New Prius

[B&J]

The members of this forum are very knowledgeable about hybrid use, it would seem many of long standing. I am very new, having picked up my first hybrid (a new Prius T4) yesterday.

To start with my dumb questions, can I get a fuller explanation of some of the acronyms you use, please? I refer to S1, S2, warpstealth and 'pulse and glide' to name but four.

Since 1500 yesterday, I've achieved 54.7 mpg according to the computer. Much better than my traded in Honda Civic, but not as good as you lot! I want more!

A haven't yet managed to read all the 570 odd pages of my user manual, so any help in maximising the MPG will be gratefully received.

The car is running on Michelin Primacy HP tyres - I notice from another thread that that poster's Prius is on Bridgestone. Has there been a change of opinion about factory fit tyres?

Last question for this posting : when I start the hybrid system, why does the petrol engine start after a short time when I'm still sat on the drive i.e. haven't driven off anywhere? I thought it would stay on electric until there was a level of demand that required the petrol engine (is this what you refer to as ICE? Oh, I see; it's just come to me that ICE means Internal Combustion Engine - yes?)

Thanks in anticipation

B (The J of B&J is SWMBO - and she loves the car as well. "So quiet", "so comfortable" are her comments to date)

[Parts-King]

I too am running a T4, I'm getting around 60MPG without really trying. It's only a month old. The MPG should get better with a bit of running in

The engine (yes your are right about the ICE) will start if certain conditions are right, cooler mornings will start it up

Good luck, they are a really good and comfortable car

Those who are far more knowledgeable about them than me will be along shortly to give their version ;)

Kingo

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Tyre Pressures. Very very very important with a Prius. Make sure they're spot on. A couple psi down and it'll destroy your mpgs.

The mpg's will get better as the car beds/runs in.

The engine will fire up when it is cold so as to warm itself up. In summer you will find it will also do this but won't run anywhere near as long before switching off. Put the car in 'Ready' on a cold morning and the engine will fire up after 10 seconds or so. It will also do this if the heating is on and not upto temperature. If you're in stationary in a queue of traffic with the engine running, try turning the heating off and you'll find the engine will switch off too. Turn heating back on and engine will fire up. This won't happen once the car has fully warmed up. The Prius gets worse mpg figures in winter and much better mpg's in summer (despite using the a/c which is powered from the High Voltage battery).

When you replace your tyres, it is prudent to replace them with Low Rolling Resistance versions. Most good manufacturers offer this option and they help gain 10% (or more) mpg improvement over non LLR tyres. They don't cost much more to buy either.

Otherwise, enjoy your new ride and let us all know how you get on with it.

[johalareewi]

To start with my dumb questions, can I get a fuller explanation of some of the acronyms you use, please? I refer to S1, S2, warpstealth and 'pulse and glide' to name but four.

S1, S2 are two of the Prius start up stages.

warpstealth is when you are gliding over 41mph in pulse and glide. See http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1224'>http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1224 for a good write up.

For general information, ave a look over on the Prius Chat forums/website.

Another handy website is Cleanmpg

http://www.cleanmpg.com/

Since 1500 yesterday, I've achieved 54.7 mpg according to the computer. Much better than my traded in Honda Civic, but not as good as you lot! I want more!

A haven't yet managed to read all the 570 odd pages of my user manual, so any help in maximising the MPG will be gratefully received.

As well as the above websites....

1. As Mr GC says. Keep the tyre pressures topped up especially after a service. Some Mr T dealers seem to think 30psi applies to all cars and will deflate your tyres for you.

2. When in stop go traffic, switch to ECO mode. This will throttle back the aircon/heating and use less fuel. For normal driving use pwr/normal/eco as suits.

3. When accelerating, the most efficient mpg spot is just below the PWR section of the HSI so try to avoid hard acceleration with the HSI well into, or at the top of the PWR zone.

There are loads of engine efficiency graphs and charts on Prius Chat.

4. Pulse and glide really works

5. As the car beds in, the mpg will get better.

6. In the winter, your mpg will drop due to the cold so set the cabin temp as low as is comfortable for you (and your passengers). The Prius can only warm the cabin up by burning fuel.

7. Make sure your dealer uses the correct oil (0W20 for a gen3) at a service. Most do but there are a few rogues that let the side down.

