I have both a 2010 Prius and a new v and have just noticed that if you press the 'Econ' button once, the little light goes on in the dashboard. If you press it again, the little light goes off. The same occurs with the 'pwr' button. So the question is what mode is the vehicle in when the light is off? Does it default to the econ mode, or what? I would just like to minimize all the things that light up in the dashboard.
If there is no light, it is in 'normal' mode. The car will power back up in Eco, if shut down on eco, but if shut down in pwr mode, it will power up in normal. Our concensus is it's best that way. Don't want valets running it into a pole with all that horsepower ya know
I can't find anything conclusive in the manual of '12 PV5 where they address which mode one should default to. I choose drive mode according to traffic and terrain conditions and I select between econ and power often. Does anyone know if switching often is detrimental to both mileage and transmission? There's nothing in the manual that states one should avoid toggling between drive modes. I definitely use power mode to get up to traffic flow; I've seen annoying Prius drivers who refuse to mash the accelerator and don't seem to mind the resultant line of cars behind them as they putter along, gradually, slowly gaining speed.
Shift as often as you wish. It's only detrimental to the little push-button switch. Nothing changes or shifts in the transmission; all it does is tell the software to change the mapping of the accelerator pedal (and a few minor technical changes relating to engine on time and such). You have full power in all modes. A Prius in ECO is just as fast as a Prius in PWR, and it will accelerate just as well. You just need to push harder with your right foot. Tom
Thanks Tom, I suspected a throttle mapping of that sort. However, the manual implies a tie in to the climate control system and perhaps others. So, I am still curious as to whether with the econ light off the vehicle is still in the econ mode, including any implied interaction with other vehicle systems.
The Eco mode changes the accelerator mapping as well as control over the heat and ac system. It will make the heat and ac more fuel friendly. It is only in ECO mode when the button has been pushed and the green light is illuminated on the dash.
Understood, but what mode is it in when the button is pushed a second time and/or the green dash light is off? Someone earlier said 'normal' mode whatever that is.
As you stated when you press the button a second time you turn Eco mode off and you enter Normal. Normal is in between Eco and Power in throttle mapping sensitivity. It will tend to use more energy for heat and ac.
Normal mode, which is exactly that: normal, not Eco or Pwr. Normal mode is the only mode on a Gen II, so by default that is normal. The other modes were added for the Gen III. By definition, they are not normal. Tom
