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Tilt! My new 06 is tilted to the left

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by pocketpenguin, Feb 21, 2006.

  1. pocketpenguin

    pocketpenguin New Member

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    I've been driving my OLD car until I sell it and each night I pull up to the garage and see my beautiful '06 Prius sitting in the garage. Each night I thought, is that thing tilted? Couldn't be. At first I thought I was nuts.

    Well after seeing a tilt for 4 nights in a row, I decide to check it with a level. I put the level on the bumper and... Yup a slight tilt downward on the driver's side. Oh duh, must be the garage floor! But no, the floor reads as dead flat.

    Hmm, so then I FINALLY drive my Prius to work today giving some co-workers a ride to lunch. One of them asks, "Is that thing tilted?" We parked in two separate parking lots, and it looked uneven in each lot. About 1.5 inches from one side to the other (I have not acutally measured).

    I am not crazy. My car is tilted downward on the driver's side. No, I don't weigh 600 pounds and no, there is nothing heavy inside, and yes the tires are all equally inflated.

    Anyone else have a tilted car? I presume that this is not normal.
     
    #1 pocketpenguin, Feb 21, 2006
  2. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    Take it to the dealer. Did it tilt like that when you first got it?
     
    #2 JackDodge, Feb 21, 2006
  3. idaten

    idaten New Member

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    I don't know if Prius does this, but some cars are shipped with 'blocks' in the suspension to keep them from rocking around on the boat. You might want to take a look. But definitely take it back to the dealer.
     
    #3 idaten, Feb 21, 2006
  4. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    congrats.. every prius does this.. just slightly too.. hehe.. it's true.. this question was brought up in 04.. hehe.. so yeah.. it's norm for a tiny tilt.
     
    #4 V8Cobrakid, Feb 21, 2006
  5. ceric

    ceric New Member

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    Man, this is supposed to be a secret. Now that you have discovered it. Will your love toward the Prius be the same?....

    Yes, every Prius is tilted to the left (driver side). According to my measurement (about 1 inch +/-). My guess (pure guessing here) is the left side supports more weight of the HSD. In all other vehicles I have owned, none had this unbalance. I don't think it affects driving dynamics, though. :)
     
    #5 ceric, Feb 21, 2006
  6. badaka

    badaka New Member

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    I read somewhere that Prius's sold in the Southern hemisphere tilt to the right. Water going down drains is opposite there.... It's a designed in feature to help it utilize the spin of the earth to aid in coasting. Ever notice your mileage increasing as a low pressure front approaches?
     
    #6 badaka, Feb 21, 2006
  7. pocketpenguin

    pocketpenguin New Member

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    I didn't notice the tilt when I picked up the car. I'm very meticulous when I get a new car, making sure to check out everything. But the Prius was parked on an uneven part of the lot in the main display area.

    I just did a crawl-under and didn't see any support blocks in the suspension or anything else out of the ordinary. The car tracks OK so nothing wrong there.

    OK, if others say their car is tilted, I feel better. Though, I've never had a car that didn't sit straight. That's something I didn't expect from Toyota.

    I took measurments on each wheel well and the tilt is 3/4 inch in the back and 1 inch in the front. Both tilted down on the driver's side. Must be something in the engine compartment like the motors and "transmission".

    My friend gets his Prius in a week. I'll ask him to take a measurement on his.

    Thanks all.
     
    #7 pocketpenguin, Feb 21, 2006
  8. stevehj

    stevehj New Member

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    No matter if others think this may be normal, to be safe take it to your dealer. Better safe than tilted!
     
    #8 stevehj, Feb 21, 2006
  9. Begreen

    Begreen Member

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    Must be in a blue state. Most Priui are biased to the left.

    (put up the flameshields Scotty) :D
     
    #9 Begreen, Feb 21, 2006
  10. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It'll be tilted on a totally flat surface. It's to account for the crown on the road (i.e. the road is curved so that water can run off to the drains right?). That way, your car will be flat and the car will be "flat" when on the roads.
     
    #10 Tideland Prius, Feb 21, 2006
  11. Kozmik

    Kozmik New Member

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    Uh-oh, he's discovered the Prius tilt secret. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

    Don't forget that the tides also effect the tilt. Hightide is to the left, low tide is to the right, so long as the car is pointed North, the moon is full, and Uranus is ascendant.
     
    #11 Kozmik, Feb 22, 2006
  12. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    well, if ya wanted a car dat leaned to da right, ya should have bought a caddy!
     
    #12 hyo silver, Feb 22, 2006
  13. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Aren't you being redundant? :p
     
    #13 hyo silver, Feb 22, 2006
  14. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

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    Hmm, I thought it was the *drivers* that tilted to the left...
    .
    _H*
     
    #14 hobbit, Feb 22, 2006
  15. naterprius

    naterprius Senior Member

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    Yes, I agree, there is likely a spring block in the right front strut. Check the ride height with a tape measure. If the ride height is off, and there are no spring blocks, have the dealer install new springs (both sides) and make them give you a four wheel alignment.

    Nate
     
    #15 naterprius, Feb 22, 2006
  16. KTPhil

    KTPhil Active Member

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    If so, do Brit Priuses lean to the right, since they drive on the left?
     
    #16 KTPhil, Feb 22, 2006
  17. hycamguy07

    hycamguy07 New Member

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    Or if you wiegh more than 300lbs and your the driver ...............................

    No really they do lean a little..
     
    #17 hycamguy07, Feb 22, 2006
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