Am I the only one who keeps thinking I hit something while backing out of a parking spot?

Yeah it's something you get used to and yet other posters think there's something wrong with the car because it wouldn't start in the beginning.

 

They'll do that. OTOH, when I reach for the drivers door to open it in the morning I hear the brake pump start running, it's like the car is greeting me.

Prii are a lot like cats. Sometimes they will show affection and sometimes they just like to mess with you.

 

The starting seems to become less noticeable as the car breaks in and or you just get use to it, one of the other.

 

my wifes hairdresser who had a hycam, it freaked her out so much, she traded it in on a ice cam after a month. hang in there, most of us get used to it.

 

I always wondered what that noise was in the morning thanks

 

You could always put the car in EV mode until you are clear of your parking maneuvers. It's much easier to hear if you actually do hit something if the ICE isn't running!

Although I can't remember what the original thresholds for EV mode are in a stock Prius, so you may not be able to do it on a cold morning. On my PHEV, I can do it anytime, and I never allow the ICE to run until I'm up to speed on a longish stretch of low-speed road. This way it has time to warm up with a light load, and it's not wasted as much. If I'm not going on a long/highway trip, I just keep EV mode on and never start the ICE at all.

 

Wow, Prius owners who forget they have an engine.

 

Maybe it's just time to pick Grandma up off the driveway......

 

you are making me so jealous. even the new phev won't be able to run without warming up the engine.

 

Yeah, the Prius warms up automatically because most drivers don't care or would not make the best choice for when to allow it. I like the manual method, as I can choose when the best time is much better than the car's ECU can.

Maybe someday the PHV Prius will have GPS integration, so you put in your destination and it figures out when would be a good time to warm up the ICE, if at all.

I routinely make it to the Oakland Airport from my house without ever warming up the ICE. The thing that sucks is if didn't have my block heater plugged in, I have no heat at all!

The PHV Prius solved the no-heat problem by making the A/C operate as a heat-pump. I wish I could add this to my car!

 

I believe that she was referring to the brake pump noise that OS650 mentioned. I wondered what that was also, so I extend my Thanks to Os too!

Ed

 

you mean XS right?

 

I stand corrected.

 

Oops! Yes indeed. I stand corrected too! Thank You!

Ed

 

Did you just make up those terms?

-Iain

 

I took the title literally. I've been backing up once or twice and found the brakes very grabby, so much so that I thought I'd, well: hit something. Could be especially just at start-up.

Anyone else note that?

 

Occasional grabby brakes in reverse are a known but not universal issue http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/65875-braking-in-reverse.html

Happened to me a couple of times more than a year ago but not since.

While its not been a big deal for most people, hopefully Toyota will resolve it with a program update one day.

 

Until Toyota finds a cure for it, you can relieve it temporarily by lifting your foot completely off the brake pedal and reapplying it. Instant cure for the time being.