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2017 cruise intermittent cruise control not working

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Treemendos, Apr 4, 2017.

  1. Treemendos

    Treemendos New Member

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    From day one I have had problems trying to get the cruise control to set.
    It usually works ok for a bit then just will not set. Tried switching off/on cancelling ect.
    The only way I have managed to get it to work is pull off the road . Switch off the power and restart the power button. It then works again for so long and have to repeat above.
    Went back to dealer on day one. He made me think it was my fault which is fair enough as it's a new car and me not being used to it. I didn't fiddle with any switches knobs or buttons just asked the salesperson to set it up so I could use the car.
    Second day they suggested I take it back when it wasn't working . That happened to be today.
    We had arranged for a saleperson / technician to accompany me.
    I only drove it approx 1/2 hour and it stopped working so I continued to the dealers. Thinking I had better keep it switched on and doing something I did just that until a guy came and sat in passenger seat. I drove the car onto dual carriageway 60 mph activated the cruise control by pressing down the lever and it worked!!!!! I could not , not get it to misbehave. Tried switching it off and on and it's flawless. He did twiddle with the dash screen to turn down the lights for us , but didn't see him do anything else.
    Has anyone else had this problem. It's getting under my skin now . Done about 450 miles. Most of the yesterday driving total of two 3 1/2 hour journeys. Thanks Geoff

    After reading about something else on here I was wondering if this might be my problem. I sometimes use the B on the gear shifter by pressing it down when I want to put some extra juice into the batteries going down a steep hill ect. When I first did it the car stopped after I just let go of the gearshift, until I put it into drive again. So each time I did use B I just retuned it to drive . Recently it doesn't need returning to drive as it works without . That's the way I would have thought it should work anyway. But I read if it's not returned to drive the cruise control won't work? Will try it today and see if that's the problem.
     
    #1 Treemendos, Apr 4, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 4, 2017
  2. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    From your first thread, may I suggest that if the cruise control is now working OK, then perhaps it was beginner's bad luck/inexperience. Don't worry, we have all had to start from scratch at some time, me less than six months ago! :)

    Now, with regard to the B mode setting best advice is to only use it on long steep descents when the propulsion battery is near fully charged. Not for any other intention! You will find that ordinarily when descending a hill and lifting off the accelerator, the electric motor/generator will automatically charge the battery a little. Gently applying the brake pedal increases this recharging just like Formula 1 racing cars to with their KERS (kinetic energy recovery system). You can see this on the energy diagram on the small screen.

    The drivers handbook is a boring tome, but it can be worthwhile reading through it. You will begin to understand what a fantastically advanced vehicle you now have. Most on this forum agree that the best way to go is to just drive it like you would normally drive and you'll still get very good mileage per gallon.

    Finally, as I should have said at the beginning, welcome to Prius Chat. You are in very good company here.
     
    #2 RCO, Apr 4, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2017
  3. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    It is also possible that using B erases the set point on the cruise control? Just another guess. Most people here never use B.
     
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  4. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat.

    I agree with other comments - I think nearly nobody uses "B" unless they've got a mountain range to conquer. I don't think it actually puts more "juice" in the battery. Drive will do that just as well. Cruise doesn't work in "B", but I'm not sure if it cancels it?

    I've had Cruise cancel quite a few times - but I've been able to just turn it on. I'm certain that I accidentally pushed the button on the stupid stalk trying to find it while it twirls around and around with the wheel. Why TOYOTA doesn't keep it as a fixed position stalk like just about every other manufacturer intrigues and frustrates me. But I think it's a different problem from what you had, because I just push the button again and set it again.

    Should it do it again, I'd ask them to put the car on their diagnosis machine to see if any errors were thrown up. Everything being computer linked, it could be anything. I had a pile of MALFUNCTIONS show on my dash soon after I got my car - never happened again, and when they put it on their diagnosis machine, it showed a malfunctioned Brake Light Switch caused them all. Seemed to have only malfunctioned once, 8 months ago - it gets replaced next Monday.
     
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  5. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Welcome definitely. I missed the fact you are a new user.
    Alan, I have got used to Toyota's cruise control switch position. Unfortunate, they have not standardized the position of the light on the dashboard. I still need to hunt for the light on our Tundra whenever I drive it with cruise.
     
  6. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Actually guys, here in undulating Cornwall where the roads twist and turn round steep valley sides I find I need to use B mode quite regularly. @Treemendos should note that once the drive battery is fully charged the car will spin up the internal combustion engine to burn off the excess power. This makes a very disconcertingly noisy whine, but no petrol is burned during this process.
     
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  7. 'LectroFuel

    'LectroFuel Senior Member

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    I still find that amazing. In my gen 2, the battery is often full when going down a hill and the engine is screaming but it uses no gas.
     
