I'm curious, if you're on the road, and shut down the car using the power button, can you still steer? Given that the steering is electric, is there any change you'd lose the ability to steer the car?
Firstly, I strongly recommend you shift to N instead, it is quicker, safer, and leaves all the car's systems running. Secondly, yes, it will take more muscle power without the power assist, but it still works. You'd lose the ability to steer the car if you could not pull harder than usual on the wheel.
At speed there is little difference in steering feel. As you slow down, it gets harder to steer. Most power steering systems work this way, as you mostly need the assist at low speeds. Tom
Agreed about shifting to neutral, but since there is no mechanical connection between the driver and the wheels, I thought it might be possible that once the vehicle was shut down, you might lose the ability to control the wheels altogether. Not worried since my 2010 III has been perfect so far after 10,200 miles.
The steering is mechanical with electric assist. It is not steer-by-wire. The electric assist motor takes the place of the hydraulic pump and spool valve in conventional power-assisted steering. If you turn the car OFF, you lose the assist from the electric steering assist motor, but you retain the basic mechanical steering. As others have said, it doesn't give much assist at speed anyway - when travelling fast you want to make long slow turns, you actually don't want the assist motor to turn the wheels quickly.
Your premise is wrong: there *is* a mechanical connection between the driver and the wheels. The steering is strictly mechanical, with power assist from an electric motor. The only difference between Prius power steering and normal power steering is that the power comes from electricity instead of a belt from the engine. Tom
i've turned off the power while driving (one of the original testers to this question)... and i've had power short while driving (which turns the car off)... in both occassions it was rather easy to get the car where i wanted it. when the car shorted out, i was going uphill on a long 180 degree turn.. with a firetruck in the oncoming lane... (two lane road)
Try this at home, kids: . Power up to IG-ON [no brake pedal, two presses of the button] in a flat area. No READY light. . Shift to N. . Have someone else push the car forward. . Steer. . _H*
I also thought it was steer by wire. Glad it's not. It appears also that devoid of any power you can still use the brakes on this (no I've not tried it). So if you're pulling a Sikes and your prius won't stop you can: Hit the brakes hard and they should shut down the throttle Put it into neutral If it's still going (it won't be), then hold power for 3 seconds and it shuts down This is really an academic piece of knowledge, though. I don't believe any of us will ever have to use it anyway.
Right, the only thing "by-wire" is the gas pedal. I don't think I would drive anything that didn't have mechanical brakes and steering.
