1st time Prius owner and a tech geek - perfect match

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Lisa99, May 6, 2011.

  1. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    I work in high tech and LOVE tech toys, so I just had to buy the ScanGauge II even though I don't pick up my Prius from the dealer until tomorrow :D

    I want the ScanGauge as much for the real-time mileage tracking as for being able to understand error codes....I want to be an educated consumer when taking this computer on wheels to the dealership!

    This site is an amazing source of info...next on the list of purchases is the Optima yellow top battery and better tires. I fully expect my battery to die early since I live in the Vegas desert.
     
    #1 Lisa99, May 6, 2011
  2. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

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    Congrats on your purchase. Regarding the high heat of Las Vegas, do you have a garage? Did you get the solar roof package?
     
    #2 sipnfuel, May 6, 2011
  3. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Wow, new car and you're already shooting for the Optima batt. You are a tech geek. Welcome!
     
    #3 macmaster05, May 6, 2011
  4. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride when you get it!
     
    #4 spiderman, May 6, 2011
  5. twittel

    twittel Senior Member

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    Congrats on your Prius purchase and welcome to PriusChat.:welcome:

    Enjoy the high MPGs, geek technology and low emissions.
     
    #5 twittel, May 6, 2011
  6. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    Yes we have a garage and got the solar package. More reading indicates that tinted windows are also a must.

    And thanks everyone for the welcome....I'm so looking forward to driving the car tomorrow from the dealer in CA back to Vegas.

    I've downloaded all of the manuals and have them in DropBox so I can get to them from the iPad while on the road. :D
     
    #6 Lisa99, May 6, 2011
  7. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

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    Ah... it was smart to buy in CA for the longer warranty.

    There's this thing called the HeatShield. I highly recommend you get it. The only annoying thing is it messes up your rear view mirror often.

    PriusChat Shop : Toyota Prius HeatShield Sunshade - Front - $30.00

    Ceramic Tint is the best, but it is more expensive. I decided to get Carbon Tint.

    FYI the front windshield has a 100% UV Coating, so you don't need to tint it (would be illegal anyways).

    VentShades will allow you to crack open the windows without inviting as much dust. Very useful as well, and cost effective. Should work very well in combination with the solar roof.

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...s/76328-finally-vent-shades-normal-price.html

    Well, hopefully you didn't buy a Black or Magnetic Gray. Bisque interior helps, but I can't really say as I don't have that color.
     
    #7 sipnfuel, May 6, 2011
  8. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    We bought the dark gray cause I couldn't talk dh into Barcellona red but it will be garaged and we both work from home so the color isn't a concern.

    Thanks for the recommendations. I'll look into them.
     
    #8 Lisa99, May 6, 2011
  9. macman408

    macman408 Electron Guidance Counselor

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    Maybe. The warranty guide says that the car must be "purchased, registered, and driven" in a CARB state to qualify for the longer CARB warranty. Just so nobody hops on a plane to get out here thinking they're guaranteed the longer warranty... I'd be interested what happened if somebody tried to claim that many years down the road, though, especially since I don't necessarily plan on living in California forever.
     
    #9 macman408, May 7, 2011
  10. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    Correct that I don't get the CA warranty. The car will be registered in NV so that is the driver for which warranty I get. I only got the car in CA because there were no Prius Threes in Vegas.
     
    #10 Lisa99, May 7, 2011
  11. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Great choice in car :)

    I have the 2010 identical to yours, except no Solar package, with 28000 miles now. I still look forward to getting in the car every morning and driving to work. Never had this happen with any other car prior to the Prius.

    I hope you enjoy your new ride as much as I have.
     
    #11 jdcollins5, May 7, 2011
  12. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    Thanks JD. I've never been this excited about a new car before....DH is already sick of me quoting stuff I've learned here and is amused by my list of must-haves for the car.
     
    #12 Lisa99, May 7, 2011
  13. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

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    Oh I stand corrected. Well you can look into the extended warranty offered on this site and see if it is better than what the dealer is willing to offer. Read the FAQ if it is in your interest.

    http://priuschat.com/forums/sponsor...rius-extended-warranty-service-contracts.html
     
    #13 sipnfuel, May 7, 2011
  14. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    Extended warranty is definitely of interest! Will be buying toward the close of my 3 year warranty.
     
    #14 Lisa99, May 8, 2011
  15. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Personally, I don't even bother w/gas mileage w/my SG. I don't want yet another thing to calibrate and compare. I already have my manual calculations and values on my MFD (on the 2nd gen) and you have them on your MID.

    As for error codes, you shouldn't get them often and I'm not sure that the SG makes a good OBD2 code reader. Some have hypothesized (stated?) that there are certain classes of codes it cannot read anyway.

    What it IS useful for is to help understand what's going on w/the car (via XGauges and some standard values like RPM, FWT and IGN) and to use some of those to help w/improving mileage.

    If you can, I recommend you park in the shade/shady areas or at least in ones that get less sun. There seems to be a correlation w/HV battery failures and high temperatures and/or driving that puts more/deeper cycles on the battery (e.g. hilly areas causing a big drain on climb and lots of regen on descent).
     
    #15 cwerdna, May 8, 2011
  16. macman408

    macman408 Electron Guidance Counselor

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    People who've driven both the Gen II and Gen III have mentioned that the Gen III tends to use less battery power going up hills - probably at least partly because of its larger engine. So hills alone probably aren't too much of a concern for deep cycles of the traction battery.
     
    #16 macman408, May 8, 2011
  17. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    There is a lot of cool geeky stuff you can do. Here a few things I have done.

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...lization-you-done-your-prius.html#post1020865

    I also have a device like the scan gauge. It plugs in OBDII port and sends the info over Bluetooth to my Android phone. Here is how it looks on the phone.

    http://www.mbu.com/prius/torque2.jpg

    The newest toy I purchased for the car was a Viper security system with remote start. It has an app that lets me lock, unlock , start and stop the engine from an android app on my phone. It also lets me do the same from up to one mile from the keyfob. It can have it turn the rear defogger on from the remote. It is also set to auto lock the car 30 seconds after I leave.

    If you love to add geeky things to your car, this is the car for you. My next mod might be a Rosen stereo.

    Do not waste your money on an extended warranty.
     
    #17 Judgeless, May 8, 2011
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