2013 Prius power mode

Because the climate control has an "auto" setting, the fan speed will vary at any given time when you first start depending on how hot or cold it is at that moment. If you turned it off of auto mode and just used the regular a/c controls, I imagine it would stay exactly at the fan speed you left it on. As far as steering, I agree with you. The steering in my Civic hybrid was much sportier. Overall, I feel that Hondas have a tighter feel to their steering and handling over a Toyota in general. I was really intrigued by the Hyundai, but after my wife owning both a Hyundai and a Kia, I have come to find that they are great cars for the first year or two but quickly the fit and finish goes to hell. After three years, her Kia has paint chips, sagging interior panels, wiring issues, etc.

 

Agreed abo

She'd

Agreed about the Hondas in general. I was originally going to buy a CR-V but wanted to test drive a Rav-4 first. It couldn't hold a candle to the CR-V. The Prius was an afterthought. Got curious and bought it thinking if I was going to get myself another vehicle I may as well defer the payment by spending around 30 bucks less in gas per month.

 

Yes! Off the top of my head I think 130 degrees. I might be wrong on temp tho.
I'm sure if I'm wrong I will hear about it.

 

Your car has the 17" wheels which made it slower than a regular Liftback with 15" wheels before the update. I also have 17's and was just waiting to read about someone getting this update on their 17" wheeled Prius and now found it was seriously too slow. The update slowed down a 15" wheeled Prius and I could not imagine how slow one would be with the heavy 17's.

PWR Mode in the original software provided more electric motor torque at 1/4 to 3/4 throttle than any other mode. At full throttle all modes used to provide the same electric motor torque. With the new software I have no idea what they did to the PWR Mode partial throttle electric motor torque.

Camry Hybrid may be the way to go to get a car that has lots of electric torque. Most people on this forum don't drive their Prius aggressive enough to notice the huge power loss the update provided. To each their own how they drive. Prius used to have a nice blast of electric torque which was fun. My car is bone stock and still has that torque Some would say drive something with a real motor under the hood. I already own a 13 second quarter mile car but bought my Prius 'cause it's a cool awesome looking car.

Maybe someone will figure out how to flash 'em back to stock. I would like to get a fried inverter to repair so I could figure out a permanent hardware fix for inverter failures. Potting compound can be removed to get to the failed components and repotted after testing.

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

Depends on what your country says. In the USA, only California says owners must get the update or they will not renew the car's license plates when they expire. All other states are optional

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

How did she do that? I took a rental Prius Liftback and put it in Test Mode which disables traction and stability control and tried many times and it could not even scub a tire on the pavement I was expecting a Mad Powa tire burnin Prius but was very disappointed in the end

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

So the update slowed the Prius down?

 

Yes. Less electric motor torque after the update. I believe there are some people doing some technical testing to determine the old and new 0 to 60 mph times and possibly some chassis dyno pulls.

Interesting to read some people describing a bad flash yet cars still running. I know a bad flash on other vehicles renders them a dead vehicle with no chance of starting until the computer is reflashed with the proper file. I wonder what is happening and what is the file that is flashed or not on the computers on the Prius with a bad update.

Good to read that person in this thread got their car running right

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

Not sure, but I accidentally spun the tires a bit while making a u-turn from a stop. I wasn't even trying. I was in Eco mode and was just giving enough throttle to get going.

 

Awesome I think there is a You Tube video of a 2nd Gen doing a reverse shitty I wont try it in my car but a rental maybe...

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

I wonder what this update is supposed to accomplish other than the downside of less torque? I do know that trolley cars that run metal wheels on tracks incorporate current limiters. Otherwise that would just sit there and spin the wheels.

 

Less current flow thru the inverter so some FET's in there don't heat up so quick. Layman's terms: stuff in the inverter was gettin hot too quick and in some rare cases like ~450 cars out of all of them produced worldwide since mid 2009, failed. Parts that should be tight against a heatsink were coming loose by the quick heating. So reduce the electric current flow thru the inverter and you might make them last longer and you will have a Prius with less torque and horsepower than was stated when you bought it

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

Uh, sounds like a proverbial 'neutering' of "...too spirited..." stallions into "...less spirited..." geldings.

 

Ex exactly

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

As sad as the update is for some, mine performs adequately enough for 95% of my driving needs. I tried the pwr button, and was pleasantly surprised at the result. However, it's still a Prius.

Fortunately I have another vehicle that can provide my occasional acceleration fix when needed.

 

No doubt many will find their car, post update, just fine

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

Thanks. Seems I have read about this problem. I have a degree in electronics and understand FET's well. Heat is the main killer of solid state stuff. What happens is they start to drift as the heat rises and then things sort of runaway. Does anyone make an aftermarket heat sink or other add on cooling device for them.

There's a reason The Who, The Stones and everyone else (including me) uses vacuum tube amps. Where a solid state amp would melt, vacuum tubes thrive.

 

I truely wish I could get my hands on a failed inverter and do the repair and see what could be done with higher current handling FET's and see if a heavy copper bar could be screwed down over the top of them so there was no way possible for them to loose their thermo bond with the heatsink. Doubt I could ever get a failed inverter though Just like an RF amp that runs FET's on the raged edge of disaster, that heavy copper bar across the tops of the FET's will take out plenty of the heat generated in each device much better than just having the devices soldered or otherwise bonded to the heatsink alone.

I am a electronics tech of over 25 years and a Amateur Radio operator that builds all kinds of fun stuff I also work with the tubes for the big power amps. Fun stuff

Mike

wanderin around on my phone

 

Yeah -- Thermionic Emission Control Chambers (vacuum tubes) forever!