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Psychological aspects of "trouncing" it....

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Launch Vehicle, Jan 18, 2019.

  1. Launch Vehicle

    Launch Vehicle Junior Member

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    I have read elsewhere in this forum that occasional hard acceleration may help maintain cleaner EGR valves and intake manifolds in Gen. 3 engines. There is a sizable hill in our area where I attempt to do just that.

    After 9 years of driving a Prius as if there were an uncooked egg stuck under its gas pedal, it feels a wee bit strange to do so.

    So here's my question: Assuming that there is any merit to putting the 'pedal to the metal' to help blast away years of accumulated gunk - could our unstressed way of driving be one of the contributing factors ultimately leading to blown head gaskets in early Gen 3's?

    Inquiring minds wanna know....
     
    #1 Launch Vehicle, Jan 18, 2019
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I don't think so. You need to just pull it all off and clean occasionally. An Oil Catch Can will help some.

    Hard acceleration, especially up a steep hill, is tough on the engine, and transmission. How much is debatable. With the Prius maybe hard on the inverter too? There was a software patch related to protecting the inverter from sudden/hard acceleration.
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, Jan 18, 2019
    Pluggo likes this.
  3. Pluggo

    Pluggo Senior Member

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    I can't imagine that hard acceleration would do anything except introduce a higher concentration of crud. They were probably thinking in terms of higher engine temperature helping to burn up the existing deposits, but I am unconvinced. A better course would be to avoid the rich fuel mixtures that come from hard acceleration and to make sure you always use one of the Top Tier licensed detergent gasolines listed at http://www.toptiergas.com
     
    #3 Pluggo, Jan 18, 2019
  4. 3PriusMike

    3PriusMike Prius owner since 2000, Tesla M3 2018

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    This myth (or truth) goes back at least 40 or 50 years. Cars are much different than back then so if it was true then it probably isn't now and vice versa.

    Mike
     
    #4 3PriusMike, Jan 18, 2019
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    As Mendel points out, hard acceleration could pose a slight risk of inverter damage if the E0E recall has not been done on the car. Even if the records show it has been, there were about 36,000 cars involved in that recall that (it later turns out) didn't get the full update they were supposed to. The recently-announced J0V recall fixes another problem, but also completes the E0E one if it wasn't properly completed the first time.

    Here's a post about checking the calibration IDs in the car to see if it has the versions with the fixes.

    If it doesn't yet, I would be more cautious about trouncing it when I don't need to.
     
    #5 ChapmanF, Jan 18, 2019
  6. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    at 6'-5" one might just say 'this' hill is sizable. that being the case, this sizable hill's reminder is that for each action there is an equal & opposite reaction. For example, even if you could burn out (in a prius) to clean an EGR, you'd not only wear out your CV joints faster, you will wear out your tires faster as well. Between the 3? .... the EGR is cheaper by far to replace. Fuel for thought.

    .
     
    #6 hill, Jan 21, 2019
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