This is no different than pretty much any modern car with DFCO... my 2006 Sedona has the same engine drag as the Prius does when you let completely off the brake. Heck, so does pretty much anything with a stick shift.
I have tried this twice on a cold engine (once at 40F and about 54F) and have not been able to get it into EV mode. Anyone else been successful?
The difference is that there is no physical reason for it with the Prius. In the case of the Prius, Toyota went out of their way to simulate this effect with the control system. It was done to make the car feel like a normal car to normal drivers. Hypermilers would be better off without this feature, but I completely understand why Toyota felt it was necessary. Tom
One thing I discovered after installing the EV button on a 2004 if the engine is cold it will not allow EV mode. So I installed an EBH and now I haven't had problems in the winter, but now the mysterious summer-won't-EV problem is back. I hate that the EPA even mandated the engine has to warm up - let's see convert car to plug-in so I can drive 15 miles gas-free - but aach - the car has to run gas engine to get hot just so that my first three miles actually burned unnecessary gas which did nothing. What a waste. I wonder if we could sue the EPA for having us burn unneeded gas for the first two miles of what otherwise would have been gas-free? This is so stupid! I hope when the Volt comes out the EPA doesn't require them to also have a warm engine so that 40 first electric miles actually had 2-3 miles of burning gas just so the freakin' engine can be warmed. I used to applaud the EPA - now their just idiots - burning gas for no good reason STUPID!!!!!! Okay, rant over.
I can also ride the gas pedal to do the same thing - but it's a f*cking annoyance! And absolutely unneccessary. It's a hybrid, why can't I drive it like a hybrid? Because of all the idiots who only know how to drive a "normal" car?
Who says the EPA mandated warm-up in EV mode? I don't think they did, I think the Toyota programmers decided to, so that they could cut&paste the code from Normal mode rather than write a few new lines to make EV actually practical and useful for some things...
I guess what I'm saying is the following: 1) why does EV mode require using gas to warm up the engine first? It's ELECTRIC VEHICLE mode, not "burn gas without providing any propulsion or electricity" mode... The software is apparently "smart" enough to kick out of EV mode whenever the SOC gets too low or acceleration demands are too high - why isn't it smart enough to allow EV mode without warmup and kick out when the SOC gets too low or acceleration demands are too high? Obviously the computers know how warm the engine is - why can't EV mode adjust to conditions? If it's cold enough to need warm-up before providing power/electricity, EV mode would simply need to set the SOC threshold higher and exit sooner. Instead, warm-up is mandated FIRST, regarless of which mode you want. And NOBODY is using EV to go any significant distance (without lot$$ of extra batteries), so selecting it should tell the computer "I'm not going very far". I think it's either: lazy programming (cut&paste the lines from "normal mode" rather than write new code), -OR- a way of padding the distance stats for EV mode (because you can delay ICE start longer if it's already warm). Or a combination of both.
Perhaps so... If that is the case, a hack would probably be pretty "easy". Could have been something Toyota had to program in to meet EPA requirements?
Re: So when I turn the lights on in the daytime, I have to then adjust the dashboard brightness to full so the NAV doesn't go into Night Mode. And if I forget to roll it back, when I use the car at night, the dashboard brightness wheel isn't backlit, so I have to hunt around to find it in order to roll it back so I am not blinded by day-mode of the Navigation. My dealer service dept did some magic so my nav looks like normal daytime with lights on. I don't know if his fix screwed up nighttime display. I bought the 2010 model III last month, and being retired have not needed to drive it at night. (Still clinging to '99 Forester at night and bad weather).
Your Dealer changed the preferences on the NAV, something you can change back yourself. And yes, now you won't have auto-night mode on the NAV...so welcome to being blinded by it after dark! Better change that back :sorry:
I just drove a 2010 about 50 miles during the past 24 hours while my 2008 was in for a water pump replacement after 60K miles. Things that I don't like about the 2010 - The instrument display o Too far to the center of the car. I want my MPH display right in front of me. I really don't understand Toyota on this. o Switches views on me forcing me to cycle to the display I wanted o Could not find an instantaneous digital MPG, only the graph - The center console o Placement of the shift lever is ridiculous. Was better on the dash. o Missing little drawer that we use for trash o Cup holders are in the way for drivers arm, way too far back. Any trip over 50 miles and we would have two drinks in the holders all the time. This is a very poor design. o I prefer the console-less design of our 2008. o Console makes the car feel smaller, more confining - EV mode kicks out at 25mph. Why? I can run in EV mode in my 2008 by careful application of the throttle up to over 30mph without an EV switch. I want the switch to keep the car from allowing the engine to come on at all and go up to at least 35mph. I don't care if it is only for a mile or two. - Front end design. I sit IN the car so this isn't a big deal but I think it is ugly with the big Toyota bump in the middle. Makes the car look taller and narrower. - Front seat height adjust. I don't have any issues with the seat in my 2008 but when I tried the height adjust in the 2010 it seemed to only lift the rear of the seat which made me feel like I was being tilted forward. This would put me in a quandary if I were purchasing a new car today. I really like the 2008 but these things I've listed above would send me seeking alternatives. I might end up buying a Prius again but I'm just sayin'. Biggest deal breakers for me: 1) MPH too far to right. 2) Cup holders in the way of the drivers arm. Things I'd like to have that the 2010 has. - Beltless engine - More power, more fuel efficient - Display is well out of the sun so it isn't being zapped by sunlight. - Blatterless gas tank
I agree with you, the logic of HSD for cold starts is improvable, and for sure it kills the mileage in the winter season. Probably the Plug-In version will solve these issues, with the heat-pump A/C and more powerful batteries, it should avoid unnecessary ICE warm-up. I wonder if a simple engine heater could be the solution for the P3 owners who are sensible to these issues, and do not want to buy the Plug-In... Regards
Funny, I have thought about why there is regen drag myself. Seems silly not to give me the option. In fact that is what I hate the most about the Prius. Toyota doesn't give me the ability to customize enough. All the options I have wanted to change that are actually change-able, I am forced to go in and have the dealer do it (if they can/or if i can convince them that it is actually legal to do so by forcing them to read the damn manual). But lots of things are not even dealer customizable. The fact that my passenger cannot use that horrible overpriced piece of crap that Toyota calls a Nav unit while I am moving. The fact that I couldn't order 17's or fog lights on my IV or could not get a sunroof on a V. There is a ton of stuff like this. Your question about regen drag is just another example of Toyota doing something that it feels is "in your best interest". It's playing to the masses and not seeing the forest for the trees. Now, I really like my gen3. It does the whole car thing and mpg thing really well and I would be hard pressed to find a better balance elsewhere. But Toyota has not won me over with all their self imposed limits and if I can find another automaker that can do better, I will switch without a look back.
Thanks for the advice. Will take a night drive. So I can flip this preference back and forth easily depending on whether I am driving in rain in daytime with lights on, or driving at night? Are there instructions in the manuals that I have missed?
There is a Daytime Mode selection under Settings -> Nav, I believe. If you select On then the Nav will stay in the white background daytime mode when you turn on headlights. I changed mine immediately and do not have a problem at night. I much prefer the white background on the map versus the black background. Try it and see which one you like best.
Thanks for this info. I was wondering why I couldn't go over 10 mph when in EV mode just after pulling out of the parking lot. So you are saying to press power then within a few seconds press EV and stay under 10mph. I can't wait to try this deliberately.
I hate that there is no compass in my Level 2 Prius. No HID lights available. You must buy expensive package to get LED headlights.
