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Lurching when put into gear when brake still applied

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by rabadia, Aug 27, 2012.

  1. rabadia

    rabadia New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2012
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    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    N/A
    Occasionally (I cannot isolate a particular behavior or scenario), when I put the car into either drive or reverse from a cold start, remove the emergency brake (in either order), keep continued solid pressure on the brake pedal, the car will lurch a few inches. If I do not release brake quickly and re-apply, it will lurch again. This is very disconcerting. It happens on level ground. It is particularly alarming when parallel parked or in a parking lot when people are around. I am taking the car in to the dealer tomorrow for the 5K checkup and will mention it, but I was hoping to get some feedback on if others have experienced this.

    Thank you,
    Robin
     
    #1 rabadia, Aug 27, 2012
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Plug-in Base
    the engine might be starting and providing sudden forward momentum. it probably feels like the car is moving, but, if your foot is on the brake, the wheels are probably stationary and the body/suspension lurch forward.
     
    #2 bisco, Aug 27, 2012
  3. n0na

    n0na Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    You didn't say how long you've had the problem, but if you've had it for all 5000 miles you driven the car, then shame on you for waiting so long to get the problem taken care of. The behavior you described isn't normal. If the problem just popped up, then obviously something changed and the dealer needs to repair the problem. In the old days, when a car behaved like yours, we'd have a mechanic "adjust the bands" on the automatic transmission. Prius uses a different type of transmission, but it's obviously suceptable to similar problems. Good luck with the dealer.

    P.S. Make sure that you aren't activating the hold-on-a-hill feature of the brake. If you press it all the way to the floor (you should hear a beep) that feature will be activated. But it releases a couple of seconds later. So, make sure that feature isn't contributing to the problem you are having.
     
    #3 n0na, Aug 28, 2012
  4. mudmanrv

    mudmanrv Member

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    Location:
    NE Indiana
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I notice on mine - in the morning - when i climb in half asleep - if i hit the brake pedal firmly to start the car -
    when i hit the pedal it will kick forward ever so slightly... it doesn't really move though and i would almost atribute it to the momentum of me pushing on the pedal...

    it's only when you push hard and fast on the brake... pushing slow or just enough to light the tail lights and it doesn't do it.

    I'm thinking - it's probably a magnetic field kick - as the motors are switched from running state to charging state.
    i know in your situation the car may not even be on yet, but the circuit still closes to charge mode - and you could be getting a little back EMF (eloctro-magnetic field) kick off the switch over making the motors lurch as you describe.

    since they do regenerate before the friction brakes apply...

    that's my theory anyway.
     
    #4 mudmanrv, Aug 28, 2012
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