1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Spare Tire VS Traction Control

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by bad monkey, Oct 10, 2006.

  1. bad monkey

    bad monkey New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2005
    23
    0
    0
    So I get a nail in my tire and drive to work after filling it up and watching the tire pressure sensor instead of the road. The tire shop can't fix it, so they order me a new tire. For tomorrow. I drive home and back to work today on the doughnut spare. Anytime I turned a corner or drove over 50mph, the traction would flash. If it flashed for speed I would fight it for control and to maintain my speed, as it was trying to slow me down from my "uncontrollable wheel." I drained the battery fighting it for control on the freeway. I guess I was fighting the brakes with the motor because it's the only time I got 99.9mpg uphill at 65 mph.

    I know that the diameter of the spare versus the full size or different, and therefor a different revolutions per mile, but there must be a way to tell it that this is a special condition and don't help.

    Yes I have non-stock tires. The Sumitomo HTR-200 P195's.
     
    #1 bad monkey, Oct 10, 2006
  2. vkykam

    vkykam New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2006
    27
    0
    0
    You know, for your own safety, you shouldn't really drive over 50mph on the donut anyways. AFAIK, just about all spare tires' maximum speed is 50mph, and I doubt the Prius would be an exception.

    Think about the narrow tread you're driving on and what would happen at 65mph in an emergency...

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bad monkey @ Oct 10 2006, 05:54 PM) [snapback]330853[/snapback]</div>
     
    #2 vkykam, Oct 10, 2006
  3. Tempus

    Tempus Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2004
    1,690
    6
    0
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Did you have the donut on the front?

    If you blow a front tire, I would strongly recommend putting a good tire from the back on the front and only running the donut in the rear.
     
    #3 Tempus, Oct 11, 2006
  4. bad monkey

    bad monkey New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2005
    23
    0
    0
    I don't mean to sound condecending. Thank you for the spare tire tips.

    My issue is that I can not get from home to work without going 20 miles and an hour out of my way without using the freeway. There is a six mile section of freeway that is free of slow traffic and I have to traverse it both ways. I can be the guy at 50mph while everyone else is at 85 to 90, but that is more dangerous than trying to get to 65 on a tire rated for 55. That is not my biggest complaint. I know I am doing something that is outside specs. Fine. But when I TURN A CORNER at 15mph, I expect that to not necessitate the traction control slowing me down to a crawl.

    When it's raining the 10 days a year here, I love the VSC. When I accelerate from a stop and my tires go over leaves and the car slows down to compensate, I hate it. I just wish there were a button to shut it off when it wouldn't help the driver. Maybe then I could do some burn-outs with the high torque motor, or even drive properly with a spare tire.
     
    #4 bad monkey, Oct 11, 2006
  5. ceric

    ceric New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2004
    1,114
    53
    0
    Location:
    Fremont, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bad monkey @ Oct 11 2006, 11:45 AM) [snapback]331192[/snapback]</div>
    I believe there may be a way (a sequence of actions you must perform per start-up) to shut off Toyota/Lexus VSC. The sequence I read was for Lexus GS. I believe it may also work for Prius.
    Just Google...
    Lexus VSC "turn off"


    Since there is no editing post allowed, I am posting the sequence here.
    The sequence was for Lexus GS 300/430. I personal did not try it. (source atumobilemag.com)

    1. Make sure the car is in Park and the parking brake is disengaged before you start the car.
    2. Start the engine.
    3. Engage the parking brake.
    4. Fully depress the brake pedal and then release.
    5. Fully depress the brake pedal and then release.
    6. Disengage the parking brake.
    7. Fully depress and hold down the brake pedal.
    8. Engage the parking brake, then disengage it (while holding down the brake pedal).
    9. Engage the parking brake, then disengage it (while holding down the brake pedal).
    10. Release the brake pedal.
    11. Engage the parking brake.
    12. Fully depress the brake pedal and then release.
    13. Fully depress the brake pedal and then release.
     
    #5 ceric, Oct 11, 2006
  6. Beryl Octet

    Beryl Octet New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2006
    1,293
    0
    0
    Location:
    Abingdon VA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus @ Oct 11 2006, 11:24 AM) [snapback]331147[/snapback]</div>

    It's gonna suck no matter where you put it, if it's on the back, then there is a tendency for the back to swing out when cornering etc.
     
    #6 Beryl Octet, Oct 11, 2006
  7. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You might want to check the air pressure on the spare. They're typically over-inflated, and have about as much traction as a wooden wheel. There may be mould-release compound still on it, too, which is also very slippery.
     
    #7 hyo silver, Oct 11, 2006
  8. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2004
    3,998
    18
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    The traction control is not there just to prevent us from spinning our wheels . . .

    “in the Prius the reason for the interrupt in power when the wheels spin on wet surfaces is to protect MG1 from an over speed condition as the psd tries to correct the MG2 speed and it's all controlled by the abs computer input to the ICE control computer. It sees wheel speed for all 4 wheels and say's nope your not going to over speed MG1 when you regain traction and the psd want's to correct the speed imbalance between the 2 of them.â€
    Frank Hudon
    http://priuschat.com/index.php?s=&show...ost&p=44223
     
    #8 Sufferin' Prius Envy, Oct 11, 2006
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)