2010: How do I make PWR mode default?

* As Paradox said, You Can't!

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

Yeah, it drives like a different car doesn't it. I don't see any reason it always defaults back to ECO except that Toyota decided it should.

 

When did you get your 2010? Which model did you end up with? (I've heard it has been hard to find the III with SR.)

As others have earlier noted, you cannot set PWR as your default mode.

I am curious to find out how you have established that the PWR and ECO modes both produce the same fuel economy (MPGs). Did you do this through testing on your own car?

 

I'm guessing that he probably meant that "because of the way he prefers to drive it", PWR and ECO get about the same MPG for him.

 

He must keep his foot to the floor for both modes to produce the same results.

 

I think you can become accustomed to whichever mode you use and "learn to like it" because the others will feel a little different to you if you switch to one of them. I have been using the ECO mode, except for a brief trial in the other two, since I got my car because of the more economical AC operation. It "feels" fine to me in any driving situation and I enjoy having a finer control for the first half of the throttle. I suspect that if I had been using the normal or power mode for the last 6000 miles I would prefer whichever I had been using.

 

"can't" just means that it might not be plug and play...(of course, it may also mean really damn expensive and time consuming...)

 

Theoretically, at least, this wouldn't be a difficult mod. The PWR button simply momentarily shorts an ECU input line to ground. (The ECU doesn't seem to "accept" this pulse until about 1-2 seconds after the power is turned on (ready).)

All you would really need is a circuit that would wait about 2 seconds, then apply a ground pulse to this line, every time the vehicle is powered up. I think this could be accomplished pretty easily with a 555 timer circuit, and tapped into the PWR switch harness, which is very easy to get to.

I've been running in ECO mode, but based upon what I'm reading in the forum, I may be switching to PWR (or at least Normal) mode - if I decide on PWR, I may prototype a 555 timer circuit to do this, and I will post if I do.

 

You could/should totally open up a custom circuit shop for the 2010...you could make a decent chunk o change just on this forum...

 

Looks like there should be a computer setting to allow default startup in power mode.... Humm

I get tired of hitting the button "every" time!

 

I'll tell you why it does that ... because there is absolutely NO WAY that PWR mode gets the same (or almost the same) MPG as ECO or NORMAL mode.

If Toyota allowed it to stay in PWR mode, and people forgot, their MPG would PLUMMET, and people would be at the dealership every day complaining that they only get 35-40 MPG.

Again .... there is NO WAY that you can get the same mileage as the other modes in PWR ... if that was the case ... Toyota would have just built the car so it had PWR mode only ... it sure would have made the car a LOT more attractive to prospective buyers than ECO or NORMAL does.

About the only way I'd think you could come close to having it be the same is if you drove the car so hard in ECO mode that even ECO mode was doing badly, but your figures don't suggest that, ... unless .... if you drove gently in ECO mode you would be getting 60-65 MPG.

REV

 

I agree with your point.... if the car was sold and the next guy had to learn to drive under power mode they would never learn good gas mileage.

Without getting all technical, all the power mode really does is change the tolerance on the gas pedal... "little movement, does a lot, verses a little while in eco mode".

Drivers who have already grown used to the software and get optimal gas mileage can actually obtain the same mileage as when in eco mode while driving in power mode.... however that rarely happens, otherwise it would be silly to use power mode when normal mode would be easier and less touchy.

In other words, people who use power mode "want" the power, punchy, sporty feel and that cost gas mileage in any mode whether moving the pedal a little or a lot.

I use power mode all the time now but because I drive pretty well and am used to the software, I can still get around 50 - 52mpg without sacrificing my sporty feel if the weather is nice and no air or heat is needed in the cabin.

If I want to drive like grandma and drive other drivers crazy behind me, I can bump that up to 55 - 62 but normal mode is much easier but less enjoyable to drive for me.
Eco Mode is downright boring now and I hate the soft mushy feel but IMO is an excellent "trainer" to learn what gives the best gas mileage....
Once learned, the tighter pedal tolerance of normal or power mode will still give decent mileage because the habits for excellent mileage will already be in place from driving in eco mode.

I really believe many of the other cars on the road would bump up their mileage 30% if they had the same software installed as does the Gen III prius.

While Hybrid technology brings sheer efficiency into play for the prius, training the driver brings the other half of the equation.

 

Good points WS. I typically use PWR when I want to 'get across an intersection' quickly or 'pull out into a tight space' because of traffic density. I actually prefer NORMAL mode for all around driving, ECO with cruise control, and PWR when you need a momentary burst of power as mentioned above, or for getting a run at a long steep hill.

REV

 

I always use pwr mode and drive fairly aggressively. I get about 48 mpg. If I forget to hit the power button I feel it immediately in the sluggish acceleration. In heavy Long Island traffic there are many times when you have to accelerated very quickly to get up to speed - especially on parkways where there may be no acceleration lane and you must get up to 60 from a complete stop. Yes, this is dangerous road design.

 

When my wife drives my Prius she has it in PWR mode all the time!
Puts her seat belt on and punches the PWR button.
when I drive I go between Normal and PWR never ECO to turtleish!
I not an MPG Nut either all I know It's in the high 40s thats ok by me!
Anyway, PWR Mode as default I don't Know?
would be nice to have the option. I know where the button is