In the Club....

Hey welcome! We got our 2005 last Weds. I don't have a lot of answers for you though. I like the idea of getting rid of the spare tire. I have never used it on the 2001 Prius, though I have gotten two flats in the car. As soon as I remove the tire, I know I'll need it.

I can't say that I recall ever seeing a full battery. I drove 350 miles highway after I picked up the car, and didn't look at the Energy screen. I had it on MAP pretty much all the time.

 

The battery charge is computer controlled and aimed in part to optimize battery life. Therefore the battery genie aims to keep the battery somewhere in the midrange sweet spot. Not to full and not too empty... Kinda like "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"

 

If the ICE charged the battery to full, you would not have any room for in-coming energy when you use your breaks.

 

First, Congrats!!!

The battery is normally at a low SOC at pickup - no worries there.

Secondly - you said you got 383 miles - what was your tank mpg on the Consumption screen? And did you only have one bar left when you filled, or had it already started blinking, or were there more bars?

As far as bluetooth settings, what kind of phone do you have? My p800 wouldn't work with the car, you'll find that just because a phone has bluetooth, doesn't necessarily mean it'll work in the prius, unfortunately. Enjoy your driving!!

-m.

 

It's hard to know where to put the 383 miles without knowing how much of the tank you went through before refilling. What did the computer say your mpg was?

I've been told that as the car breaks in, the gas mileage will improve. Also, there seem to be two break in periods. The first one is for the first 2-3k miles. There is supposed to be another at around 5-6k, although I haven't hit that one yet.

I just put my fifth tank of gas in the car yesterday and can tell you from experience that my mpg is improving as the car breaks in and I learn to drive more efficiently. I usually go around 400 miles between fill ups (9-ish gallons).

One other thing to note is that your mpg will be lower in the winter because the combustion engine has to run longer to heat the car up.

 

I for one would not get rid of the spare, but perhaps that stems from my self-sufficient mentality. I need to feel I have some control over a situation.

A few months ago I had a flat just as I pulled in to a restaurant. I called AAA and went in for dinner. When I came out, still no service. :violin: I called and they said they were on their way.

I decided to change the tire myself. I was done and ready to go in about 5 min. Called AAA to cancel - Never even saw a technician and I would have been waiting over an hour! :x

I never like being at someonelse's mercy. If I were in a bad neighborhood I would have really been nervous.

My $.02, YMMV

- Jim

 

CONGRATS, techogurl.. enjoy your new Prius...

Bob Andersen

 

8) Did you own a 04 Prius when you had the flat tire and if so why did you not use your Toyota Roadside assistance for Prius?

It states they will change flat tires with an inflated spare.

Ben

 

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It actually was my BMW 325xi, and I usually just assume do it myself if I am able. I've had maybe two flat tires in the past 10+ years.

With AAA and going for Dinner, I though this the perfect time to make use of my membership and not skip a beat with the progress of the evening. Unfortunately it just reinforced my tendencies to want to do things for myself.

- Jim

 

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If Murphy can, Murphy will.

 

Welcome to the club, techogurl. If you do not carry a spare, what's roadside assistance going to do? Tow you to a service station? Presumably the promise of roadside help assumes you have a spare. I think going without it to save weight is a bad idea.

Note also, that the higher your car's mileage, the smaller is the proportional advantage of one extra mpg. The Prius gets such good mileage, that small improvements mean little, other than bragging rights. My advice: play it safe and carry the spare.

And to confirm what jchu and others have already said; the battery will not be either full or empty except under unusual circumstances. Very narrow swings are the norm, as a characteristic of NiMH batteries is that wide swings shorten their life, so the computer avoids this.

 

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If it has been cold, lower 40s on your first tank (the car hasn't taught you how to be most efficient yet ) might be about right. For my 4 tanks, I have found that at 1 bar blinking, I can get in no more than 9.5 gallons so there are at least 2 left in the tank (assuming full fill).

Regarding the spare - don't leave home without it! And bring the pressure up every month or so as it will drop. It is supposed to be 60 PSI. After NEVER checking my spare tire pressures, I was lucky to read something here in PC and checked both mine (9 Y/O car) and my wife's 7 Y/O car. Mine 12 PSI !!!! Hers 17 PSI !!!! I wouldn't have needed AAA to change it but to fill it! Timely advice, my wife got a flat not a month after I pumped it back up.

You most likely will rarely see all green on the battery display. Sometimes I see it when I get home. Some interstate followed by 30 MPH, generally downhill, and I can't get the car to believe it can go the last mile on stealth. I got all green coming back from Lake Placid Sun AM. Plenty steep hills and B mode will have you seeing green.