Hi everyone! I've been the proud owner of a 2009 Prius since February. I signed up here though because I have a question that I'm hoping you all can help with. So a little background: I have had an ongoing issue with my Prius where the slip indicator would come on every time I drove over 70 mph and went over a bump. I finally figured out it was probably because I had different sized front tires than back tires. Thankfully the guy from Carmax called me to tell that they are replacing the tires under warrantee but during the call he also mentioned that priuses are not really meant to go over 70MPH and that fact is in the user manual. What?? Could this possibly be true? He said he was going to book mark that part in the user manual so I can see it for myself.
If he actually shows you, please post it here. Huge numbers of Prius drivers are keeping up with the traffic flow everywhere in the U.S., often well above 70 mph, without issues other than reduced MPG. In fact, I'd argue that any vehicle with any meaningful reason for not going faster, is not suitable of highway use in the U.S. And I'm hearing nothing to suggest that the Prius is not suitable for highway use here. On the other hand, mismatched tire sizes are a known hazard.
Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking! I regularly drive on highways that have a limit of 70MPH. I asked him to please book mark that part. We will see. Maybe he just interpreted it that way....
did you change the air in the tires from winter to summer blend? are you sure the warning light isn't for low blinker fluid? the dealer should be running a seasonal special for around $100 for both services.. there might be a coupon for a free muffler bearing inspection too..
There is a speed limit for the Prius which is the same for almost all Japanese built vehicles in the past few decades of 180kph. That's roughly 112mph. The car will not allow you to accelerate more than that, but it will continue to show your speed accurately if you are on a sufficiently steep downgrade that you could still accumulate speed while overcoming the air drag. It won't slow you down, it will only limit you from going any faster. Some vehicles are different like the Nissan Leaf which is speed limited to roughly 150kph (94mph) and when you hit the limit the accelerator pedal stops responding to input until all pressure is released and then re-applied. So a "stuck" pedal would get the car up to 94mph and then it would coast to a stop with no user input. This is different than a Toyota which will go to speed and then stay there until the energy source is depleted. Even true on the new 2017's
I find a good indicator is to follow the recommended speed limits posted on those black on white sign thingies which are stuck by the roadside ever so often. I drive to keep up with the traffic, and have been up to 85+MPH indicated without any adverse problems, but I have good tyres and the wheels/tyres are well balanced. Pressures are 46F/44R. I've seen the slippy indicator thingy occasionally when the conditions have been wet or snow, and the road surface has been painted or metal plates, or driving a bit too quickly over a hump-backed bridge, causing the suspension to unweight, and the wheels to slip!
Yep but when the black and white signs have posted limits of 75mph and 80mph, you can imagine at what speed traffic flows naturally. Triple digit speeds in the right lane are very common here. Driving 80mph, would be considered a road block in most cases.
I don't see how changing the tires will help, unless they are bald. I run 215/35/18 all the way around with 1 inch wide adapters. No problems here. I've been up to 100 miles per hour on many occasions. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Each wheel has a speed sensor. It was stated there are different size tires on the rear than the front....that means the back wheels will turn a slightly different rpm than the front ....therefore indicating slippage
I have also experienced the slip light going on when encountering particularly deep potholes. It goes on for a few seconds after the pothole. I have the Goodyear Eagle LS2s.
