Questions From A New Prius Owner

[Thrawn60]

I have now been driving my Prius for some weeks, and learned a great deal from a PDF manual, browsing this forum and also watching youtube movies of people using the car giving their 2 cents on how to drive it.

But still that leaves me with some questions that I hope you can help answer for me.

1. Is the real difference between normal and eco mode, not just an adjusted aircon efficiency?

I personally find that I get the same mileage running in normal or eco mode.

2. The thing that you can select the automatic locking and unlocking of the doors with either gear shifter or speed limit.

How in the heck does that work? I have been pushing every button and also performed a semi rain dance, to much amusement to the next door kids.. nothing helped. I know that there is a manual... Mine is in Thai :( Toyota here only knows price, delivery time and colors... the rest they have no clue. I did try the PDF manual I have but at no avail. So does the European version of Prius come with this feature? or is that only reserved for the Americans?

3. I find that my ICE will run for longer time, then what is has done before, even throttling back to the dark green eco section and it still runs.. and the batteries are half full.. is that normal?

4. Defogging of the lower part of the back window

I find is not defogging very good, is that common problem or just because the climate here i Thailand?

5. Any one know what phone OS is able to synchronize all contacts with the non sat nav stereo (6 cd changer thing)

Sorry for my bad English, it's not my native language, so please overlook the American parts and other funny structure stuff that I might have written. :)

[Jan&tone]

Morning Thrawn... Some I can answer so here goes!

1) normal and eco mode. Eco mode cuts the throttle response, ie you would have to press harder on the gas pedal to accelerate at tne 'normal' rate. IMO you would use that in combination with ev in heavy or stop/start traffic or say in rush hour traffic. How that stacks up in Thailand I don't know. I rarely use eco mode and still get good consumption figures. I use the PWR button if I want ro show my exhaust pipe to some upstart in a golf gti, apart from that I use normal mode all the time.

2) as far as I know the locking thing is something the namby-pamby Americans have. I certainly don't have it on my T-spirit and wouldn't want it. If ever I had the misfortune to be trapped in my car after an accident, I would want any rescuers to be able to open the doors quickly!

3) i think you will find that the engine will run for longer if you have the aircon on a high setting, try it without the aircon for a while (30 minutes if possible) and see if it goes off quicker.

4) defogging? It never gets that warm in the UK so can't help on that one!

5) i have the T-spirit, so can't help on that, but others on here may be able to!

Hope this helps a bit

T

[Thrawn60]

Morning Thrawn... Some I can answer so here goes!

1) normal and eco mode. Eco mode cuts the throttle response, ie you would have to press harder on the gas pedal to accelerate at tne 'normal' rate. IMO you would use that in combination with ev in heavy or stop/start traffic or say in rush hour traffic. How that stacks up in Thailand I don't know. I rarely use eco mode and still get good consumption figures. I use the PWR button if I want ro show my exhaust pipe to some upstart in a golf gti, apart from that I use normal mode all the time.

2) as far as I know the locking thing is something the namby-pamby Americans have. I certainly don't have it on my T-spirit and wouldn't want it. If ever I had the misfortune to be trapped in my car after an accident, I would want any rescuers to be able to open the doors quickly!

3) i think you will find that the engine will run for longer if you have the aircon on a high setting, try it without the aircon for a while (30 minutes if possible) and see if it goes off quicker.

4) defogging? It never gets that warm in the UK so can't help on that one!

5) i have the T-spirit, so can't help on that, but others on here may be able to!

Hope this helps a bit

T

Morning Jan & Tone,

Thanks for the answers, I will try the "no aircon" for 30 mins, but I have to wait until the sun goes down.. For the driving modes, Thai traffic in Bangkok is quite aggressive, but I will stick to Eco mode there, and pretty much normal all other places. For the locking thing, almost all cars in Thailand has that feature as standard, but since I'm almost sure that the version they sell here are more European than US configuration, I was hoping for the same.. The reason for locking the doors here, is that if you are stuck in traffic jam in Bangkok there is a high risk (well used to be, not see for many years now) that you can get mugged while waiting for the green light.

Thanks for the input :)

[DrCez]

Some other ideas you could consider (I've skipped the ones I don't know about!):

1. Is the real difference between normal and eco mode, not just an adjusted aircon efficiency?

I personally find that I get the same mileage running in normal or eco mode.

I think there is a difference, but fuel consumption depends a lot on driving style and the kind of roads you are using. Some drivers in the US claim they get better mpg (do you use l/100km in Thailand?) in PWR mode (not true for me though).

You may be able to feel the difference if you change mode while under acceleration (if it is safe to do so!), especially if going up a long steady slope. The change is not instant - it probably takes one or two seconds after toggling the ECO button, but when I try it and keep my foot in the same position on the accelerator it is noticeable.

2. The thing that you can select the automatic locking and unlocking of the doors with either gear shifter or speed limit.

... so does the European version of Prius come with this feature? or is that only reserved for the Americans?

No, we don't have the auto locking feature, but there is a manual button and a locking button for the windows I think.

3. I find that my ICE will run for longer time, then what is has done before, even throttling back to the dark green eco section and it still runs.. and the batteries are half full.. is that normal?

Make sure you lift off the accelerator completely before pressing it gently again - if you just let the HSD drop into the ECO section the engine does not necessarily shut off. Otherwise it could be that another load is working on the engine such as the aircon, as Jan&Tone suggested. On my car the engine comes on to recharge the Battery when it gets down to 2 bars (although EV mode is only available if the Battery is on 4 or more bars) but above that it will almost always shut off if I completely lift off the accelerator (unless the engine is cold, it needs heat for the cabin, or it is not in the mood for some other reason I can't figure out :) )

4. Defogging of the lower part of the back window

I find is not defogging very good, is that common problem or just because the climate here i Thailand?

Many people have reported problems with condensation on new cars, which improves as they get run in, although in the UK it typically happens on cold winter mornings, so not something you would expect. The UK models have heating wires (rear demist) on both the upper and lower back windows so it is not really an issue for us. I'm guessing that is not the case in Thailand? Hopefully the a/c should remove moisture over time and you could also try keeping the boot cover open to let more air circulate at the back. The other problem with the lower rear window pane is that it gets very dirty in wet conditions (again especially in winter over here) so I kind of got used to driving without really being able to see through it, although I do prefer it clear!

HTH, and don't worry about your English: it is much clearer than some of the posts on here from people who supposedly speak it as a first language ;)

[Thrawn60]

@DrCez

1. We use l/100km here, but I have my fuelly setup to mpg since most here uses that, but the car says that I run around 4,0-4,7L/100km :)

2. Got the same, just wondered, since most cars here have it as standard... I will check with the Mr.T next time I drive past them.

3. Yes, those points will keep the ICE running here too, and I think the culprit is that I'm not releasing the throttle and depressing it again, I just ease back...

4. We have the defroster wire on the back windscreen also, plus seat heater which I never will use.. but when it rains in 30+ degrees, the car fogs up quickly and the defogger in the lower part of the rear window, seems just as efficient as the once refitted to a 1970 Corolla, it can only defog around 1/3 inch from the wire... I will see Mr.T about that too, maybe there is loose wire or something.

Thanks for all the input :)

[cbcdesign]

The self locking function is a nice feature that I wish the Prius had. Its a great safety device, particularly for lone Women and men in city centres.

The argument about not liking it because of the potential for an accident would appear to be based on speculation rather than any real experience too because the normal mechanical mechanism operated by the door lever is totally unaffected by the auto locking features in every car I have ever had with this feature. In other words, assuming the mechanism isn't damaged in the accident, the doors open in precisely the same way as they would if the locks had not been engaged.

[Jan&tone]

The self locking function is a nice feature that I wish the Prius had. Its a great safety device, particularly for lone Women and men in city centres.

The argument about not liking it because of the potential for an accident would appear to be based on speculation rather than any real experience too because the normal mechanical mechanism operated by the door lever is totally unaffected by the auto locking features in every car I have ever had with this feature. In other words, assuming the mechanism isn't damaged in the accident, the doors open in precisely the same way as they would if the locks had not been engaged.

Cbc...

Firstly my reasoning for refusing to either buy a car with them, or using them is based on this.

Some years ago, my younger brother was in an accident in a mercedes with just this feature. Over 5mph the doors locked.

The accident involved him being shunted by a drunken french lorry driver into a canal just outside calais. The doors jammed, the pompiers took 10 minutes to get him out which was unfortunate as it only took 3 minutes for him to drown.

things may be different now, but as you can see, i am biaised.

Secondly, you say that "assuming the mechanism is not damaged in the accident, the doors open in precisely the same way as they would if the locks had not been engaged"

So what's the point in them then? Surely automatic locking is to prevent the doors being opened from outside?

There is a manual switch on the drivers door on all the toyotas I've had over the last 25 years which when pressed has the same effect, my choice whether to use it or not. Health and safety rule enough of my life, I don't want them telling me when to lock the car and when not too thankyou very much

[kithmo]

I have now been driving my Prius for some weeks, and learned a great deal from a PDF manual, browsing this forum and also watching youtube movies of people using the car giving their 2 cents on how to drive it.

But still that leaves me with some questions that I hope you can help answer for me.

1. Is the real difference between normal and eco mode, not just an adjusted aircon efficiency?

I personally find that I get the same mileage running in normal or eco mode.

2. The thing that you can select the automatic locking and unlocking of the doors with either gear shifter or speed limit.

How in the heck does that work? I have been pushing every button and also performed a semi rain dance, to much amusement to the next door kids.. nothing helped. I know that there is a manual... Mine is in Thai :( Toyota here only knows price, delivery time and colors... the rest they have no clue. I did try the PDF manual I have but at no avail. So does the European version of Prius come with this feature? or is that only reserved for the Americans?

