turned and headed to the nearest gas station. I made it and learned my lesson.

I also have a habit of topping off, so I will stop that as well. I really am enjoying my new Prius and would not want to do anything to damage it.

Thank you again,
Alex

 

Thank you for the counsel Richard. I just got my 2010 Prius II a week ago, and after searching the forum, I'm writing to you because this seems like another simple issue that all Prius owners should understand.

I bought the car a week ago, went on a long trip at highway speeds, and now my car won't function solely in electric for more than 10 seconds when sI start up before the engine kicks on. Th eengine used to kick on about after a minute or so. If it's because I'm low on battery (although that doesn't seem to be the case) is there a way to "help it" recharge other than by feathering the throttle, etc?

 

I just bought a new to me 2004 prius, thanks for the advice. I let it get down to the blink and drove 17 miles to the next gas station. I'll not try that trick again, the next time the gas station may be out of range.

 

The 2010 does not have a bladder in the gas tank so topping off is not a major problem.

 

Or leave a fob in the car.

Richard's advice is insurance against doing something stupid. Needless to say, my Prius has beeped at me quite a few times.

 

LOL! After reading 27 pages of posts, and getting all worried about the bladder, I now find that my soon-to-be new Prius doesn't have one

 

No bladder solves the problems the GEN II had with filling, but topping off still isn't a good idea. It's still a closed system, and topping off could saturate the charcoal canister and screw up the emission control system, I believe. And you run the risk of splashing gas down the side of the vehicle, which is never good for the paint.

 

Thanks, Jay. I have never been a fan of that practice for any vehicle. I hope to take delivery early next week depending on a note from Uncle Sam I do hope that the no bladder makes it a bit easier to manually calculate mileage. My Jeep has a mileage calculator but it is always overestimating.

Robbin

 

I'm a newb and glad I found this chat site. I will never let the pip flash again. and jumping the engine? I'll have to research it. I was just looking for a way to put some bike racks on the top of my pruis. Is there any special equipment I need? Is there any special products I should look for? Is this the wrong place to post this? I am also a newb on chats, so sorry if I do not follow the flow

 

Great info..
Thanks for sharing.

 

I got my first Prius a few weeks ago. 2005 Tideland Pearl (it took a while to figure out what color it was; the dealer had it listed as either green or grey), AM package. I'm enjoying it immensely, and while having all this information available is great, it's a huge drain on my time!

In the first week I had to jump-start a friend's car. At the time I didn't even know the battery was in the rear, and I just used the terminals in the fuse box under the hood. It worked with no ill affects, but after reading a better description of the system here, I'll know better next time.

My mom is afraid to drive it. She loves the hatchback, but is somewhat technophobic.

Now if they would just stop stalling and bring out a Sienna hybrid...

 

Mmmmmm, a Sienna hybrid ... tasty!!! :hungry: