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Regarding the Prius here in Atlanta - I was thinking about why there is such a large inventory here, I saw my very first 2004 Prius, here in Atlanta, just this weekend. Even the "Classic" was not very popular down here.
Go figure.
Mike
That choice requires an invertor, to convert the power from DC. That adds to the overall cost too.
But by having the AC type, brushes aren't needed inside the motor. That eliminates a part that would eventually wear out. So it is very, very safe to expect the motor to last the lifetime of the vehicle and never need any maintenance at all.
A secondary benefit of the AC type, is that you can take advantage of the inverter. Rather than just converting from DC to AC, you can also bump up the voltage at the same time. And increased voltage equates directly to improved efficiency.
JOHN
Motors that operate at higher frequencies can generally be a LOT smaller than motors that use 60hz.
And given the simplicity of doing so I still don't understand why the air conditioning system isn't a heat pump also.
Personally I would have used a permanent magnet rotor and a variable frequency rotating field invertor drive for the A/C motor so I could match the rotational rate to the actual A/C need and conserve even more power.
___The following link gives a few reasons as to why a design team might chose one form of electric powered HW vs. another in a Hybrid design.
http://www.cae.wisc.edu/~vehicle/tech_report/UW_Tech_Paper_2001.p- df
___Djasonw, why hasn’t your father traded in his Corolla for a Prius?
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
HW ?
"Using other factories" isn't as easy as it sounds. These cars are unlike any other cars and require alot of parts that no other car has. For instance, car makers can go to alot of places to have people build alternators for them, but how many build planetary gear sets? Also, setting up a brand new production line take enormous amount of time and coordination....at least that's what I suspect.
While that will be great if they move manufacturing here, it doesn't help us now. It's pretty frustrating having to tell customers "Sure, we can get a 2004 Prius for you, but you will have to wait until 2005s are about to hit."..."How about a nice new Corolla?"
:^)
The most obvious difference was that the back of the car - where our '04 has the hatchback - was full of engine or something. Not much extra storage there. Made me very happy we ended up with an '04, even though we had started looking when the '03s were still around.
We love our Prius
The rear of the Classic Prius isn't "full of engine"; it just has a traditional trunk configuration. Actually quite a roomy trunk for a car its size, but I too like the versatility of the hatchback and the additional seating room of the '04 model.
And yes, I love my hatchback!
Now that the testosterone olympics are over, let me ask two questions:
1) Does Toyota dealers sell in their parts dept any sort of baseball cap with "Prius" in big letters? I need a new golf hat.
2) To California Prius owners - Does Ca require smog checks or dyno tests on the Prius?
Thanks
Rich
Now, if anyone is serious at considering any Prius the dealer can get, let the dealer know. Give them your home phone, pager, cell phone...and have your financial arrangements ready to go. You may not get exactly what you want, but you will get your Prius long before the 4-6 month wait. Consider it.
I was very lucky..I mean right place, right time and I recognized the opportunity and seized it. I paid MSRP plus mats, decal, cargo net and glass breakage sensor, add the TTL and that totalled $28,262 out the door. I'm very happy with the car. First time I filled up at 360 mi (w/1 bar showing) I averaged 50.7 mpg!
Good luck
Rich
It short, that is exactly what is suppose to happen. It's a "could be slippery" indicator.
JOHN
GM vehciles also have this sort of indicator ( ICE in the outside temperature display). It is impossible for the outside temperature display in vehicles to not pick up some warmth from the engine bay (most are place near the grill to pick up the air moving into to it.).
Therefore, while it may read 39 degrees, if very well could be 35, 32 or 29 degrees depending on how far you have driven. This is just an indicator that there may be ice.
By the way, Tuesday we had snow flurries in Atlanta at 37 degrees.
You indicated that the EV Button could be installed in 2004 USA Prius, will Toyota support this change? How will this change the car?
I belief you stated someone had put a second battery pack in a car, how was this done and again does Toyota support this change?
Your contacts at Toyota help with the passing out of information.
Bridgestone Turanza; Yokohama Avid Touring; or the Goodyear Regatta.
I also note that the Yokohama Avid Touring tire has a max. PSI of 35# rather than the usual 44# does this mean that I would get worse mileage with the Yokohama vis-a-vis the others?
I haven't received my Prius yet. Just checking these many options.Or,should I forget the touring tire and go with the Bridgestone Potenza despite the fact that I am a pretty average elderly driver. A little input from any who have opted to swap out the OEMs for another tire would be most welcome.
I suspect they will offer it as an aftermarket upgrade later on, just like they did with cruise-control for the 2001 model.
> How will this change the car?
You'll be able to accelerate using only electricity with the greatest of ease. No need to be careful with the pedal in this mode.
Note though that there is NOT a MPG improvement under normal driving conditions. The benefit comes when you are trapped in very heavy stop & slow traffic or when you need to drive a very short distance. In those cases, you really will save gas since the engine running will be offset to a more efficient time.
> second battery pack in a car, how was this done and again
> does Toyota support this change?
No comment on how it was done (liability concern) and Toyota definitely will not support this under warranty coverage. Later on though, it could become an aftermarket possibility.
JOHN
FYI - These cannot be ordered online yet. For some reason you MUST order through the Toyota catalog from the dealership.
The confusion comes from your electricity source assumption. The engine isn't available to feed the motor during EV drive, so 100% of the electricity has to come from the battery-pack. That means the 67hp isn't available in the first place. It is actually only 13 (without EV) using just the single source. But that is enough to propel the car at a rate of up 42 MPH for over 2 miles. Normally you wait for STEALTH to do it slowly or just trigger the engine to start up. With EV, you can drop the pedal with high confidence that the engine will remain off.
JOHN
Tire question - As expected, my Prius came with the Goodyear Integrity 185/65 R15 86S. The tire states max pressure 44 PSI. What are the best pressures for the front/back? I want to optimize mgp and willing to sacrifice a little ride comfort. Any effect on VSC?
Thank you
Rich
Here's what everyone needs to understand:
The engine delivers electricity to the motor 100 PERCENT of the time it is providing thrust to the tires. In other words, ALWAYS. And that is what gives the electric propulsion its umph. So when you accelerate moderaterately, the battery-pack isn't used at all. When you accelerate aggressively, the battery-pack joins in. That is the "hybrid" behavior.
The "electricy-only" behavior is when only the battery-pack is used. "Stealth" has a delivery limitation of 10kW. "EV" bumps that value all the way up to 27kW. So it is like the engine is joining in too. But in reality, it is actually off still.
The point of "EV" is to give you aggressive acceleration abilities without triggering the engine to restart. It also allows you to delay warmup to a more efficient time.
The point most often overlooked is the fact that the maximum electric-only speed is 42 MPH. So the HP values you see posted are combined, with the engine.
JOHN
It very is a noticeable power increase to stealth mode. Dead silent and vibrationless acceleration & cruising is a factor those seeking luxury aspects will truly appreciate.
It also provides the ability to manually control warmup, a genuine opportunity to increase MPG in stop & slow traffic and on short-trips.
JOHN
42 PSI front
40 PSI back
That is unquestionably the favorite among Prius owners.
I personally run 44/42. All this winter (here in Minnesota) the tires have been that way. If anything, it improves handling. VSC was only needed once. Not really any sliding for me. Though, I do take advantage of "B" for controlled slowing on curves, quickly shifting into it when I discover at the last minute I'm going a little to fast (which is pretty darn easy with the convenient positioning of the shifter, all you have to do is feel for it without the need to even look down).
JOHN
Has anyone tried???
Mike
Thanks
___Have you ever heard of 3M’s Clear Bra? It is usually not an inexpensive prospect if you have a shop do it for you but it will protect your automobile and will not decrease its aerodynamic efficiency in the least DIY and the cost drops significantly. There is a company that makes the pre-cut 3M Clear Bra kits for your 04 Prius called Invinca-shield. This link might help
http://www.invinca-shield.com/asp/Genkit.asp?kit=4482
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
Rich
When I reach 3K miles, I am considering changing oil to the synthetic type. How many miles will the syn oil last between changes? Also, how much longevity should it add to the life of the engine?
When I start out on flat ground, with normal foot pressure on the accelerator the gas engine seems to come on rather soon versus the elec motor solely. Am I pressing down just a little too much? I don't drive conservatively with mpg in mind.
Thanks
Rich
As for stealth driving, it is quite difficult during the cold season. Once temperatures warm up *AND* you have a hot engine *AND* you've had practice working the pedal, you'll be able to do amazing things using only electricity. I can climb the parking-ramp levels from a dead stop without the engine ever starting. It's great!
JOHN
I've been watching the Hybrids with interest for years with an eye to buy one when I thought they were what would fit my lifestyle. The 2004 Prius fits the bill and I finally went to a local dealer.
I was put on a waiting list (with deposit) and told that I would have the car in 3 to 5 months. Then I heard from another dealer who said that Toyota sent out a letter to all the dealers in the Mid-Atlantic region saying that they would not be receiving anymore Prius until September when the 2005 come out.
Has anyone else heard this and is this true?
Doesn't Toyota recommed 7500 mile oil changes for the Prius like they do for all the others?
Thanks,
Mike
www.toyota.co.jp/Showroom/All_toyota_lineup/prius/index.html
Go to the 2nd to the last folder and click on the "confortable item/basic item/other item".
You may have to manually enter this URL. I just don't know why clicking on the link doesn't get you there.
Thank you,
Rich
I assume this means ICE is active when supplying torque to the tires...except when coasting or startup using mild acceleration below 42 mph then electric ONLY ...NO ICE active ???
Has anyone attempted to run sleath mode for extended periods to see what MPG results are??? Seems like MPG may be better then when you moderately accelerate which would then use both ICE and the electric motor (more stuff in use...less MPG)??
Any comments???
Mike
I ask mainly because I really want to buy a Prius, but don't quite have the finances worked out yet. I expect it will be another 2-3 months before I'll be sure I have everything worked out, and be ready to place my order. If I have to wait until September, I will, but it will mean putting a little more money into my current car until then, which obviously I'd like to avoid. Also, I live in Virginia if it matters. I appreciate any help anyone can give me.
For the Classic model, which only had a redline of 4000 RPM, that was the recommended interval. That combined with the fact that the engine isn't used heavily in the first place made the 7500 miles pretty realistic. With mine, it was quite clear that the synthetic was in much much much better shape than my Taurus ever was at just 3000 miles.
For the 2004 model, the RPM is up'd by 500. That really shouldn't make a whole lot of difference, since the larger motor helps to offset. Even so, the recommendation is for 5000 miles. I haven't driven the full duration yet, so I can't report on the status.
JOHN
Also, I don't know if there is any carry-over from Corvette accelerator muscle-memory to a Prius accelerator muscles, but it seems no matter how gently I try to accelerate, the ICE comes on either to re-charge or power the wheels. I don't live on flat ground and I don't drive aggressively. Could it simply be on-the-job-training in progress?
Thank you
Rich
Every 5000 miles.
> it seems no matter how gently I try to accelerate,
> the ICE comes on either to re-charge or power the wheels
Using only electricity for acceleration is not an efficient method, so the system typically won't let you.
The most efficient use of the electricity is for maintaining a cruise at 30, 35, or 40 MPH. So that is when the engine will most commonly shut off while driving.
JOHN
Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com by Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 with your daytime contact info if you care to share your story.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com
Any comments???