I bought my Prius mainly for my paper route so I rarely get my vehicle over 35 mph. There is a small stretch of highway with speed limit of 55 that I travel every day. However, I always try to stay a few MPH under just to save gas. My question is would it be beneficial to run my car 65 or 70 MPH occasionally? I heard that high speeds are good because they blow carbon and other deposits from the internal engine parts. I'm going to Birmingham so I've got a chance to put the pedal to the metal. Thoughts? Ken
IMO driving at higher speeds isn't going to do anything to help your engine. It also won't hurt it either. With fuel injection, detergents in fuel, unleaded gas, etc., the days of blowing out carbon deposts are long gone. Enjoy your car with whatever method of driving you're comfortable with.
Ya! Boy 'use gotta take 'em out crank 'em up and blow out 'dat 'der carbon every week or two or it'll never run good.
I'm just wondering if baby'ing a car will extend it's life. I'm trying to pulse and glide as much as I can. I figure the less the engine runs, the longer it will last. Ken
You are on the right track the way to make the engine last is baby it. I have often thought the Prius should have an engine hour counter not a oodometer.
Babying a car will absolutely extend engine and tranny life. However, if you keep all fluids and filters changed according to schedules and you don't abuse your drivetrain I think the difference will be minor.
Take care of the HV battery also. I think it is best to use the best balance of both ICE and HV battery pack. Just drive it as you want and need. Dennis
The only time high speeds can be beneficial to the Prius is when you are breaking it in with heavy acceleration.
I always drive at 65-75 MPH on high way, sometimes over 80, without any problem. I can still get 50-52 MPG with 70 MPH speed. If the speed limit is 65 MPH, in my opnion, you have to drive at least 65 to keep you safe. Otherwise, almost all car will pass you or you may cause traffic in your lane. Just add another line, Prius is hybrid car, but it should do the same or better than regular car. I do not see the point why you need to drive your prius at that kind of low speed. I have droved my corrolla for many years, always 70-80 MPH on highways. The car worked great and the engine was still excellant (extremely smooth and quiet) when I sold it.
