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Strange behaviour on trip to Florida

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by paprius4030, Nov 24, 2008.

  1. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    We are just back from a great trip from Pa. to Florida and back but my 08 Prius excibited some strange behavoiur and mpgs. dropped from 48 on way down to only 41 to 42 on way back. (Don't say it's because coming back was uphill LOL). The car ran great about half way down but then I noticed when we pulled off an exit ramp and came to a stop the ICE would continue to run??? No arrows were showing on the display acted like it was warming up when cold?? This did it a couple of times on way down and I noticed when on the highway it would always show grren bars, 1 away from being full. Once we got to Daytona around town it acted normal. Then on the way back there was not one time it ever showed blue like normal, always all green one away from being full, in fact when i got off exit ramps the battery was so full that by the time I coased to a stop at the end of an exit ramp it would be complety full, all green bars and mpg's on way back dropped to 40 to 42 mpgs. I should say the car was really packed and heavy with three of us and tons of luggage you could notice the car sitting down in the rear. I looking to see if you think I might have a problem or if the extra weight could make the car behave this way. Thanks. PS I haven't had time yet to drive the car around in a normal routine yet since we just got back
     
    #1 paprius4030, Nov 24, 2008
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Sounds pretty typical for colder weather behavior on the highway.
    As far as the on-ramp behavior I suspect the battery SOC was quite high and it was draining that down a bit.
    As far as the lower MPG, it could be elevation, it could be prevailing winds...it could be colder temps...but most likely it's a combination of those things.
     
    #2 efusco, Nov 24, 2008
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    As Evan states, this is normal cold weather highway behavior. Nothing to worry about. With cold weather, the engine is called upon to act as a heater, and subsequently is forced to run more, which in turn keeps the battery charged to a high state.

    Tom
     
    #3 qbee42, Nov 24, 2008
  4. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Wear warm clothing in the car and turn down the temperature on the climate control to save fuel. However don't let the windows fog over.
     
    #4 patsparks, Nov 24, 2008
  5. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    It was pretty warm on the way down and half way back. The first time the ICE kept running when we stopped at traffic light at end of exit ramp and sat for awhile it was in the 70's. Actually when it was colder on the way home the ICE shut off all the time at stops like normal. I'll drive it around here now that we're back like normal and see if it' acts like it always does before I have it checked.
     
    #5 paprius4030, Nov 24, 2008
  6. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    What was your tp? Did you increase the pressure to handle the heavier than usual load? How fast did you drive?

    Driving close to interstate speeds on the trip to NC the lifetime average still improved.
     
    #6 JimN, Nov 24, 2008
  7. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Any chance you inadvertantly slipped into B-mode? You'd not really notice it except that you might decelerate a little more quickly than normal and the ICE wouldn't shut off at stops.
     
    #7 efusco, Nov 24, 2008
  8. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    No almost positive it always stayed in D. Local drving today my mpg's back up to 48-50 so who knows LOL
     
    #8 paprius4030, Nov 24, 2008
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