3. I find that my ICE will run for longer time, then what is has done before, even throttling back to the dark green eco section and it still runs.. and the batteries are half full.. is that normal?

4. Defogging of the lower part of the back window

I find is not defogging very good, is that common problem or just because the climate here i Thailand?

5. Any one know what phone OS is able to synchronize all contacts with the non sat nav stereo (6 cd changer thing)

Sorry for my bad English, it's not my native language, so please overlook the American parts and other funny structure stuff that I might have written. :)

Question 3 is answered by question 4, if you have the screen defogger or heated rear screen on then the ICE will run longer. It will also run more if the heater or aircon is on.

[cbcdesign]

Secondly, you say that "assuming the mechanism is not damaged in the accident, the doors open in precisely the same way as they would if the locks had not been engaged"

So what's the point in them then? Surely automatic locking is to prevent the doors being opened from outside?

There is a manual switch on the drivers door on all the toyotas I've had over the last 25 years which when pressed has the same effect, my choice whether to use it or not. Health and safety rule enough of my life, I don't want them telling me when to lock the car and when not too thankyou very much

I can understand your position given the situation you describe.

Yes, the point of them is to safely lock the doors to prevent people opening them from the outside. When I said they open normally assuming the mechanism is not damaged, I am talking about from the inside but modern cars include system to override the locks in the even of an accident.

Each to their own I guess but given the sort of lawless jobless scumbags that live in Stokes Croft in Bristol, I would rather drive up Gloucester Road with the doors firmly locked and not get mugged or robbed because I forgot to lock the doors because my previous car did so automatically and I got used to that system.

[Jan&tone]

Secondly, you say that "assuming the mechanism is not damaged in the accident, the doors open in precisely the same way as they would if the locks had not been engaged"

So what's the point in them then? Surely automatic locking is to prevent the doors being opened from outside?

There is a manual switch on the drivers door on all the toyotas I've had over the last 25 years which when pressed has the same effect, my choice whether to use it or not. Health and safety rule enough of my life, I don't want them telling me when to lock the car and when not too thankyou very much

I can understand your position given the situation you describe.

Yes, the point of them is to safely lock the doors to prevent people opening them from the outside. When I said they open normally assuming the mechanism is not damaged, I am talking about from the inside but modern cars include system to override the locks in the even of an accident.

Each to their own I guess but given the sort of lawless jobless scumbags that live in Stokes Croft in Bristol, I would rather drive up Gloucester Road with the doors firmly locked and not get mugged or robbed because I forgot to lock the doors because my previous car did so automatically and I got used to that system.

It's not so much the locking from inside that I disagree with, it's the automatic bit! I want the choice as to whether to have it locked or not. 99 percent of the time I wouldn't have them locked, but I don't want to be 'told' to lock them.

[GreenJuice]

Wouldn't it be a better design to autolock when at low speed or stopped when the car is started and in gear, and unlocked when moving faster than say 10 mph?

[dwilson]

Secondly, you say that "assuming the mechanism is not damaged in the accident, the doors open in precisely the same way as they would if the locks had not been engaged"

So what's the point in them then? Surely automatic locking is to prevent the doors being opened from outside?

There is a manual switch on the drivers door on all the toyotas I've had over the last 25 years which when pressed has the same effect, my choice whether to use it or not. Health and safety rule enough of my life, I don't want them telling me when to lock the car and when not too thankyou very much

I can understand your position given the situation you describe.

Yes, the point of them is to safely lock the doors to prevent people opening them from the outside. When I said they open normally assuming the mechanism is not damaged, I am talking about from the inside but modern cars include system to override the locks in the even of an accident.

Each to their own I guess but given the sort of lawless jobless scumbags that live in Stokes Croft in Bristol, I would rather drive up Gloucester Road with the doors firmly locked and not get mugged or robbed because I forgot to lock the doors because my previous car did so automatically and I got used to that system.

It's not so much the locking from inside that I disagree with, it's the automatic bit! I want the choice as to whether to have it locked or not. 99 percent of the time I wouldn't have them locked, but I don't want to be 'told' to lock them.

True - surely if we are not capable of deciding when to lock or unlock doors we shouldn't be driving on the road!

Very sorry to hear about your brother.

David

[Jan&tone]

indeed we are capable of locking the doors ourselves! And thanks for the comment about my bro. Appreciated.

[kithmo]

Wouldn't it be a better design to autolock when at low speed or stopped when the car is started and in gear, and unlocked when moving faster than say 10 mph?

Am I missing something here, why would you want them to unlock at higher speeds ?

[Peter Sale]

Can you not over-ride the lock and unlock the doors if you prefer ?

I used to teach driving in a Clio which did that (it was one of the few things that worked well) and the doors locked at 5 mph but if you didn't want them locked you could just press the switch to unlock and they stayed unlocked. Explained it to pupils going on tests and none had a problem with it. I think you might have been unable to unprogramme it but can't remember now.

Peter

[cbcdesign]

Often you cannot override the Auto lock feature unfortunately. That is of course what is needed though, the option to engage or disengage auto locking.