The one and only Prius Plug-in FAQ!

welcome! i think he meant that she's older, easily confused, and thinks the car stalled every time she pulls up to a stop and the engine shuts off.

 

Oh, I see... And thanks for the welcome!

 

Wanted to update...got a nail in my tire this past June...called ToyotaCare/Roadside Assistance. The "assistance" consisted of towing my car to the nearest Toyota dealership...who then turned out to be closed at 4 p.m. on a Friday. Called ToyotaCare again, who insisted that their records said the dealer is open till 9. I told them to get their records updated. ToyotaCare offered to tow me to the next closet dealership, but the tow truck driver kindly filled my tire with air from the closed dealership's pump and it held enough air to get me to an STS Tire down the street, where I paid $35 for them to plug/patch the hole. It's still holding 3 months later.

But I'm curious if anyone knows...would Toyota have plugged/patched it for free if they were open? Or would they have charged me for the work? Or just tried to sell me a new tire? Am wondering what the Roadside Assistance actually consists of, especially for the PiP as we have no spare?

 

Some dealers and also some tire retailers will repair that tire for free.

The roadside assistance is just roadside help, nothing to do with repairing your tire at a shop

 

get a spare, everything else is foolishness.

 

what's the best space-saver spare for the PiP? I see the tire size on our 'new-to-us' 2012 Advanced is the same as our retired 2005. 185/65/15, is that right? Thanks for any help in finding a donut temp spare that would possibly be as light and 'space saving' as possible!

Curt

 

see the last paragraph in the faq's on page one of this thread. if you search, you will also find other threads regarding wheel and tyre size. al the best!

 

We have seen PC (Priuschat) members that have bought a doughnut spare (smaller than regular tire) and stuffed it upright in the storage bin nearest the back hatch. It does stick a little more than halfway up and out of the storage bin, but you will not forget that you have it. Just make sure that the doughnut spare ends up on the rear end of your PiP so the front drive wheels are the same size.

edit;
Found link to picture of this, post #27;
PIP Spare Tire Stowage | Page 2 | PriusChat

 

Hey guys I see you all are interested in what the 2016 prius has to offer here is some information that might help

 

thanks man!!! welcome to pip chat!

 

no problem....thanks for the welcome.....any question feel free to ask.

 

when you shift to reverse, does the back up cam come on immediately, or is there still a delay like the gen III?

 

Well i just tested it on the 2016 Prius V and the 2015 Prius. it seems its not as bad but their is still lag.

 

thanks you!

 

Absolutely right

 

Thanks to all for your posts. I've read some great tips and shares here.
I do have a couple of questions for you PiP "experts" out there.

1. I bought a used PiP which came with one original key fob. I'd like to get a second as having only one is not a good idea. The closest dealer wants $235 for the new fob, $100 to program it, $135 for the laser-cut key blank, and $95 to send it out to be cut. This sounds like robbery to me. I still have an original fob, so why would this be so expensive/complicated? Has anyone else replaced a fob? Any tips?

2. Lately with colder weather I've noticed that the "EV" light on the display doesn't come on hardly at all when in HV mode. The car seems to run properly and as efficiently as expected for winter weather. I get about 10 miles in EV mode after a full charge. I just was concerned seeing that when I drop from ECO to the region where the EV should be lit that area is just blank.

Thanks all.

 

i don't know how, but there are lots of threads here with details on getting a cheaper fob than the dealer.
the ev mode only works if you have ev miles left. am i understanding correctly? there is a second ev light for when you're driving ev in hv mode.

 

It's probably because you use your car's heater when it's cold.

The PiP, like any car with an internal combustion engine, heats the interior cabin by circulating fluid through your car's engine block, and then blowing a fan over a small radiator containing this heated fluid. Thus, when you use the heater, the only way to deliver warm air is to start the internal combustion engine (ICE) until it's hot. Then the ICE can shut off even as your heater delivers heat... until it cools down.

If the temperature outside is bearable, don't turn on your heater when you first turn on the car. This is tricky, because if it was left turned on or set to a temperature above MIN, the engine will start and it won't shut off until it warms up. So you start the car, and instantly turn the temp to MIN. Then, you can power the rear defroster if needed, and even blow air conditioned air at your windshield to defrost it if needed (the AC is electric). And you can use the seat heater to warm yourself up.

It's not complicated and it will keep you running battery-only.

 

Outside temperature here right now is -9°F. I still get EV, but it takes a bit.

To speed up engine warm up, block the bottom part of the grill. (I use form pipe insulation.)

To get the engine shut off sooner and stay off longer, make sure you are in ECO mode and the heater temperature is low, like 65 to 72.