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Centre Arm Rest

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by T-spirit, Jul 29, 2007.

  1. T-spirit

    T-spirit New Member

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    We have just taken delivery of a new Prius T-Spirit (nav, bluetooth, IPA etc). Car is excellent and after our 1st run out we got 63mpg (imperial gallons) returned - so am quite happy.

    BUT, an annoying thing has started to happen.

    Car was left in the sun - inside was quite hot, and when I got in, I noticed that the centre arm rest was up at a dandy 45° angle! Put it down and it wouldn't latch into place.

    I did notice that it is VERY easy to open and you can just pull it up without pressing the catch. But what happens is that when the car gets hot, the plastic expands and up it goes on its springs!

    Have searched the forum and cannot find a thread with the same issue - wonder if it is an unusual problem and whether the lid is broken/fitted incorrectly.

    We have the 'factory'leather, but looking at the way it has been fitted, I believe it may have been a retro-fit at the import centre - so wonder if the monkeys doing the job stuffed up fitting the cover on the arm rest lid?

    Anyone got any advice to fix this (will probably go back to the dealer though) other than velcro/blutak/sellotape!

    Thanks.
     
    #1 T-spirit, Jul 29, 2007
  2. mcevedy

    mcevedy New Member

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    The leather is a retro fit at the import centre in the UK. Due to get my red T Spirit on Tuesday with leather! Surprised that the weather in Bristol is hot enough - are you sure it isn't water damage? :)
    I'll let you know if mine does the same!
     
    #2 mcevedy, Jul 29, 2007
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Are you sure you don't have a bottle of Viagra in the center counsel? :rolleyes:

    Tom
     
    #3 qbee42, Jul 29, 2007
  4. T-spirit

    T-spirit New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Peter@Beoworld @ Jul 29 2007, 10:30 PM) [snapback]487182[/snapback]</div>

    1st hot day in eons - but yes, it was hot. We avoided the bad flooding - north of us. On a hill anyhow so the water just goes past us :lol:

    I understand they retro-fit the leather - and ours wasn't done very well really.

    When you get yours, check around the seat recline levers on both the driver and passenger seats - the leather on ours hadn't been fitted correctly there and you could see the (cheapo) foam backing. Makes you wonder if the £1200 odd is really worth it. But I think it is :D

    As for the console - I took back to the dealer today and they adjusted/fixed it - now you DO have to press the catch to open the lid - before you could just pull it and it would open.

    Enjoy yours - and enjoy getting one over on Gordy and the Chancellor! (Shame my BMW is £205 tax per year!).
     
    #4 T-spirit, Jul 30, 2007
  5. gazz

    gazz Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(T-Spirit @ Jul 30 2007, 07:16 AM) [snapback]487362[/snapback]</div>
    Nice to see two more Prius owners in the UK, welcome to Prius chat. Since I have had mine (5 months) I am averaging about 66mpg, but on at least three trips to work which is 16 miles through the countryside I have exceeded over 80mpg. There should be no reason in the summer not to average 70mpg so long as you do not do to much motorway driving.

    Gary
     
    #5 gazz, Jul 30, 2007
  6. T-spirit

    T-spirit New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(gazz @ Jul 30 2007, 03:37 PM) [snapback]487419[/snapback]</div>
    Hi Gary,

    Thanks for the welcome! I keep seeing Prius around now - yet when ours was on order, hardly ever saw one. They don't look quite so radical these days as to stand out... just another Japanese 'wedge'.

    Re. your MPG, do you have the air con on auto all the time? Am used to my BMW which I just let manage the climate control on its own, but am concious that the Prius air con will hit mpg.

    One thing I cannot understand is that with the efficiency of 'heat pump' air conditioners, why Toyota didn't think a bit more laterally and install a heat pump to save running the ICE in the winter to keep cabin temp up. If they had been REALLY clever, they could have used it to also pre-heat the block and cat! Just my thoughts ....
     
    #6 T-spirit, Jul 30, 2007
  7. ZA_Andy

    ZA_Andy Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(T-Spirit @ Jul 30 2007, 12:10 PM) [snapback]487458[/snapback]</div>
    The air conditioner runs off the battery so in my experience so far has a very small impact on my MPG and no impact on engine power. The ICE only runs to recharge the HV battery if air conditioning depletes the charge sufficiently to need it. Engine pre-heat is handled (to some extent) by the thermos into which hot coolant is pumped immediately after the car is powered off, and which is returned to the cooling system when the car is next powered on.

