New (to me) Prius & a long drive

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Prius!
I would suggest that, when you do get into your new car for that road trip home, turn OFF the MFD...
Just drive it. Really. No MPG games, no watching the energy or consumption screen. Just drive it. Listen to it. Notice when the ICE starts, and when it stops. Get used to the braking, and the acceleration, and the handling.
1800 miles is almost perfect for breaking in a new owner

 

New owner advice:

Obtain and read the Owner's Manual and the Scheduled Maintenance Guide.

When the last pip on the gas gauge starts flashing it means buy gas right now dammit, so on the highway you don't want to let it get that low.

Don't rely on the headlights to shut themselves off.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rob Smith @ Sep 11 2007, 03:52 PM) [snapback]510792[/snapback]</div>

Where did you download the OM and pocket guide from?

 

Make sure the tires are inflated properly. I like 40 PSI front, 38 Rear, others use 42 front, 40 rear. These are both above the door sticker numbers. You get better mileage this way, and the car handles better. Don't forget the spare tire pressure as well. Just in case.

Check the oil. If it's due for changing, do so before the trip. It only takes 20 min. You won't need oil on the trip. Prius doesn't use it up.

Avoid T-storms if you can. The aluminum hood is easy to dint with hail. If you have the original Goodyear Integrity tires, do slow down in heavy rain. They aren't the best when they start to wear a bit.

Enjoy the drive.

 

Remember that when it gets hot (especially since you are driving to Arizona), don't skimp on using the air conditioning. The HV battery pack is cooled with cabin air, so the AC isn't just for keeping us humans comfortable.

Also remember to check that the car has been turned off after you park your Prius. There are instances where some owners with the Smartkey fob (the one you don't need to insert into the dash to start the car) forgot to turn off the car after parking it for the night, and return the next morning to find that their battery has run down.

Oh, and bring a digital camera, take lots of photos, and post them here. B)

Congrats on getting your new Prius, good luck, and enjoy your road trip!

 

It's intended for new cars but it might be helpful to take with you a copy of the delivery checklist:
http://www.vfaq.net/docs/pickup_checklist.html

That version is good for 2005 except you probably won't get any valet cards from the seller, but you can get them here:
http://priuschat.com/index.php?act=Attach&...ost&id=6546

Some people find the seat uncomfortable, so consider taking a small pillow or cushion in case you need back support.

If you lock the car it will give a warning beep if any of the doors or the hatch are ajar. This prevents one common means of draining the 12V battery.

 

It's intended for new cars but it might be helpful to take with you a copy of the delivery checklist:
http://www.vfaq.net/docs/pickup_checklist.html

That version is good for 2005 except you probably won't get any valet cards from the seller, but you can get them here:
http://priuschat.com/index.php?act=Attach&...ost&id=6546

Some people find the seat uncomfortable, so consider taking a small pillow or cushion in case you need back support.

If you lock the car it will give a warning beep if any of the doors or the hatch are ajar. This prevents one common means of draining the 12V battery.

 

General tips: Arrows from the battery to the wheels are bad, unless your above 41 miles per hour and are performing "warp stealth".
When I first got the car, I tried to put it in "ev mode" and accelerated based on the instant MPG figures on the screen. Learn from me and accelerate like normal, trying to keep the instant mpg about 1/2 of your mph.

The best state to be in is where there are no arrows going anywhere. ("glide/stealth/neutral mode")

also, drive so you avoid hitting the brakes. If you see a light turn red ahead, take that foot off the accel and regen or glide to the light

 

Glad I live away from the highway and thieves who steal internet.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Sep 10 2007, 05:25 PM) [snapback]510286[/snapback]</div>

Really?? What year is your Prius? This is the first time I hear of this.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rob Smith @ Sep 10 2007, 05:14 PM) [snapback]510281[/snapback]</div>

Perhaps too late but you might consider doing a compare and contrast:

1. MPG vs MPH - using two hour segments, measure the MPG at different cruise control settings. Be sure to record estimated wind speed, direction relative to travel and temperature.
2. Cruise Control vs Manual - using your best 'manual' method, compare it to the equivalent cruise control mileage.

We've also been doing a study of transaxle oil but don't have any "new" car wear patterns mapped out. If you would be interested in contributing samples, send me a PM and we'll discuss what it takes. We're interested in finding out how wear materials and viscosity changes over time for the NHW20 Prius. I'm doing that now for Type WS in an NHW11 but there was some residual oil from the Amsoil ATF (NOT RECOMMENDED!!) test.

Thanks,
Bob Wilson



<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Sep 15 2007, 04:15 AM) [snapback]512935[/snapback]</div>

In the USA, there are so many free sites that for the cost of a quality coffee, access is free. I often plan my trips to find a pull-off at a college town and then ask students where the free wireless coffee shop is. In the USA South, Krystals offers free wireless but you have to come inside. Again, a cuppa and bite to eat and when your done, hit the road again. In fact, I think Google even maps out the wireless businesses.

What is funny is Starbucks and some of the wireless spots try to charge a connect fee. Those are also places where you don't find customers with laptops. But the places that offer it free to customers have a clustering of laptops.

As for wireless security, the ultimate is signal strength control. I have a shield between my home unit and the street. My mom's wireless is in the basement and barely detected at the curb in front of her house. But inside the house we have great coverage.

Bob Wilson

 

HTTP 404 Not Found

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Sep 15 2007, 01:15 AM) [snapback]512935[/snapback]</div>

I chose to leave my wireless open for others to use. Now that I have been told not to, I can't seem to find a way to 'close' it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Sep 15 2007, 05:15 AM) [snapback]512935[/snapback]</div>

Anyway, allow me to explain. There are multiple facets of that bumper sticker
First, haven't you seen Pirates of the Caribbean? In the trilogy, Jack Sparrow seeks not gold and plunder, but FREEDOM through his control of his Black Pearl (which happens to be naming of the various colors - they all end in pearl). Thus, I choose to interpret it as free people of the Internet, making their own path in the world, and not succumbing to the "horrible cars" of the English Trading Company.

Anyway, since I sorta majored in Information Security, I hear all about hackers all the time at my job (even though that's not what I do at my job). Which got me thinking, hackers can be both good and bad, and the term pirates to some degree can also be synonymous with the term hackers. And there you have it, a pirate of the internet can also be a hacker of the Internet. Keep in mind, that hackers was originally a "good" term to use for people that could fix problems in computer code.

And finally, the pirate that pirates software/music/movies. Most people have downloaded songs from Napster/kazaa/emule/bearshare/limewire/bittorrent/gnutella or what have you. That makes half the world a pirate of the Internet

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Sep 15 2007, 12:48 PM) [snapback]513034[/snapback]</div>

That doesn't work if a person has scanner software that scans the channels. I know that dell notebooks come with software that shows "hidden" access points.