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My new PiP - helpful comments appreciated

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by Nobody123, Apr 14, 2015.

  1. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    Hello, Priuschat. This is my very first post on this forum.

    I took delivery of my new 2015 PiP on Saturday, March 28, 2015 from: ToyotaRob - New & Used Autos

    It's a base model in Sea Glass Pearl with no factory option.

    [​IMG]

    Here it is again after I got it home.

    [​IMG]

    It looks a little out of place on the driveway in front of my 240SX with 350 small block chevy V8 :)
     
    #1 Nobody123, Apr 14, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2015
    john1701a, rxlawdude, wjtracy and 2 others like this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome and congrats!(y) can't see the other cars, but they sound 'interesting'. my advice is to keep your pip close to home for those all electric drives, and use blended mode for longer trips which will yield you the best efficiency and lowest pollution in the business. all the best!
     
  3. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    First charge? I remember mine.
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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  5. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    Thanks for all the comments.

    I'm ashamed to show pictures because I have them all torn apart for winter. This should motivate me to put them back together and take some decent pictures.

    This is something I'm still trying to grasp. I got the tip from another PHV driver as well.

    I try to use EV mode and recharge as much as possible, but for longer trips I do notice that the EV range goes down quite quickly when speeds get above 30-35mph.
     
  6. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Welcome to Prius Chat!
    That same dealer was my first choice back in 2006, but at the time they were sold out of Prii, so I ended up at Miller in Manassas.
    Well, I am going to assume you live in Virginia based on the temp plate logo.
    We have another active PiP owner from Arlington, but he has not posted lately.
    He might be able to advise how he does the overnight charging re: Dominion which at one point had a plug-in pilot program. Not sure what they have now. Hope you enjoy the PiP!

    P.S.- Love the color!
     
  7. ft3sfty

    ft3sfty Junior Member

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    Congratz! My two cents: if you leave your car charging unattended, try to lock up your charge cable. It's expensive to replace!
     
  8. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    That only confuses folks who feel compelled to pigeonhole people based on minutia such as their ride. Keeping them confused is often a good thing.

    Welcome!
     
  9. IanIanIanIan

    IanIanIanIan Member

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    Charge it whenever you want to and can, and just drive it without worrying about which mode it is in.
     
  10. -1-

    -1- Don

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    :)Charge as much as you can. After awhile, the novelty will wear off, and based on you daily routine and distance, running on gas will seem easier. Home charging is almost effortless, and the combination of the two will give you the best mileage. Remember why you got a Prius Plug In. Enjoy it. Dominion Virginia Power has two test programs for EVs. Based on my research, I decided to pass on both due to the small cost savings. I charge anytime, day or night, when I need it.
     
  11. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    They did a special order for me. We're not supposed to get this colour in this region. Don't tell anyone :)

    I see one regularly charging at GMU in Fairfax. I don't feel so special any more...
    [​IMG]



    I also looked into DOM's EV program, but since I'm already on their AC program (where they can cycle your AC in the summer), you can only be in one program, and I feel the AC program is more beneficial since the AC uses more power than the PiP.

    Plus I'm considering putting up a solar array on my roof and in the backyard so the whole issue may be moot.
     
    #11 Nobody123, Apr 15, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2015
  12. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    The cheapest 240V cable I found was from Electric Vehicle Institute. I also ordered a J1772 extension cord from TucsonEV which has a 3/16" hole in the Latching button so that you can insert a lock for security. I leave the cable inside the garage and run the extension cord out to the car with a cable lock on the extension cord.
     
  13. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    I am also in the Dominion AC program if that's the one where they turn down your AC on the really hot days, and you get $40 back for giving them control.
     
    #13 wjtracy, Apr 15, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2015
  14. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    That's the one. My basement usually stays pretty cool any way so I don't use much AC in the summer.

    They put a little relay on your AC so they can cycle it on/off whenever they feel like it.

    [​IMG]
     
    #14 Nobody123, Apr 15, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2015
  15. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Greetings and Welcome Aboard!
     
  16. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    Before I did anything to the car, I wanted to see how good the factory alignment was. There was some talk of new cars' alignment being off and ruining the tyres. I wanted to see for myself.

