Essential Must Know for New Owners

This thread is a list of what new owners MUST know to drive:
- Safely
- No costly mistakes
- Basic operations - how to do common Day 1 actions without major hassle.

We are creating:

A concise check-list to get new owners up and running on Day One,
I.e. won't have to read 30-page newbie thread on day one. That's just not realistic

SO:

A cogent list of what every new Prius owner *MUST* know to be safe, and/or not break anything.

Rules of the thread:

No repeats.

Simple, one-sentence imperatives, please.

A one or two-sentence explanation.

Add a link if you can. So your point is compelling.

No discussion.
We don't want to get bogged down.

IF something's truly wrong or unclear, it's fine to give a one- or two-sentence response, and point to a link.

PS Do not copy large paragraphs from other threads.

This thread is only:

Bullet point + Short compelling explanation + Supporting link.

Thank you !



1. DO NOT block the air vent that's in the back seat.
It's between the right-rear-passenger's right hip and the right-rear-door.
Higher up on older models.

It feeds air to the hybrid battery to cool it.

Vent on passenger side rear seat... What is it? | PriusChat

If you have pets in the car / shedding of any quantity - look up threads on cleaning out the vent or have a professional do that for you. You don't want the vent / fan in side clogged up.

2. When the last little rectangular light on the gas gauge starts to flash it means "buy gas right now, damn it", or risk damage that can cost thousands of dollars.

Per post #1 in: What every newb should know | PriusChat

I personally fill at half tank, or one bar+ above the lowest, to avoid urgency.

# of miles available for lowest bar may be 40 miles, but depends on many factors and will vary each time. Also, you may not know how long you've been driving in that last bar !

 

Thank you!
And that depends on model year, could be less:
How Far Can Your Toyota Drive with the Fuel Light On?

On to #4 !

 

That was posted in the wrong forum.
Begun again new, here.

Corrected. Thx !

 

NP!
It can be annoying to have things move around and double up.
Just letting us moving forward.
- p

 

The Prius sits pretty low to the ground. It's aerodynamic, to save gas milage.

DON'T pull completely over a concrete wheel stop. If you do, backing out can rip up the front plastic under guard. It's a $100 part.
.
Bottom front cover removal | PriusChat

Mine is already scratched and a bit cracked. (bought it used).

I got training from a friend on how to back into parking spaces. I use all mirrors and the back up camera, and never scrape anything, now. The back up camera is terrific for this. Also, the rear bumper is higher than the front. It's also safer pulling out.

If that's hard to do, pull in nose in like normal, but very slowly for the last little bit.

 

Oh yes !
I've also scraped pullng into driveway - both street and driveway are fairly steep- as well as where a recessed drainage manhole cover, where the road dipped quite a bit between two businesses' parking lots. Stay aware !

On to the next tip!

Don't worry about replacing the batteries!
Just use the following schedule:

The HV battery seems to last about 300,000 miles and costs about $2,000 for parts and labor. Remanufactured Hybrid Vehicle Battery Packs

The 12 volt battery seems to last about 5 years, and costs under $200 to replace.Optima DS46B24R Optima battery direct fit replacement for Prius 2004 + with Instructions

But many replace it after 4 years. There's a big thread on this.


The key fob battery seems to last about 5 years and costs about $2 to replace. Energizer-Eveready 04096 - 3 Volt Lithium Button Cell Watch Battery (ECR1632BP (CR1632)) - Amazon.com

Don't worry about maintaining the batteries, nor about driving every day!

Just use the following guidelines:

For the 12 volt battery, drive every 3 weeks or you need a trickle charger.

For the HV Battery every 3 months is Toyota's conservative recommendation.

More information, and tricks to extend the 12v, here:
Hybrid battery life, must use, and other myths | PriusChat

 

If you need to move very suddenly and quickly, such as for emergency handling, to very quickly go around something, or to pull on to a busy street from a side street, use PWR mode. Instantaneous power!

 

Well..agreed! Kinda.

I'd say :

If you need *quick, press PWR button. You really do get almost instantaneous power, and you also get sustained power and acceleration.
It's truly inspiring, and GREAT for taking a left turn onto a busy four lane road coming from a side street when there is no traffic light.

It's also good when you need 3-5 mph instant boost to make a move while driving on a busy road.

I've read that PWR front loads the pedal with 100 (volts?..) of instant power from the electric battery. In any case, It DEFINITELY has quick and almost instant response.

As for *sudden, I agree.
If you need to do something unexpectedly, that's no time to fuss with buttons.
Best to train yourself on how to press foot fully to the floor. It will kick in. (not as quickly.)

But there's nothing like PWR mode.
I'm in it most of the time.

At the most, it may cost $130 a year vs other pedal modes. Many people say it doesn't actually affect mpg. I think it does, but the cost is almost nominal.