Looking for owner of a 3rd Gen 2012 Prius in the So. Jersey area

The only time I felt a surge or thought I felt a surge is when the car was getting rid of surplus electricity. It wake me in a hurry as I thought the dam car was running away on me. My 2006 Prius does not do this or at least it is not as noticeable. hope you find your issue anixon92. H

 

Did it happen when you used the cruise control on a flat road.
That's a good way to prove it to the tech. No interaction by the driver.

Just set it and wait.
This option is good and very reproducible if you get it to happen.

 

There is a recall out on the Prius for an ECM reflash. It has to do with the traction battery charge management. Get that done and maybe your problem will be solved.

 

Time for a different car.

 

Here's the link to the Lemon Law: http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/ocp/lembroc.pdf

No, the car will not stop by itself. However, the regenerative braking will substantially slow the car down.

I don't know how you are keeping the battery so full in these temps.

The only time I experience a full battery is on the downside of a mountain. I don't know if the battery terminals in the display light. I'm too busy to notice but the noise when the engine spins up just to use the excess is unnerving. Tour the PA "highways" through the parks around State College or drive down US22/US322 from State College. When you arrive at the point where all trucks must stop before proceeding downhill you're at the right spot.

Sometimes I can feel the transition between between the electric motor & the engine. If you feel that every time then you have a sensitive butt. If you are sensing the change in traction when running over a storm drain or manhole cover, that's normal and very easy to reproduce.

I am willing to come down to check out your car and perhaps continue to AC (I take the White Horse Pike). If you are dissatisfied with the dealer and want another opinion send me a private message.

 

Your like me. Notice and feel and hear everything in a car. Sucks doesn't it?

I watched your video. Your very hyper sensitive to when the ICE comes on & off. This is normal.
I know its normal becasue its not throwing any diagnostic lights. Believe me if there was any issue with the Hybrid system you would know it.

This is your first Hybrid. Relax a little and just drive. There is not a perfect seamless transition from engine on and off and battery and some people may notice this and sense a surge or loss of power.
Very hard to notice especially at speed but you may be feeling it. But if your feeling it every time the ice turns on & off as evidenced by the MFD well there you go.

My wife drives my Prius so I bounce in and out of it once in a while and if I want I can notice it also.

The reason the battery is always charged up is you don't know how to properly modulate the gas pedal. Read up.
If you drive this car like a normal engine car gas on gas off you will be constantly engaging the regen brakes and that will hyper charge the battery. Its not good for mileage. That's how my wife drives. Battery always in green. She could care less about hypermile and that's fine with me.

Try to modulate the gas pedal and not release the pedal enough to engage regen (arrow flow from front wheel to battery) constantly. Don't let off the pedal all the way constantly. Every time you engage regen you have to give the car more gas to get back up to speed and your wasting gas.
Try to look forward for traffic. This is your first step to excellent mileage in a Prius.

Learning to hypermile better will get you more involved in the very cool capability's of the car and the ICE transition will become invisible. Its just my opinion but running very high quality motor oil seems to helps with the transition smoothness. Like Mobil 1 5-30. What kind of motor oil are you running or did you change it out yet? If you say it was a certified car get that oil out of there asap. Its crappy vat oil.

You own a great car. Forget the lawyers and do some reading:

Beating the EPA - The Why’s and How to Hypermile - CleanMPG Forums

Only thing I disagree with on that Hyper thread is he says the Ford Escape Hybrid is a great car. We have a fleet of them at work and I drive one all the time. Its an awful car that apparently has a very big sewing machine under the hood. Not even close to a Prius in manners.

 

So this surge you can feel it but the car doesn't increase in speed? or decrease in speed before the surge? My cars does all kinds of things but it doesn't ever feel like its running out of gas then revving back up. There is a very large bump when the ICE kicks in when taking off, there is a bump when the ICE kicks in and out for reasons that I don't control at 42 mph and 46 mph, but after 50 I can't feel the drivetrain bump when the ICE or electric motors kick in and out.

 

Hopefully Jim N can confirm or deny the surge issue.

Kudos to you JimN.

 

Hello,

I had something like this happening a few times during this winter, when the temperature was really low (below -20 Celcius, -4 deg F). I saw the battery level going down by one bar at high speed (100 km/h) and had suddenly more power on the accelerator. I didn't understand the behavior. I don't know if it was normal, but it seemed controlled. After a few minutes the car stabilized and the battery charged again.

 

Sounds like the hybrid system did a recalibrate on the pack! H