When to use Neutral?

The only good reasons that I have seen for using Neutral is in a car wash that pulls the car through the wash on tracks or if the car is being pulled up on a flat bed tow truck.

The only reason that I ever use Neutral is to force the friction brakes to wipe off of the rotors.

 

I use the Neutral only when my battery is fully charged and I am about to go downhill.
When I put it in Neutral I go down the hill like a rocket!
I get a little better MPG out of it.
By the way I don’t recommend doing this unless you feel comfortable.

 

Pretty much never except in the car wash situation detailed above.

Until you become familiar with how the Prius works I do not recommend using it. Rioe stated a use of neutral that could damage the HSD system if one were to use it at the wrong speeds. Do not put it in neutral below 46mph then proceed to accelerate above 46mph (as in going downhill). If you want to glide faster learn how to Warp Stealth. It is safer and more efficient in most cases.

 

In case of runaway acceleration -- as happened on some Toyota and Lexus cars a few years ago due to trapped pedals in a few cars and driver error in many others -- Neutral is another tool for regaining control of the vehicle, by breaking the power connection between the engine and wheels.

This can happen in just about any car model. Ford Escapes and Mazda Tributes were recalled last month for a design problem that caused some throttle cables to become stuck in the fully open position. Some GM cars were recalled a while back for a throttle icing problem that caused the plate to stick wide open. And many drivers have mistakenly pushed the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal. A generation ago, some Audis were alleged to have a 'ghost in the machine' causing runaways, but in review nothing more than unfamiliar ergonomics and operator error were ever identified.

I experienced the pedal error myself, under extreme fatigue. My runaway was recovered in part by hitting the manual transmission clutch. Automatic transmissions lack that choice, but can achieve the same result by selecting Neutral.

 

Ok, I'm new. What is "warp stealth" (I did search the c forum first and couldnt find a straight thread on it) ?

 

That is why we tell people to check the GenII and GenIII forums. There is almost a decade worth of experience in them.

Here is a link to Mike's page.
Mike with a Prius: Prius-ing for Dummies - beginner Prius mileage tips

GenIII video but the same principles apply to the c and v.

Max MPG Driving Techniques Youtube Video | PriusChat

 

Thank you F8L!

 

My pleasure.

 

My question would be how the trans would get jacked up by using nuetral. I know some auto trans can be harmed by neutral coasts, and manuals will not, but I'm not up on the Prius trans yet.

 

It doesn't have one so it's ok. Toyota Prius - Power Split Device

 

+1 on accasional use to exercise the brakes. Other than that: when you're parking on a slope and want to gently roll an angled front tire against the curb.

 

I occasionally use neutral to avoid using the friction brakes below 8mph. The car creeps in D. I'll use N if
- I'm coming to a stop on an upslope.
- I'm in very slow moving traffic* and I want the car to keep slowing down below the creep speed.

* There's really only one place where that happens.

 

Based upon Prius Technical Stuff notes and experiments:

• anytime when the speed will not exceed the hybrid threshold speed - 42 mph for 2001-09 and 46 mph for 2010 and afterwards.
  • anytime when coasting to a known stop on flat or ascending grades - this is always OK. If starting above the hybrid threshold speed, 42 mph for 2001-09 models and 46 mph 2010 and later, briefly shift into "D" and back to "N" so the engine will auto-stop during the last of the coast. Be sure to shift into "D" when braking to gain the regenerative energy.
  • anytime when the engine is running and the car is above the hybrid threshold speed - once the engine is running, MG1 won't overspeed, so it is safe. I've coasted down an 8% grade starting above 42 mph in my NHW11 and seen the engine idle speed increase as the speed reached higher limits. It does this to keep MG1 from over speeding.
• never when coasting down hill starting below the hybrid threshold speed - with the engine stopped, MG1 spins faster and faster as the speed increases. The risk is the 'red line' speed of 6,000 rpm might be exceeded in the 2001-03 models and 10,000 rpm in the 2004-09. Although some of us have 'done the forbidden experiment' and suffered no damage, playing Russian roulette with a Prius transmission is not a 'good thrill.' Shifting briefly into "D" at the threshold speed will restart the engine and it is perfectly OK but this is not something recommended except under controlled conditions (aka., do not make it a habit) .

In the winter during warm-up of the older, longer to warm-up, NHW11 Prius (2001-03), I use it while cutting through our 25 mph, neighborhood. This allows the engine to continue warm-up mostly at fuel saving, idle. By the time I reach the cross-town street stop, the engine is warm enough to efficiently accelerate and go into hybrid mode.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson