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2013 Prius struggling in heat

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Shudduptaylor, Jun 17, 2016.

  1. Shudduptaylor

    Shudduptaylor New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I've had my 2013 Prius since new. And now I'm having problems. I'm not sure how to explain this. Basically it feels like my car is over-exhausting itself. When I go to take off, the car jerks like I slammed my pedal to the floor. If I'm on the highway and need to speed up, it sounds like it's reving really high and really long, and when I take my foot off the gas, there's about a 5 second delay before the car actually starts to decelerate. I don't even feel comfortable on the highway when it's acting up because my car kinda just accelerates suddenly and then takes forever to stop even when my foot isn't on the gas anymore. This problem happened last summer, and when I took it to the dealership it stopped before I could show them. It started getting cold outside not long after so this didn't happen again. Now that it's hot out, my car is doing it again. And it's fine as long as the sun has gone down for the night. I thought it was because my a/c was on, but I can turn it off and it doesn't make a difference on the way the car is driving. I get regular maintenance done, all my filters are clean, and there's nothing I can really think could be wrong. Neither does my entire car obsessed family/boyfriend. Any ideas?
     
    #1 Shudduptaylor, Jun 17, 2016
  2. FuelMiser

    FuelMiser Senior Member

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    You don't say how many miles on it? My 2013 with 27,000 miles runs great. So, a couple things come to mind: what is the state of charge (SOC) of the traction battery? A low SOC will cause the internal combustion engine (ICE) to work harder, and since it really is kind of wimpy, will make a lot of noise without producing much "go". Another item might be the spark plugs. If over 100,000 miles you might want to replace them. Bottom line, your 2013 should still have a lot of "get up and go" as long as the traction battery is in good shape...
     
    #2 FuelMiser, Jun 17, 2016
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    check the battery cooling fan for contamination. do you carry any pets?

    how is the engine oil level? are mpg's okay?
     
    #3 bisco, Jun 17, 2016
  4. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    Sounds like you might have an inverter overheating issue. You would be wise to get it into the dealer and have them check over the cooling system. It's possible that your inverter cooling pump may be failing or the level is critically low. In which case you may have a small leak.
     
    #4 BZzap!, Jun 17, 2016
  5. Shudduptaylor

    Shudduptaylor New Member

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    I've traveled a lot, I have 45,000 miles. The battery charges fine, when it's really hot and I'm driving it stays at about 4 bars. It's picks up speed perfectly fine any time it's not sunny and in the upper 80's. But when it's hot I have to push on the gas a lot harder than usual and then when I take my foot off, the engine continues to sound like it's trying to accelerate for a few seconds before it finally starts to slow down. And when I take my foot off the gas, the MPG bar either takes FOREVER to go up (it's usually immediate) or it will go up slow, and then hover between 50 and 75mpg despite the fact I'm not giving it any power.
     
    #5 Shudduptaylor, Jun 17, 2016
  6. Shudduptaylor

    Shudduptaylor New Member

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    I'm getting a little less than normal MPG wise but that's to be expected and it happens when I use my AC a lot. Where is the battery cooling fan at? And yes I have a dog that's in my car often, she doesn't shed very bad though.
     
    #6 Shudduptaylor, Jun 17, 2016
  7. Shudduptaylor

    Shudduptaylor New Member

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    Can you check the level on your own or do I have to take it to the dealership?
     
    #7 Shudduptaylor, Jun 17, 2016
  8. Shudduptaylor

    Shudduptaylor New Member

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    Can you check the level on your own or do I have to take it to the dealership? I wish I could see the temp of things on my dash
     
    #8 Shudduptaylor, Jun 17, 2016
  9. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    You can easily check the level of inverter coolant by looking for pink fluid in its reservoir under the hood. Your owner's manual identifies if for you. If the coolant pump is working normally, you should be able to see some sign of movement in the fluid.

    Those are strange symptoms!
     
    #9 CR94, Jun 17, 2016
  10. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    The level might be showing the correct level but the efficiency of the cooling pump might be in question. I know it's like a visit to the Dentist but you (as I stated before) would be wise to take it in and have them do some flow tests
     
    #10 BZzap!, Jun 17, 2016
  11. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    I agree with all of the above mentioned. My first thought was the battery, then ICE. Remember, your car is a rolling computer and HAL (the brains behind of it all) constantly monitors its status and adjusts as necessary. It sounds like the computer is trying to remedy a situation that isn't quite obvious yet. How about any codes? or Dash lights?
     
    #11 Montgomery, Jun 17, 2016
  12. nicoj36

    nicoj36 Active Member

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    I have experienced this with both engine oil and transmission oil overfilled. If I were you, I would do an oil chance and transmission oil drain and refill. Make sure you get the right amount of oil and tranny fluid.
     
    #12 nicoj36, Jun 17, 2016
  13. Topp Cat

    Topp Cat Member

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    Sound like there issue the ecm system, outside temp goes up the ecm is leaning / backing off on timing advance causing engine to produce less power causing the cvt transmission to stay in higher ratio thus reving higher engine rpms . Suggest taking to mechanic whom well season in Prius drivability.
     
    #13 Topp Cat, Jun 17, 2016
  14. Redpoint5

    Redpoint5 Senior Member

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    My first thought is TPS (throttle position sensor) acting up when hot.

    Without seeing the symptoms ourselves, it's likely wild speculation as to what is going on.

    If you had a gauge like Torque, we could get more info such as what the ECU thinks the throttle position is. If it doesn't immediately change when you take your foot off the gas, then that's a problem.
     
    #14 Redpoint5, Jun 21, 2016
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