    By the way my Prius is returning a reasonably consistent 70mpg (imperial) with air conditioning on.
     
    #7 ZA_Andy, Jul 30, 2007
  8. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ZA_Andy @ Jul 30 2007, 11:32 AM) [snapback]487469[/snapback]</div>
    Quick question: What's the formula to convert MPG to MPIG?
     
    #8 zenMachine, Jul 30, 2007
  9. ZA_Andy

    ZA_Andy Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Jul 30 2007, 01:36 PM) [snapback]487495[/snapback]</div>
    Well, given there are 20 floz in an imperial pint and 16 in the US measure, and 8 of each in a gallon, it's (US mpg/128)*160. That gives you (miles per fluid ounce)*# of fluid ounces per IG.
     
    #9 ZA_Andy, Jul 30, 2007
  10. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ZA_Andy @ Jul 30 2007, 01:49 PM) [snapback]487541[/snapback]</div>
    Oh, OK. So basically:

    10 MPIG = 8 MPG

    Assuming, of course, that the imperial fluid ounce has the same volume as a US fl oz.
    Probably better to convert everything to metric and be consistent across the board.
    Pretty funny how even the English system is inconsistent with itself...



    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Jul 30 2007, 02:21 PM) [snapback]487558[/snapback]</div>
     
    #10 zenMachine, Jul 30, 2007
  11. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ 2007 July 30 12:22 PM) [snapback]487558[/snapback]</div>
    Remember that old joke about which is heavier - an ounce of feathers or an ounce of gold? :rolleyes:

    I use 3.78 litres per US gallon, and 4.54 litres per Imperial gallon.
     
    #11 hyo silver, Jul 30, 2007
  12. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    An excellent conversion site I use all the time is:
    http://www.onlineconversion.com/fuel_consumption.htm
    as we Canadians do Imperial, Metric, and talk to our US friends a lot, so also US conversions. ;)

    And to convert anything:
    http://www.onlineconversion.com/
    A little tougher to use without "clickable" menus. You enter text commands. Examples are given.

    They don't have the thermos in Britain. Not sure about Europe.

    Note that there is a 240V block heater that bolts to the end of the engine block, so you don't have to adapt the Canadian 115V one. I think you can get it from Norway.
     
    #12 David Beale, Jul 30, 2007
  13. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    Based on the conversion tool:

    1 gallon (US) = 3.7854118 liters
    1 gallon (UK) = 4.54609 liters

    Therefore:

    1mpg = 4.54609/3.7854118 mpig = 1.200950174 mpig ~ 1.2 mpig

    or

    50mpg = 60mpig
     
    #13 zenMachine, Jul 30, 2007
  14. gazz

    gazz Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(T-Spirit @ Jul 30 2007, 11:10 AM) [snapback]487458[/snapback]</div>
    Got to admit I have seem very few since I have had mine, probable 3-4 in the 5 months. So far I have not needed to have the heater or air con on to much. The weather although summer has not got either hot or cold in the midlands. I find opening the drivers window and the passenger rear great for getting a bit of cross flow air. I am sure though as the winter approaches I will be using the heater and air con, to what degree I leave it off will depend on how much my obsession to get 80mpg has wained.

    I have fitted an engine block heater, which increases the water temp by about 25C so the engine is at stage 2 immediately (engine will shut off). I'm sure this will be a bigger help in the winter. I will probably be buying a window screen cover so as not to need to heat the engine to clear the screen. (although I do think the Prius has an electric heater as well). Buy the way the UK model does not have the thermos unit to pump warm water into the engine, also it does not have the bag in the fuel tank. On here you have to remember that most participants are from the US, which does make it interesting.

    The main thing I can point out is that out of the box being careful you should get 60mpg, using all the techniques on this site and with ideal conditions you can get 80mpg on the same route, currently my best whole tank is 72mpg that is 630miles on a tank. whether I can get an 80mpg tank has yet to be seen, but conditions make a big difference. (wind and rain)

    Good look.

    Gary
     
    #14 gazz, Jul 31, 2007
  15. ZA_Andy

    ZA_Andy Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jul 30 2007, 03:42 PM) [snapback]487566[/snapback]</div>
    Thank you - I didn't know that and hadn't even considered the possibility!
     
    #15 ZA_Andy, Jul 31, 2007
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