Lack of acceleration power after 5000 mile complimentary service

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by sa177, May 18, 2012.

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  1. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    I had the car serviced on 5/13/12 for the complimentary 5000 mile service and after I received the car, I noticed that the car drove a lot slower than before I dropped it off. I thought it was just the tire rotation that might be causing the slow driving, but while driving the car on the freeway and on city streets this week, I had to basically press on the gas pedal all the way down to get the car moving at a decent speed and even then it was extremely slow. I can barely get it to go past 70 MPH. Where as before I had it serviced, it wasn't hard to get it past 70 MPH. Even on city streets, I have to floor the gas pedal to get it to speed up. I purchased the car 3 months ago and I would assume a new car should not have performance issues this early. I'm wondering if the mechanic forgot to tighten something or what? :confused:
     
    #1 sa177, May 18, 2012
  2. JamesCSmith

    JamesCSmith New Member

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    It sounds like you are in ECO mode. Tap the ECO button (to the right of the shifter) to toggle it off and go into normal mode or tap the PWR button if you really want a responsive throttle.
     
    #2 JamesCSmith, May 18, 2012
  3. macman408

    macman408 Electron Guidance Counselor

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    What mode was it in before, and what mode is it in now? (Eco, Normal, Power...) Those change the accelerator mapping, meaning you press harder to get the same amount of power. However, flooring it in all three will give you the same thing - maximum acceleration.
     
    #3 macman408, May 18, 2012
  4. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    I have always been driving in ECO mode and it never had this hard of a time reaching an acceptable speed, but after the service change, it is still having a hard time reaching a comfortable speed. Even in PWR mode, it has to be floored or in the red zone of the gauge to speed up. So I have no idea what is happening. I'm bringing the car back into the dealership service department for a followup on Saturday. I hope they figure it out and fix it.

    I've also noticed that I use to be able to coast down hills with a lot of speed while gliding, but now it lags like crazy and doesn't reach those fast speeds.
     
    #4 sa177, May 18, 2012
  5. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    You know if they added 4 quarts of oil, but forgot to drain the oil first, it would act a lot like that, you may wish to check the dip stick.
     
    #5 JimboPalmer, May 18, 2012
  6. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    Jimbo, I'll check the oil in the morning. Thanks for the suggestion.
     
    #6 sa177, May 18, 2012
  7. Erikon

    Erikon Active Member

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    Can it even hold 8 quarts? In any case, they may have overfilled to a degree, or used 10w 30. Dealers are notorious for that!
     
    #7 Erikon, May 18, 2012
  8. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    At the 5000 miles complimentary service, they didn't do an oil change, but they might have topped off the oil and other fluids, rotated my tires, and performed some minor inspections. I hope it is just that, but I can't believe that extra oil can affect engine performance by this degree.
     
    #8 sa177, May 18, 2012
  9. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    Could it be the parking brake is on?
     
    #9 stream, May 18, 2012
  10. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    stream, LOL, i wish that was the case, but I'm positive it's not the parking break.
     
    #10 sa177, May 18, 2012
  11. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    The engine oil is right at the high mark on the dip stick.
     
    #11 sa177, May 18, 2012
  12. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Darn, as you can see, we are trying to guess from a distance and may be off base, but we are on your side!
     
    #12 JimboPalmer, May 18, 2012
  13. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    I'm extremely appreciative of PriusChat and all of it's members. All the knowledge I have gained from this site is extremely helpful! I just hope I can figure out what is wrong w/ the car. I never had to push the car this much before to get it to speed.
     
    #13 sa177, May 18, 2012
  14. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    What are you seeing for the HV battery SOC?

    Tom
     
    #14 qbee42, May 18, 2012
  15. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    what is the HV Battery SOC?
     
    #15 sa177, May 18, 2012
  16. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    Just thought I'd throw it out there.
     
    #16 stream, May 18, 2012
  17. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    The HOV battery state of charge would be the battery Icon on you HSI screen (6 bars is normal). Or if you have a scangauge, you can program it to read your SOC (in percent).
     
    #17 Codyroo, May 18, 2012
  18. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    Is the car decelerating more quickly than normal as well? Have your MPG's been impacted? If you cruise 60 mph on a flat road (with no significant wind) what MPG's are you seeing? I wonder if somehow a brake isn't letting go fully (emergency or otherwise)
     
    #18 Codyroo, May 18, 2012
  19. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Tire pressure?
     
    #19 billnchristy, May 18, 2012
  20. sa177

    sa177 Junior Member

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    The HV Battery SOC is average (usually above the midline). Yesterday, it was about 85 degrees and when I started the car, the HV Battery SOC had only 2-3 bars (below the midline).
     
    #20 sa177, May 18, 2012
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