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Frustrated in Seattle

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by S13orlando, Nov 6, 2016.

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  1. S13orlando

    S13orlando Junior Member

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    2010 Prius last tank 27mpg. Calculated with pen and paper. I know how to drive the car. Battery less than 2. Years old. Tested 12.5vdc static with Fluke meter. Firestone lifetime alignment. Bridgestone ecopia ep422. Car is garaged and it's used on short trips. I work 1.1 miles from home. Sometimes right after refuel and reset counters it goes and see'a 99mpg and rolls back to 35mpg by 2 miles later. Not always, I have gone through your list of questions . I haven't checked the dip stock or dragging brakes. The other thing is haven't tried is to roll on I-5 or I-405 for 20 miles. I've been on those roads and always get 37 mpg. My gut says I should buy the optima battery. I'm a scientific guy , static voltage reads 12.5 vdc ( without car running). I went to the store today and reset trip b to zero. Less than a mile roundtrip (57 degrees) 15 mpg. I'm thinking a corvette gets better mpg !
     
    #1 S13orlando, Nov 6, 2016
  2. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

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    You can't base average on a few miles,try 100 mile average with less lead on foot
     
    #2 tankyuong, Nov 6, 2016
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  3. S13orlando

    S13orlando Junior Member

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    You're probably right. I will plan a trip over Veterans Day weekend. Check the brakes and dip stick. Car has 91,300 miles.
     
    #3 S13orlando, Nov 7, 2016
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    1.1 mile commute is the likely mpg killer.
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, Nov 7, 2016
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  5. S13orlando

    S13orlando Junior Member

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    It actually had suck mpg in Orlando too. I drove daily from Winter Park to Disney World 80 miles roundtrip. I thought it was the the non LRR tires . 37mpg on the East Coast too.
     
    #5 S13orlando, Nov 7, 2016
  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    This is the primary problem.

    Consider walking or riding a bicycle. Seattle is generally quite bike friendly.
    For that distance, not a chance, your Prius still does better.
    Make sure the car has been turned off for a few hours before making that static measurement. When running, the inverter pulls it up significantly, then it only gradually subsides back to its static level.

    OTOH, your short trips may not be charging the 12V very well. Consider an overnight trickle charge to top it off.
     
    #6 fuzzy1, Nov 7, 2016
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2016
  7. S13orlando

    S13orlando Junior Member

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    Yeah I'm disabled. Love bikes they hate me. I'll figure this out. I always do. My family had Pri ' . My daughters all have Prius.
     
    #7 S13orlando, Nov 7, 2016
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    You've got a good mpg car for short trips. The Plug-In would be perfect...
     
    #8 Mendel Leisk, Nov 7, 2016
  9. S13orlando

    S13orlando Junior Member

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    Yes Optimus Prime aka 2017 Prius Prime is my goal. Trying to "wring" every penny out of this guy.
     
    #9 S13orlando, Nov 7, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 7, 2016
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  10. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    For your situation, that should be great choice. You may also notice plenty of Leafs and Teslas in the area, if any of those better fit your needs.
    The editing time window has not yet expired. If you see this in time, you can still go back to edit and fix it.
     
    #10 fuzzy1, Nov 7, 2016
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well short trips are a killer for mileage in any car.

    But even 37mpg on that road trip seems a bit excessive (37mpg was what I got over an entire tank of -20°C to -40°C temperatures!)

    High 40s is more typical (You sit at about 47mpg at 70mph with passengers only, no heavy cargo or roof rack).

    You checked the wheel alignment but what about tire pressures? The 15" tires have a recommended PSI of 35/33 on stock tires. Some of us here run higher pressures (37/35 or 40/38. The highest is 44/42 but it gets pretty uncomfortable at those pressures).
     
    #11 Tideland Prius, Nov 8, 2016
  12. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    ... in any fossil fueled car, which needs to heat up a big chunk of iron under the hood.

    This is where a plug-in car will absolutely shine. It doesn't need to waste a half-pint of fuel merely getting to operating condition.
     
    #12 fuzzy1, Nov 8, 2016
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yeah that's true. Gotta start specifying nowadays!
     
    #13 Tideland Prius, Nov 8, 2016
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  14. S13orlando

    S13orlando Junior Member

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    #14 S13orlando, Nov 11, 2016
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    exactly. if you were getting 37 mpg on an 80 mile commute, something is definitely wrong.
     
    #15 bisco, Nov 11, 2016
  16. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    I hate to be that guy, but.... but your car sounds like a dog! If it has under 250,000 miles I'd get rid of it.

    In all seriousness, You should get it checked out. How is the hybrid batteries behavior?
     
    #16 Aaron Vitolins, Nov 11, 2016
  17. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    Hills suck in Seattle. I have to climb one right away on the way to work in the morning with a cold engine, and mileage will drop into the high 30's. I have perhaps a 10 mile commute. Hills coming home too.

    I use a block heater to help with not starting out with a cold engine, and I trickle-charge my 12V yellow-top with a Battery Minder overnight at least a few nights each week. That can get me up in the 40's on winter gas.

    Once warmed up and on the flats, I see 50+ mpg.
     
    #17 Dark_matter_doesn't, Nov 13, 2016
  18. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Not necessarily. My leadfoot wife use to get as low as 39 mpg tanks on our 2010 on her 60 mile commute. Besides here "cavalier" driving attitude, heat and a strong gulf headwind in the afternoon drive didn't help either.

    Besides the ICE warmup period, a 1.1 mile drive in hot climes is especially tough due to heavy a/c use trying to cool down the car. BTDT
     
    #18 fotomoto, Nov 13, 2016
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  19. bobzchemist

    bobzchemist Active Member

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    The folks who make the Prolong battery reconditioners claim that reduced gas mileage and sluggish acceleration are symptoms of impending traction battery failure ( Prolong Battery Systems FAQ – Hybrid Automotive ).

    Does anyone know if this is true, or an exaggeration, or just nonsense designed to sell their stuff?
     
    #19 bobzchemist, Nov 13, 2016
  20. S13orlando

    S13orlando Junior Member

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    Yeah there's something wrong with this dog. Air pressure is 40 psi . Bridgestone ep422 new less than 1000 miles. Recent front end alignment. I know how to drive a Prius . I would get 35 mpg in Orlando and get in my moms car and get 55 mpg, I see a 2017 or next year Prius in my future. Battery is about a year old Toyota battery. I also had the inverter replaced last year in Orlando. I drive like GRANDMA !
     
    #20 S13orlando, Nov 16, 2016
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