    Alignment shop services were provided by: RRT :: Performance, Tuning & Maintenance
    [​IMG]

    Full tank of gas. Front tyre pressure set to 35PSI/rear to 33PSI. Topped off all fluids. Nothing else in the car.

    Toyota specifies ride height measurement as follows:

    A: Ground clearance of front lower No. 1 suspension arm bushing set bolt center
    B: Ground clearance of rear axle beam bushing set bolt center
    C: Ground clearance of front wheel center
    D: Ground clearance of rear wheel center

    My measurements are as follows:

    A: 185mm Left/184mm Right (I think this is because most of the front weight is shifted towards the driver side)
    B: 270mm
    C: 290mm
    D: 295mm

    I noticed a little variance between C and D, but this is probably due to the difference in air pressure and more weight being over the front. It would explain why the tyres are 5mm higher in the rear.

    While Toyota doesn't specify absolute measurements, they do provide relative reference scale:

    Front: C - A = 108mm
    Rear: D - B = 26mm

    My actual measurements are as follows:

    Front: 290mm (C) - 185mm (A) = 105mm
    Rear: 295mm (D) - 270mm (B) = 25mm

    My percentages of variance:

    Front: (108mm - 105mm) / 108mm = 2.7%
    Rear: (26mm - 25mm) / 26mm = 3.84%
    =====================================
    Toyota specifies alignment measurements as follows:

    FRONT
    Camber: -0.22* +/- 0.75*, 0.75* or less right-left difference
    Caster: 5.88* +/- 0.75*, 0.75* or less right-left difference
    SAI: 12.27*
    Toe: C+D: 0.20* +/- 0.20*, B-A: 2.0 +/- 2.0mm, 1.5mm or less right-left difference

    REAR
    Camber: -1.48* +/- 0.50*, 0.50* or less right-left difference
    Toe: C+D: 0.28* +/- 0.30*, 0.75* or less right-left difference
    B-A: 2.9 +/- 3mm

    And here are the actual measurements themselves:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Overall, I'd give Toyota a C+. Some of the specs are off and they're non-adjustable from the factory other than front toe.

    On top of that, you need Techstream to reset the yaw and acceleration sensors for the ABS every time you do an alignment. It makes it more difficult to service the car.
     
    #16 Nobody123, Apr 15, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2015
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  17. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    Since my car didn't come with any floor mats, after reading other members' experience, I went with Weathertech FloorLiner DigitalFit Part Number: 445251-442562 in Black.

    [​IMG]

    Fitment is excellent. I like how high they come up on the side and they don't slide. Generic rubber mats would slide around and damage the carpet underneath. Overall I'm very happy with them.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  18. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    I had a problem with the steering wheel. I never had one that was so rough before. Since the weather was still cold and dry, it cut my right hand in 2 places and gave my left hand a pretty good friction rash.

    After looking at the other thread, I decided to pick up an Orex Motorsports steering wheel from the dealer. It may not be the best, but it's confirmed fitment and I had a gift certificate. It also feels so much better than the stock steering wheel. Yay, no more bleeding fingers from driving my PiP :)

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Eug

    Eug Swollen Member

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    Hmmm... I'm debating whether or not to buy these, at least for the front. The thing is, I already have TWO sets of floor mats. They came with the car, which I bought used.

    I have the OEM Prius Plug-in carpet fabric floor mats, and they have never been used. They are still in the sealed packaging, despite the fact the car is a 2012.

    I also have the regular Prius rubber/plastic floor mats, which have two problems. One is that it has the driver's side cutout for the regular Prius's fuel release lever, which is just an empty space on the Plug-in since the Plug-in's fuel release lever is on the dash. The other problem is that it doesn't cover up as much of the floor at the front, so it doesn't cover the left footrest or as much as the carpet beneath the accelerator and brake pedals. I wonder if they did this on purpose, to prevent any safety issue.

    I might have to cave, and buy the WeatherTech floor mats for the next winter season. They are CAD$140 for the front pair in Canada. It just seems like a waste having three sets of floor mats.
     
  20. Nobody123

    Nobody123 Member

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    As we discussed in another thread, I found that Weathertech doesn't make a cargo tray that fits the bump on the PiP, and while the regular Prius cargo tray could probably fit with or without trimming, I wanted a more elegant solution.

    So I got a Toyota cargo tray and cargo net to go with it.
    [​IMG]