It seems like when my Prius goes from gas to electric, it's a pretty rough transition....it's very abrupt, sounds like the car is coughing, and the whole car shakes....almost like an old car stalling. Is this normal? When I asked the dealer about it, he said, "Oh yeah, nothing to worry about" Anyone else experience the rough transition?
This has been discussed many times over the years. The "shake" is sometimes rough, especially when the ICE has not warmed up fully. Get used to it, my car has 64,000 miles and it still shakes.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brtn422 @ Jul 20 2007, 10:00 AM) [snapback]482202[/snapback]</div> Although I've never noticed anything that felt like an old car stalling (about 10,000 miles now), others occasionally have as jararimutt explained above. It's also described pretty simply by Tony in this thread: http://priuschat.com/index.php?s=&show...st&p=367185
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jamarimutt @ Jul 20 2007, 10:14 AM) [snapback]482210[/snapback]</div> phew! ok, i thought I was the only one...thanks for the quick reply guys!
It also seems rougher when the A/C is running hard. Due to the higher load on the ICE, I guess, generating all that power.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jul 20 2007, 12:47 PM) [snapback]482279[/snapback]</div> If the ICE needs to generate power, then it's not going to shut down. The A/C is powered from the electrical system. If the SOC on the traction battery is high enough to allow an ICE shutdown, then the battery is charged enough that little or no power is being pulled from the ICE for generation. It must be something else. Tom
Don't think of this as "switching from gas to electric." The Electric motor is available 100% of the time, ready to go at a moment's notice. The ICE shuts down when it is not needed, and it is just that shuddery shutdown that you are feeling. It is no "transition" except from ICE running to ICE not running. Every car shakes when the ICE starts and stops - this one just shakes more because of the efficient type of ICE it uses. Way smoother when the ICE is left out of the design!
Hi All - The responses to this post really surprised me. I have an '05 Prius, and I have to say, I find it hard to tell with when the ICE is kicking in or turning off. My passengers say the same thing, that if they weren't watching the diagram on the screen, they'd never know the car is deciding when to use the ICE. IMHO, if you're hearing noises, feeling vibrations, etc., sounds like something's wrong somewhere... Just my $.02.
Seems normal to me. It's not a huge noise, but I can hear (and feel) it when the engine shuts off. It's especially obvious with a window open. I've owned lots of prior cars with engines that died on a regular basis, so it still makes me a bit nervous. :blink:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bacinmass @ Jul 20 2007, 09:41 PM) [snapback]482651[/snapback]</div> Most of the time it's pretty smooth, especially during the "kicking on" phase. I too experience a rough shutdown, though not often.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Zorg @ Jul 21 2007, 01:09 PM) [snapback]482801[/snapback]</div> I rarely get the shakes anymore, that seems to have gone away after the first 5 or 6000 miles, but because I have always been somewhat in tune with my car, like I can feel a spark plug misfire in my wife's car. But to answer your question it definately gets much smoother especially the shutdowns at stops. And as far as the other poster that said it sounds like a problem if you notice, I disagree and think that it is a problem if you aren't able to notice, perhaps your car isn't shutting down the ICE.
The only time it's rough shutting down for me is the very first stop after the car has been sitting for a while... like that first stop sign when I leave work after a long day. However, I have become sensitive to when the ICE starts and stops. I wouldn't call it a shudder, exactly, it's more like a little nudge... not more noticeable than a little irregularity in the road surface. But that's after the ICE is nice and warmed up. When I play little gas pedal tricks to get the ICE to shut down, I notice it because I'm waiting for it. Or when I'm coasting into town and the speed drops below 40, I expect it. But it's real subtle. But, yes, there are times when it's rough shutting down (never rough starting up thanks to the pre-spin-up oil pressure that the motror gives it before the ignition kicks in), but that's normal and expected. But, if it's always rough for you, even after driving hard for 30 minutes or so, you may want to check some things out. It might not be a mechanical problem with the engine, but super low quality fuel or way too much oil.
I'm glad you put in your $.02. I'm surprised that you don't perceive the transition. Have you had the car long? At some speeds, it's very abrupt in my car. It feels like the ICE is starting to power the car directly. On the parkway, I don't feel it. I don't understand why the ICE should jolt the car if it's just starting the generator in MG 1. And I know there's a clutch on the flywheel that must do something. No clue. Glad you spoke up.
Does it feel harsh when the engine is starting or stopping or bought? If only when engine is starting then it could be that engine is just a bit hard to start due to bad spark plugs, dirty throttle body or something else. Car being 12 year old really isn’t a reason itself. There has to be some problem. It could be that fixing the problem would be so expensive that it’s not worth it for 12 year old car but I wouldn’t think that. Of course if vehicle is in bad enough condition it might not even be worth looking into a minor problem. But I don’t think 12 year old Prius probably qualifies as that.
yes, and no. constant wear can create loose tolerances that make operation rougher. or, it could be something completely different.
