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Questions on Mpg calculator and pressing park while driving

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Jaqueh2, Mar 4, 2007.

  1. Jaqueh2

    Jaqueh2 New Member

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    First off i was wondering about this safety hazard, when the car is moving it is really easy to just press a button like the off button or the park one...if u do press those will the car go to park or if u press the engine will the car turn off? And when i calculate the mpg in the car by myself (miles/gallon) i get a different number than the one displayed on my computer calculator on the car. And yes i do use the exact same mileage for my calculation as displayed on the energy screen. And the one i calculate is higher too, this has happened many-a-time!
     
    #1 Jaqueh2, Mar 4, 2007
  2. lenjack

    lenjack Active Member

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    There is a safety interlock that will prevent the car from going into park if you press P while moving.
     
    #2 lenjack, Mar 4, 2007
  3. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    You can't hurt the car pressing any buttons while in motion.
    Typically most people's calculated mileage is a few mpg different than the display mpg. This is due to many different things...pump variation, temperture affect on the bladder capacity, how full the tank is from tank to tank, etc.

    Over the life of the car you'll find the difference b/w calc. and computer mpg will be very close, maybe 1-2% difference. For any given tank I tend to believe the display mileage since I've had calculated mpg as much as 10-15mpg higher only to find the pump had clicked off early and the next tank's calculated mpg was much lower than the display. But, over the life of the car I tend to believe the lifetime calculation as the most accurate.
     
    #3 efusco, Mar 4, 2007
  4. Allannde

    Allannde Just a Senior

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jaqueh2 @ Mar 4 2007, 11:20 AM) [snapback]399954[/snapback]</div>
    First of all welcome to PriusChat and to the ownership of a very special car.

    Any calculation of MPG is an estimate. Measuring the amout of gas you put in the tank divided by the miles driven over a long time is the most accurate.

    The car measures the flow of gas into one of the cylinders to calculate the MPG which appears on the screen. It is a vey good short term estimate of the MPG. Just because you can carry out the division into a lot of numbers after the decimal point does not mean that it is more correct. It is still an estimate. The accuracy of the odometer, the tire size and whether they are new or worn, the accuracy of the pump which measured the gas, even the temperature of the gas when it was pumped, all affect the accuracyof the calculation. Don't fight it.

    It is an estimate.
     
    #4 Allannde, Mar 4, 2007
  5. ozerdem

    ozerdem Junior Member

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    If the Power botton is pressed while the car is in motion nothing will happen, but you did need to turn it off for some reason while the car is in motion you have to hold the power botton down for 3 seconds to override the system and turn it off. As far as the mileage goes. I hear that there is an extandable bladder portion of the gas tank that will change the size of your tank according to the temp. Don't quote me on that one.
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jaqueh2 @ Mar 4 2007, 11:20 AM) [snapback]399954[/snapback]</div>
     
    #5 ozerdem, Mar 4, 2007
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