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  8. Treemendos

    Treemendos New Member

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    Thanks for all the comments.
    Despite me going back to the garage that supplied the car and them coming with me none of them noticed after I had used B because I was once lones a Prius several years ago that did charge the battery when using it. However that's another story. After using B I just used to let go and not put it back into D so I found out that's why the cruise control would not activate. Of course switching off the ignition and back on again when stopped just reset everything and I would have to press the drive again to start off.
    Problem solved and it's working flawlessly.
    That's more than can be said for the sos called lane departure warning / gently pulling the car back into your lane.
    Sometimes it picks up the white line and does indeed very gently almost imperceptible move the wheel. It only does this if you have very a light grip on the wheel. Letting go of the wheel doesn't seem to help. Sometimes it goes well over the line before it sounds the alarm other times it just goes over it. Perhaps I haven't got the settings turned up enough ?
    Been too busy enjoying driving it . Getting 68.4 MPG just driving it without going into the red segment if I can avoid doing so.
    Been up to 95% on the gauge but don't ask me how.
    I have to admit after driving it the other day for a couple of hours I just dropped the speed down to 50 mph and enjoyed the relaxed speed.
    Done almost 1000 miles now in a week and a half. Filled up twice around £37 a time and have about 1/4 tank left.
    That's cheap motoring to me after the VW golf estate 1600 TDI Blue motion that I had on Motability for three years.
    The gauge said it was doing 62 mpg but don't think it was any where near that.
    Very interesting different style of car . I especially like it being bottom heavy as it soaks up the bumps more than the VW ever did.
    It holds the corners better too.
    The headlights are superb very white and a perfect pattern. They do look like the car is moving quite a lot up and down but I don't notice it other than the lights are obviously going up and down. Disconcerting for a start but again it's weird .
    Thanks Geoff
     
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  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    As far as I know cruise will not work in B mode. Also, B mode reduces charging, is really only suited for long, steep and relentless downhills, basically mountains.
     
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  10. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    That's right. Energy that could be going into your batteries is being wasted by spinning the engine.
     
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  11. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Sorry Mike. It only sounds the ICE of the battery is already full! (y)
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm stumped by that. (n)
     
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  13. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Doh! Bloody auto-corection. Sorry Mendel and everybody else reading my mistakes. do not know what ProdigyPlace will have to say about that.

    It only spins the ICE if the battery is fully charged. :ROFLMAO:
     
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  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The cheery thumbs up at the end didn't help your case. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
     
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  15. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Yes, check the settings are on full. But it's just a warning, not self-steering. As far as I can tell, like most cars with Lane Departure Warning, it's designed to wake you should you doze off. It's not Merc/VOLVO/TESLA Lane Guidance/Self Steering.

    Letting go of the wheel, from what has been said on PriusChat, will result in a warning to hold the wheel upload_2017-4-12_9-10-22.png . And if you cross the lane too often, will suggest you stop for a cuppa upload_2017-4-12_9-13-18.png .
     
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  16. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    With the setting on High, I carried out a few tests on a quiet road and found the steering does gently pull you back to the correct side of the line. However, I would not recommend relying on it for self steering EVER!
     
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  17. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    The only problem is, it only pulls you back after you have crossed the line. On a two way road that could be a head on collision too late or you could have hit the kerb and/or a pedestrian. I can't see the point of it TBH, it's just an annoyance and as Alan says if you cross the line too often without indicating it brings up the sway warning or rest warning, very annoying when you're weaving across the line and back to overtake parked cars, where you normally wouldn't have to indicate.
     
  18. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    Just turn it off when you don't need it! It's not intended for two way roads IMHO. Just Freeways / Motorways.

    The button to enable and disable it is on the steering wheel and easily accessible for a reason.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  19. PCTN

    PCTN Junior Member

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    I bought my 2017 Four on 3/21/17. I had it less than 3 weeks when this first happened to me. I was about half way through a 150 mile trip, was not driving in B, was attempting to set cruise after leaving a small town with max 45 speed zones. I took a short video of it and sent it to my sales guy, who promptly responded “uh...I don’t know. It’s probably just a fluke.” I had to pull over, turn the car off and back on again. I’ll try to find the video I made a post it here.

    It’s done something similar a couple of times since then. I will be driving on I40 and the cruise will just shut off. There aren’t any cars within a half mile, not driving into a curve, nothing going on that would cause the DRCC to kick in. It just stops working.
     
  20. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    What country are you in - your profile is blank. I'm assuming it might be 45MPH speed zones you're referring to.

    What speed were you doing? Whether it be C/C or DRCC, as the Manual states, it will drop out below 40km/hr if there is no vehicle in front, and can't engage below 46km/hr if there is no lead vehicle (whatever that is in MPH).
     
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