Found a great use for EV mode

But, being as it is electric, wasn't there a chance of shorting out the electric motor? That's what would have prevented me from wading through high water, that and the warnings you hear all the time about being swept down stream and drowning!

 

Wouldn't the ICE not be on anyway if you were moving so slowly?

 

Toyota has thought of this, it's why we don't start dropping dead when we wash our cars, or drive in the rain, And if i'm right they shield the high voltage cables with metal and if a voltage leak is found it shuts off the hv, and the sheilding is under the plastic coating under the car.

 

Driving through water deep enough to hear it lapping against the doors is quite a bit different than washing your car or driving in the rain! Standing water (and the wake generated by slowly driving through it) could possible submerge some of the high voltage components. Not saying they aren't protected, just don't think I'd want to take that chance!

 

it is pretty well protected and most of the HV stuff is highly elevated. On a guesstimation basis, I would say putting a Prius in a swimming pool filled up to just below the top of the tires would be ok for the electronics. All connectors and such are high enough. Now, the question becomes how long does a slow trickle of water through the seals of the lower elevated components allow a short in the motors? I would not tempt fate again.

 

Hmmmm.... Electric motor is encased in the tansaxle/drive unit housing which holds the WS transmission fluid...... I would think that if the trans fluid does not leak out, then water would be very unlikely to leak in unless the water level gets higher than the top of the trans housing where it can reach the air vent. That would mean the water would be at approximately the top of the tire. I would hesitate to drive my 4x4 Tacoma into water that deep....

Just my thoughts here....

 

I don't want this to sound like a lecture, as we're all decision making adults, but driving through moving flood waters is extremely dangerous. Almost all fatalities from flash flood involve vehicles.
It takes a lot less than you think to sweep your vehicle sideways, and once in the current the vehicle can flip. As a responder, these are dangerous rescue calls involving going into the swift current to save you.
It's very difficult to judge how deep or how swift the water is running from inside your vehicle. If you see swift running flood waters don't drive or walk through them.
Thanks for listening.
(Off soapbox)

 

:rockon::rockon::high5:

I applaud you for your choice of careers! and agree wholeheartedly

 

This reminds me of a terrible time I had with water back in 1997. I had a Lincoln Mark 7 LSC all guidoed out and was driving early morning during heavy rain. It was Frelinghisen Ave in Newark, car went dead in deep water. When the fan hit the water the belt broke, since it was a one belt setup the car died. Back in 1997 I did not have a cell phone and had to get to a pay phone. When I opened the door water rushed into the car. As I walked 2 blocks to the nearest payphone, water almost at the top of my thighs, I could see hypodermic needles floating around along with all the trash. From that point on, I made up my mind to always have a utility vehicle for just such weather. Purchased a Jeep Cherokee XJ, added a 4" skyjacker lift. Yeah, I went off roading through water over at Lavallette with a beach buggy permit, really liked not having to worry about 20" of water or snow. At the end of the Jeep life cycle, I purchased a Toyota Tacoma with the large 31" tires and again no longer worry about deep water or snow, at least the kind of deep water and snow we get here in NJ. And no, I would not advise anyone to traverse through moving water. Moving water is not the same as a flooded street. If I was trying to pass through a flooded street in a car and I really had to get to the other side, I would go in reverse.

 

I've found that EV is great for the parking garage at my office building. Once in, I go into EV mode to my parking spot and during the warmer weather, I can use EV once it's warmed which is quick for leaving, and it's all down hill.

Flood waters I usually avoid. I have watched people float in them.....

 

Ah memories. Many years ago I found myself driving a little old Mini through flood waters, just a normal road with largely stationary water that the drains couldn't cope with. An Indian woman wearing a dripping wet sari gave me a really dirty look as I carefully and slowly drove past her stalled Mercedes. Seemed her husband had put his foot down and when it stalled they decided to get out!

Any car will stall if you drive it too fast in water while the cheapest old things will get through with some common sense. I was a bit concerned because that Mini had the distributor quite low down at the front of the engine - worse possible place but it had no problems. So many people lack common sense and think they can barge their way through.

 

This sounds like the trip to my old high school reunion. My Prius was only a few weeks old and I had to cross a submerged area (1 foot deep) to get to my destination. I swallowed hard and decided to cross since there was no moving water. Vision's of an R2D2 robot sparking and blowing its top came to mind, but this was no problem for the Prius. It spooked the living daylights out of me. Crossed it again on the way home, took it to the car wash to clean the brakes off and no problems. That's been over a year ago. What a car!!!:rockon:

 

As far as that "Great Use" for the EV mode?

Good Luck with that.

But no. I'm not filing that under "Great Use's for EV mode".

 

How about in camp grounds? Sneaking up behind people walking in the middle of the dirt roads, not wanting to honk...

...so I stick out my head out the window and say loudly, "Excuse me Please, Thank You !"

IOW, fun, but of no practical use whatsoever.

But I don't think EV mode was necessary in those high water levels, as the ICE is quite well isolated. You'd need water levels reaching up to the hood to drown a Prius IMHO.

 

He's so distraught he's not going to say anything negative to a Toyota Customer.

Superdrol: Mr. Toyoda? Hey I have a great new use for EV Mode...

Akio Toyoda: I'm so sorry about the brake recall...we have repaired over a million vehicles...

Superdrol: No, The Brakes are fine...it involves flood water....

Akio Toyoda: Please remove your floormats. I will personally send you some Zip Ties...so sorry, so very, very sorry....

Superdrol: No, it's about not stalling out your ICE because you can move using the electric motors....it's really kinda cool...

Akio Toyoda: CBS is full of Bullshit! Grandmother says, you can throw a cooked turkey in the air, it doesn't mean it's flying! Grandmother so sorry too....

Superdrol: Uh thanks? Have a nice day.

Akio Toyoda: We value you! We value you very much!