1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

problem at 15,000 mile service

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by pblaidig, Mar 31, 2006.

  1. pblaidig

    pblaidig New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2005
    9
    0
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, MD
    Yesterday my 2005 Prius had its 15,000 service. Today, I can't get past 6 blue bars on the screen. I have had my car since last January, and always run with all but one green bar, and get really pleased with myself when it run at full green bars. I took it back to the dealer and tried to explain that it wasn't properly regenerating the battery. The "certified Prius technician" took it for a test drive and came back and said there was nothing wrong with it, that the computer would tell us if there was a problem, and all the other Priuses there run on the blue bars. He actually said I was wrong, that the screen only shows green bars when you are were in the process of braking. My husband and I kept insisting that the car was different than it was before the servicing. They insisted we were wrong. Can anyone help explain this? I asked if perhaps they had it sitting a long time with the battery on and it was having trouble building back up. They said they didn't do anything that would do that. I am making them look at it again on Monday, but what do I have to do to get them to understand what I am talking about? What should I say, that they will listen to? I have had this car for 14 months, and I always have the green bars on the screen when I drive, except if stopped in heavy traffic. HELP!
     
  2. dbotello

    dbotello Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2006
    56
    1
    0
    Location:
    Rockaway, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    You mention that you had the car serviced yesterday. How far have you driven it since then ?
     
  3. pblaidig

    pblaidig New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2005
    9
    0
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, MD
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbotello @ Mar 31 2006, 09:19 PM) [snapback]233213[/snapback]</div>
    About 20 miles
     
  4. aaf709

    aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2005
    3,862
    18
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Have you driven it over your usual commute? Generally I don't see all green except for a couple of points on my commute (which is after going down a long hill). I just had my 15K done and didn't see a change like that.
     
  5. pblaidig

    pblaidig New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2005
    9
    0
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, MD
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aaf709 @ Mar 31 2006, 09:31 PM) [snapback]233217[/snapback]</div>
    Yes, and it usually shows green. It really bothered me that this prius technician said that the car isn't supposed to show any green bars unless you are actually braking. Seemed like he didn't know anything about Priuses.
     
  6. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    9,810
    466
    0
    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    the tech probably meant the green arrows that show on the screen when you're getting regen braking.

    i rarely see any green bars unless i've just run downhill.

    anything else different? because really in the big scheme of things, it's just one bar on your energy screen....
     
  7. jbarnhart

    jbarnhart New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2004
    629
    1
    0
    Location:
    Santa Clara, CA
    That's not enough time. It's not necessarily "better" to have all green bars. Ideally you want to USE your battery, and that means its charge will drop into the blue bars and even the pink from time to time. Drive to a place where you'll have a loooong downhill stretch and you'll see your green bars return.
     
  8. pblaidig

    pblaidig New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2005
    9
    0
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, MD
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jbarnhart @ Mar 31 2006, 09:48 PM) [snapback]233221[/snapback]</div>
    So I guess I am just hyper, and don't need to make them check it out again? This car is my baby, named Virginia after my late mother, and the first car I have had that was all mine, not the "family car". I don't want anything to be wrong with her.
     
  9. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    9,810
    466
    0
    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    deep breath, pblaidig. jbarnhart is right. it's good to use the the range of battery bars. keeping the soc near maximum is kinda against the whole point. no need to be so worried.

    but you're not alone, my DH gets those kind of questions all the time at the shop.
     
  10. eak354

    eak354 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2003
    447
    0
    0
    Location:
    HI
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    what tire pressure do you usually use? i use 42/40, and after EVERY scheduled maintenance they change it back to factory specs, changing my regenerative coasting.. throwing off the usual SOC i get on my routes.
     
  11. pblaidig

    pblaidig New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2005
    9
    0
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, MD
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eak354 @ Mar 31 2006, 10:25 PM) [snapback]233245[/snapback]</div>
    Thanks, all. I am calming down now. And I will check my tire pressure in the morning. Finding a big hill to go down in the Columbia, Maryland area is a bigger task. I don't know enough to post on this forum, but I read the forum all the time and have learned a lot about my car and how to drive it from reading the posts. And, when I have gone on to ask a question, you have all been great. It is much appreciated.
     
  12. Truffles

    Truffles Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2005
    56
    0
    0
    Location:
    Antioch, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    I just had my 5000 done and it seems like I can't it to run from just the battery on low speeds as easily as I used to. I'll drive some more before making any judgements.

    I did have them set the tires 42/40. I also brought my own Mobil1 oil. He stated on the invoice that he put in 4 qts, so I'll have to check to make sure it's not overfilled.

    And by bringing in my own oil... I saved a whole $4 off their quoted price.

    Bill
     
  13. Charles Suitt

    Charles Suitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2004
    1,637
    16
    0
    Location:
    Dallas TX
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    :mellow: In 18 months 16,000+ miles, I have seen GREEN only once on the traction battery SOC. Usually, I run all BLUE.

    Not to worry - sounds like your Prius is "normal."
     
  14. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    yep....normal operation means you should have 6 bars about 90% of the time. this can be changed by large elevation changes or if you have an EV switch.
     
  15. jamarimutt

    jamarimutt New Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2004
    985
    5
    0
    Now, why would you take the car to the dealer for an oil/filter change?
     
  16. Presto

    Presto Has his homepage set to PC

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2005
    1,326
    24
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    I take mine to the dealer for the oil change because they have awesome service, a time-killing waiting area, and free coffee and hot chocolate. Depending on when I go, I sometimes get freebies.
     
  17. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2005
    6,280
    378
    0
    Location:
    Central Texas
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Its good to have a bit of headroom.. running around all the time with an almost charged battery does not really help you.

    Its not like you deplete it all the time and that extra charge would give you a little more distance or anything?

    The fact is that if you have some headroom, you maintain a reserve Place for regenerated energy to flow should you have the opportunity to make a bunch of it... sometimes I wish mine only ran about half....

    All too often, I find in my hilly mountainous area that I regen so much coming down a hill that in no time I have the battery completly full and have to waste the rest of my regen because it has no place to go.

    I would see it as a plus rather than a minus to have more battery in reserve to store extra energy into.
     
  18. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
    12,544
    2,123
    1
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Charles Suitt @ Apr 1 2006, 10:45 AM) [snapback]233423[/snapback]</div>
    Hard to say if the OP's car is normal, but I've seen green many times and I'm only at ~3500 miles. I've seen it get all the way down to the purple state before as well after being stuck in traffic while going up and up in a clogged parking structure.
     
  19. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2004
    2,077
    296
    0
    Location:
    York,Pa.
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jamarimutt @ Apr 1 2006, 06:22 PM) [snapback]233492[/snapback]</div>
    Because my dealer only charges 21.95 with the coupon I know they know what they're doing.