RPM PRIUS C

Congrats on your new C!

You need a Scangauge or Ultragauge.

 

You need to get a scangauge to monitor RPM. Keep in mind this is a hybrid with an eCVT and an Atkinson engine cycle, not a typical Otto engine cycle - and the RPM will not follow typical patterns that you would be accustomed to in a traditional vehicle, they will not follow the speed or pedal as directly.

 

You need to get a scangauge to monitor RPM. Keep in mind this is a hybrid with an eCVT and an Atkinson engine cycle, not a typical Otto engine cycle - and the RPM will not follow typical patterns that you would be accustomed to in a traditional vehicle, they will not follow the speed or pedal as directly.

 

Congrats on your new C, and welcome to PriusChat

I'm guessing this is your first hybrid. Since the Atkinson cycle engine puts relatively low load on the engine hardware compared to a normal engine, there's no noteworthy break-in process other than "don't beat it up and abuse it". As for duration, that is likely up for debate unless you can look at used oil analyses of the Gen II Prii, which uses virtually the same engine.

To view the RPM of the Internal Combustion Engine, you'll need an OBDII scan-gauge. This isn't terribly useful however, as the engine only operates in a narrow operational band [in terms of both load and RPM] where the engine is most efficient. Watching the RPM isn't usefully correlative to the exact operational condition or requested load compared to a traditional Otto cycle ICE.

 

Welcome to our group. Tell us where you are located. This is my first hybrid and when I saw the rpm ranges on my Ultra Gauge I knew a tach would be of no benefit. It is all over the place. My gauge screamed at me when I hit 4 thousand something while demonstrating the car to a friend. Has an alarm on it. I do watch the tach when trying to get good mileage but the engine revs vary so much it is basically un useful to me. The instant mpg is what I pay attention to and the "remaining gallons" in the tank.
Dan

 

Welcome to the ever increasing club

 

From the C owner's manual:



Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recommended:
●


For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●


For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.

Practically speaking, and as was previously mentioned, the RPMs are all over the place when driving. Your best bet is to simply drive it easy for the first 1k miles.

 

has anyone tried to floor the car and see what rpm does the transmission changes gear? I'm trying to figure out what is the redline rpm of the prius C motor but i haven't broken in my motor to test it myself.

i've read different information online. is it 4800? or 6400 ? thx

 

The transmission never ever changes gears.

Reverse is just spinning the electric motors 'backwards'. Neutral is just not powering the electric motors at all. Park just a pawl that stops the wheels from turning. There is no clutch*, software spins the electric motors at different speeds to simulate a CVT.

When the 1NZ-FXE was the Gen 1 engine, redline was 4500 RPM.
When it was the Gen 2 engine, redline was 5000 RPM.
As a Prius C engine, it's power peak is at 4800, but I do not find a redline.

Toyota NZ engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://toyota.jp/aqua/001_p_001/spec/spec/index.html (in Japanese)

*Technically there is a clutch, which is ALWAYS engaged, just so the engine is not destroyed if 'something' stops the wheels instantly.

 

I floor it all the time. That's what on-ramps are for.

 

"As a Prius C engine, it's power peak is at 4800, but I do not find a redline."

I "investigated" this item on the way back and forth to lunch while ago. For the most part 4800rpm was the max. I did see 4832 once, on an over run of a rapid acceleration.

This coincides with what I remember from past "investigations."

Yay, Science!

​

 

Thanks for the video. That is a great tool to help us understand how this thing works and know what is going on.
I too have held the pedal on the floor a few times. My Ultra Gauge starts screaming with an alarm about 4200 rpms. That does not bother me, after the first "scare", and I still hold it on the floor. I think the 4800 is about where I saw the tach. Will try it again in a day or two.
Great information on this forum. I actually found that by reading posts here I knew much more about the C than the salesmen I visited, before our purchase.
Dan

 

Sadly, that's not hard to do.

 

Well, back in '87 I decided that to buy a new vehicle I needed to research and figure out just which one would suit my needs. Then, I would spend 6 months learning about the vehicle and what options were available. The salesman needs to know a lot about every vehicle he/she sells. I just need to know about the one I am giving my blood for. Not hard to figure out why I can know more than he/she can on one particular vehicle. Often I have been told that "nope, that option is not available" when I know it is. The salesperson wants to sell what is on the lot. I want to buy what I think is the best for my "bloody dollar". When they realize that then we can start looking to see where the vehicle is that I want to buy and they find it for me. The deal gets done before I even lay my eyes on a particular vehicle many times. Now, we can do it much easier and faster because of the internet. Always let the dealer know that you are looking on line. Now, I will pay a local dealer a little more than one 500 miles away. I like it when I roll in and they remember the money I spent at this local dealership. Makes life good.
Dan

 

Thank you for this eye opening information. I didn't do too much research prior to purchasing this vehicle. only knew it's a hybrid and how the brake system generates power, but had no idea about how the CVT works. Now i have some reading to do.

 

Toyota Prius - Power Split Device