Hybrids, the debate starts here.

Own a hybrid? Don't feel left out; heres a little corner just for you.
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ChrisB
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Postby ChrisB » Fri May 25, 2007 1:33 pm

No thats really great Mark 8)

Learning interesting facts all the time, didnt know about the creep for instance, what a waste of power :( I bet theres a way of disabling it if you where to hack the ECU :?:

Well I can announce that I'll be seeing it in the flesh this Sunday afternoon as Marks coming over to give me a demo 8) and of course I will be able to demo the Berlingo :wink:

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!

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aminorjourney
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Postby aminorjourney » Fri May 25, 2007 2:30 pm

And don't forget Mark, that the Prius has TONS OF GADGETS!

Seriously people, you're never bored in a traffic jam in a Prius. The Air Conditioning works even with the engine off (so you can be cool and environmentally cool) but if you have a TSpirit it has really good Satelite Navigation (the whole of Europe), lots of pretty pictures and useless information on the MFD and bluetooth to your phone (so you can even call home and say you're late). The voice recognition is a bit of a joke (at least it doesn't really understand me :roll: ) but the best bit is the self parking. Yes it's a bit of a gimmick and you have to get used to it in order to get it to work correctly but it's a great party trick for scaring your mother with ;)

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ChrisB
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Postby ChrisB » Fri May 25, 2007 9:32 pm

OMG cant wait to see Marks now 8)

I just luuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeee gadgets :P

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!

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aminorjourney
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Postby aminorjourney » Sat May 26, 2007 8:19 pm

The hardest part in the Prius is remembering with all these gadgets that you're on the road and not at home playing with the TV remote!

I'm kidding! Most of the Prius gadgets are useful. Some are just fun though :)

PeteB
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Postby PeteB » Sun May 27, 2007 12:39 pm

ChrisB wrote:Had enough , nah :lol:

mmm I did wonder if now we are about 7 yrs down the line the early ones where begining to get into the DIY'ers garage.

ChrisB


Just to set the record straight...

A few original ('Classic') Prius owners (who meet in the Yahoo Groups Prius-UK chat group [http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Prius-UK/ - membership required]) have done their own servicing, and even got a letter from Toyota confirming it would not invalidate their warranty (especially as the Classic came with a very comprehensive 5 year/60,000 mile warranty), as long as they used Toyota parts, kept records and did everything on the service schedule at the correct time or mileage. (It does seem to prevent them from taking out an extended warranty at the end of the original warranty, though).

Servicing is dead simple, only needing a Toyota dealer if the engine ever throws any warning lights, in which case a special hand held computer is plugged into the car to read any diagnostic codes and reset the warning lights if necessary. With no gearbox, clutch or torque converter to worry about, and an electric motor and extra battery that need virtually no attention (apart for changing the high voltage battery coolant fluid every few years), it's astonishing what some dealers charge for servicing. I use a dealer in Norwich, and 'only' pay about £80-90 for 10,30,50k services and £140-£160 for 20,40,60k services.

And as the electric motor handles a lot of the braking effort, brake maintenance is minimal. My Classic's pads and disc were changed recently at 85,000 miles, for the first time since new. Had I not taken a job for a year where I was driving a current model Prius 5 days a week, and leaving my car at home, they would probably have lasted to around 150,000 miles, but standing idle caused the discs to rust, which in turn wore the pads on the 1 or 2 days a week I drove it, causing early their demise (at 70k, there was no apparent wear). One owner on the Yahoo Group Toyota-Prius has posted photos of his front discs/pads at 8,000 and 100,000 miles, and they look identical.

They changed my spark plugs at 60,000 miles (even though they looked like new), as the manual said that was the limit, and they (rightly) didn't want to risk problems by omitting the change.

Regards

PeteB - Luton UK
- 02 Silver 'Classic' - 87k miles

Life mpg 51.03 ~ 42.49 ~ 5.54 ~ 18.06 [184 fills]
(UK ~ US gal ~ I/100Km ~ Km/I)

PeteB
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Postby PeteB » Sun May 27, 2007 12:50 pm

ChrisB wrote:
didnt know about the creep for instance, what a waste of power :( I bet theres a way of disabling it if you where to hack the ECU :?:

ChrisB


Doesn't waste power - while you have your foot on the service brake, there is no power drain. As you ease off, a little power is applied to the electric motor to simulate creep, and help stop it rolling back when you're facing uphill.

Regards

PeteB - Luton UK
- 02 Silver 'Classic' - 87k miles

Life mpg 51.03 ~ 42.49 ~ 5.54 ~ 18.06 [184 fills]
(UK ~ US gal ~ I/100Km ~ Km/I)

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aminorjourney
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Postby aminorjourney » Sun May 27, 2007 2:30 pm

I have to admit I love the creep function. As Pete says as long as you keep your foot on the brake on an incline you won't waste energy. The engine is off and the motor only puts power in when you lift off the brake. It's a godsend in traffic as it means you don't even have to touch the accelerator to move gently and silently forward :)

I know some people hate creeps - and I used to - but now we have it in the Prius I love it to bits! In fact, I'd love it in my CityEl! :)
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EVguru
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Postby EVguru » Sun May 27, 2007 4:09 pm

I know some people hate creeps - and I used to - but now we have it in the Prius I love it to bits! In fact, I'd love it in my CityEl!


Not that difficult to do!

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aminorjourney
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Postby aminorjourney » Sun May 27, 2007 4:17 pm

I know. I'd need a new controller though wouldn't I? I was contemplating it as a future upgrade, along with regen and a lynch. ;)
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

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http://about.me/aminorjourney/bio

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Postby EVguru » Sun May 27, 2007 4:28 pm

No, you can do it with the Curtis.

You put another potentiometer in the circuit, in series with the throttle pot and adjust it for the creep speed. You also wire a relay into the brake circuit that shorts that pot out (or both pots) to give you zero speed.

You'd have to have your foot on the brake when you turned on, or the controller wouldn't work due to high pedal lockout.

We used to put all sorts of things into the throttle circuit for cruise control, motor voltage limit, etc. on the race cars or street rallys.


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