8. As Mr GC says, When getting new tyres, go for low rolling resistance tyres.

The car is running on Michelin Primacy HP tyres - I notice from another thread that that poster's Prius is on Bridgestone. Has there been a change of opinion about factory fit tyres?

The gen3 comes with two different wheel sizes. 15 inch and 17 inch. Your T4 has the 17 inch wheels hence the Primacy tyres. My T3 has 15 inch wheels and came with Bridgestones, but now I have Michelin Energy Savers.

Last question for this posting : when I start the hybrid system, why does the petrol engine start after a short time when I'm still sat on the drive i.e. haven't driven off anywhere? I thought it would stay on electric until there was a level of demand that required the petrol engine (is this what you refer to as ICE? Oh, I see; it's just come to me that ICE means Internal Combustion Engine - yes?)

Thanks in anticipation

The answer to your first question about S1, S2 etc. will answer this. From start up, the Prius goes through different start up stages, some of which involve firing up the ICE. If you don't want the ICE to start then hit the EV mode button after the first beep (when you start up). This should put the car into EV mode and the ICE will not start (exclusions apply!!). Experiment!

[GreenJuice]

To start with my dumb questions, can I get a fuller explanation of some of the acronyms you use, please? I refer to S1, S2, warpstealth and 'pulse and glide' to name but four.

These are part of the spectrum of knowledge and techniques which you can explore to gain better fuel efficiency. In theory, some of these techniques also apply to non-hybrids, but I've found that it is the technology of hybrids that allow these to be reasonable options to apply in a practical setting and capable of achieving noticeable results in a short time. For example, 'pulse and glide' in an urban setting only becomes worthwhile if you have a vehicle that cuts fuel consumption from the moment you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal and with no burning of petrol when stationary at lights or waiting in jams.

S0 through to S4 refer to the five 'warm up' stages of the Prius. This is a useful thread.

S0 and S1 are short, typically lasting only the first minutes after starting the car before it slips into S2. S4 is the final fully warmed up stage of operation, approximately when the engine coolant temperature reaches 70C. It might seem excessive to fuss about a period of engine warm up if you think about hybrids like ordinary cars; but in hybrids, once you start applying some fuel efficiency techniques you will find that the car really is a cold-blooded creature! In my daily urban commute, my car never gets fully warmed up, typically reaching only 50 - 60C even after over 30 mins (still in S2). Understanding these warm-up stages becomes important if you are interested in getting best fuel efficiency when the car has not reached its designed operational stage.

For practical purposes though, in order to use this information, you need an instrument like ScanGauge II to monitor the engine temperatures. If you do, then S1 and S3 are the stages which offer the greatest opportunity for fuel saving. As S1 can be relatively short (engine temperature up to 40C), in practice most of a driver's attention is paid in getting the car, once you know its slipped into S3, into S4 as quickly as possible.

As ambient temperatures fall with winter approaching, you will find your fuel efficiency falling. The car (and you) have to strike the balance between burning fuel and reaching a suitable operational stage of function and comfort. Another site worth having a look at is this one called 'hybird owners winter survival guide'. It covers the warm up stages as well as several other concepts.

In practice, I have found, like others, the following to have made the most impact on fuel efficiency:

1. Driving technique - with as much anticipation as possible, lightest touch on all pedals! Slow speeds.

2. Tyre pressures

3. Avoiding S3

4. Grill blocking and engine block heating

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Dunno about anyone else but my virus checker is blocking the links given above.

[Dacre]

Dunno about anyone else but my virus checker is blocking the links given above.

Mine too on the links on Greenjuice's post

[GreenJuice]

Apologies. Here are the two addresses:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-technical-discussion/76501-gen3-warming-up-stages.html

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17560

[timberwolf]

Dunno about anyone else but my virus checker is blocking the links given above.

It is just a typo in the link, copy & paste the URL and then you can remove the second http//.

[B&J]

A really big "Thank you" to everyone that has contributed to this thread. I now have lots of info about how to maximise my miles per gallon. I must say that I thought I was just buying a car which had quite good MPG figures - I didn't realise that I was starting on a degree course in engine management! :bookworm:

For my own part, I 'discovered' ECO mode on a journey into town late last week and this dramatically improved mpg, so it also pays to read the manual!

Thanks again, everyone.

B&J