transmission questions

i do on my gen II, but i don't think it's the transmission, i think it's the engine kicking in and out. perhaps you should drive another at the dealer just to be sure. did your wife test drive it before you purchased?

 

The only time I feel the gas engine kick in through the transmission is when I'm rolling forward down my driveway when I first start the car. I don't really feel it kick on or off otherwise.

If you feel a slight transmission surge / lag when driving at a steady speed above, say, 45, you may be feeling the electric motors kicking in and out. I can barely feel this "rubber banding" in my car, but I've felt it quite pronounced in HS250h loaners I've driven.

 

On a normal car, how much do you feel it when the engine kicks in and out? Quite a bit, right? By comparison the Prius is very smooth.

The issue is that engine start/stop is still a novel experience for most drivers. You get used to it. With luck so will your wife.

Tom

 

When my Prius was new, it was very tight and very smooth... now after 26K, the engine start up and engagement is much more pronounce, especially around 46mph when the engine is forced to spin but not necessarily burning fuel (i.e. going down a slight grade).

Just a quirk of the HSD, nothing to worry about.

 

I sometimes feel it, but notice it much less often than gear shifts in conventional automatic transmissions in a number of rental cars.

This household hasn't owned a conventional automatic transmission in over a quarter century, so I don't have a reference point for what good modern ones should feel like. But I remember being very disappointed with one rental automatic that was otherwise identical to my own manual car.

 

Smoother? I guess it depends what you're judging it against. A Mercedes S600?

There is one, ever so slight and hardly noticeable 'transission' at about 45 mph but other than that there is nothing. Either you've got a problem with your car or you Sir, are a troll!

 

It should be on par with feeling the A/C compressor clutch engage on a 4 cylinder car.

 

That is interesting. The only time I feel any kind of jerk in my Gen II is during the warm up cycle as the shuts the engine down at a stoplight. After that one time harsh engine shut down the rest of my trip is very smooth. Most times I have to look at the MFD to ensure the engine is off.

 

I feel it if I am looking to feel it, but otherwise, I have gotten so used to it, I don't notice it. I do enjoy the lack of transmission shift points that conventional cars still have. Seilerts uses a great analogy in that is is similar to an A/C clutch engaging and disengaging on a 4 cylinder engine.

 

LOL

I believe not...Maybe the OP (or wife) expected much better.

In my honest POV, I've never driven any car smoother than the Prius, but ok, it's only a compact car, they should try a diesel to compare

 

It may be the car's engine has heavier oil in it (10W30) instead of 5W20 or 0W20. The heavier oil will make the transition a bit bumpier.

 

You should drive another one and see if it feels like yours. There is always some possibility that you do have a problem.

 

I agree with DetPrius. My G3 (46k miles) is silky smooth to the extent that most passengers cannot tell when the ICE is running. On a cold start-up backing out of the garage, naturally I can hear it start .... but once underway with with road, wind and radio sounds, I can tell best by looking at the fuel consumption gauge. If it is down around 20 mpg, I know the ICE is running. If it is 99 mog, I know it is not.

I do not think the condition described in the initial post have anything to do with the CVT. In comparison, my 2011 CRV shifts from gear to gear and is completely recognizable in sound and motion. It is not a fault ... it is the nature of an auto transmission.

BTW .... "kick-in" or "kick-out" are not adjectives that best describe any function in a Prius." LOL

 

Bear in mind that an extreme change in pedal pressure will cause a sudden and extreme change in engine output. If your driving style is "on or off" then it will feel lumpy. Unlike a "regular" autobox where it will avoid changing gears unless you push to the floor for the kick down, the Prius is free to change gear ratio many times a second based on what the driver is requesting. even if you go from 30% pedal to 60% pedal (which in a regular car would just create a bit more noise/torque, and then a gradual increase in engine speed) the engine revs will instantly increase and the "gear ratio" will change to provide additional power. A smooth application of the pedal makes a very smooth ride.

 

This doesn't work for me. My ScanGauge often reveals a slow fuel burn rate of 110 to 300 mpg, which Prius truncates to 100 mpg, and indistinguishable from its ICE-Off display.

Usually the most noticeable transition to me is, while gliding down a slope with the ICE not spinning, then accidentally rising to 46 mph. This forces the ICE to spin even with no fuel burn, and as another poster pointed out, feels similar to the AC clutch engagement on many four cylinder cars. This spinup transition is revealed only on the ScanGauge display, not Prius's mpg display.

 

I'd be curious as to when you're noticing this. As others mentioned, around the 43mph mark you'll get the ICE spinning which you can notice. I also notice when I start moving from a stop when the MG starts up the ICE. It's not rough, but enough vibration for me to notice it. If you can provide more details, I think that would help everyone narrow down for certain if it's normal or not.

 

I can notice and feel the ice start up every time i start going from a stop, and i can feel it everytime i apply more pedal pressue making it go from electric to gas. I find it hard to believe some of your cars go from electric to gas from a stop and it's silky smooth. I would bet money i could tell you when i feel the ice kick in. It feels like a auto trans that shifts a little to hard to me.