Use of "N" for coasting

My driving rules remain:

• "N" during warm-up can be helpful if vehicle is rolling at speeds ~25 mph
• "N" approaching cars at a light and slowing down is an easy way to stretch a guide and avoid the regen drag

I recorded the data just to get an idea of the relationship between "N" ICE rpm and vehicle speed. I also wanted to document the ICE required speed.

Bob Wilson

 

This includes the same hill climb and coast down in "N" with ICE running as the earlier ZVW30 data. This one used our NHW11, 2003 Prius, with oversized tires (~6% larger.)

Bob Wilson

 

for THS-III system used in 2010 prius and toyota camry hev, another planetary gear was added between the MG2 and PSD which cause MG1 and MG2 rotation speed is nearly 1:1.

So, MG1 could not over speed if ICE stops.


But I notice my toyota camry hev, which use the same PSD, when speed above 50MPH(80KPH), if in "D", ICE maybe stop, but if you shift to N, ICE will start immediately.

 

Its so easy to feather the "gas pedal" to stay between regen and ECO Battery range why risk mechanical damage by doing so something mechanically that could result in permanent damage to the system? You might be able to go from drive to N once, twice or even 10 times, but eventually things aren't going to be synced up right and gears will clash that were never intended to clash....
My dad bought a tractor one time that we found out the previous owner had been shifting while the tractor was moving the Range Gear shift lever that wasn't synchromesh gears. He had knocked the teeth off most of the gears.

How many teeth in your transmission are willing to sacrifice to prove that shifting in and out of N is physically possible with a Prius?
It may take 50,000 miles for that broken tooth to cause uneven wear that results in catastrophic failure.

 

The Prius won't clash any gears, because Neutral does not mechanically disengage anything. The disengagement is purely electrical.

There are other theoretical problems with Neutral, such as overspeeding MG1 is some scenarios.

 

I stand corrected. I had misinterpreted information I read about the N disengaging the generator. I assumed that was a mechanical disengagement. After reading your post and doing some additional research online I now understand the Prius "CVT" system better. Thanks for pointing out my error.