Advice - rough treatment of car by tech at dealership.

I'd probably leave it be, his actions would be extremely unlikely to have been damaging.

It's not as though PRIUS has an automatic (or manual) type gearbox, it's totally different. Check out the operation of the PowerSplitDevice which incorporated MG2 driving through a planetary gearset - I'd be surprised if there were any damage at these speeds.

This thread includes a few good descriptions: Power Split Device | PriusChat

I remember one of the old (very robust) PowerGlide transmissions which I regularly felt(!!) being dropped into D while still going backwards at 5+MPH - the whole car would shudder, then take off. That car seemed to suffer no ill-effects as he did much the same for years. I wouldn't try it on a modern conventional auto or DualClutch - though most have computer overrides to prevent it these days.

I often wonder about other people's driving, as I'm careful and cautious, but I'll be press on when I need to.

BUT some drivers always seem to be aggressive when it's not necessary, some always drive too close to the car in front, some drive with no concern for how much fuel they use (but complain when they fill-up) ... etc etc. We can't expect them to all drive like us. Just roll your eyes and carry on.

 

Actually, the engine doesn't drive the wheels in forward or reverse!

It only generates electricity to boost the HV battery - propulsion is purely electric motor.

 

^ That may invite some discussion?

 

In reverse I believe it's always the electric motors, some technical limitation. And yeah sometimes in forward motion it's purely motors. For example, I seem to recall just after start up, with the engine at fast-idle, it's doing nothing but warming itself, it's the electrical motors providing motivation. But other than that, when going forward I believe it can be all one or the other, but usually a mix.

When the Volt first came out, and Ford was publicly claiming it to be just electric-propelled, with gas motor for charging only, there was debate about the validity of the claim.

But with Prius, if you look up HSD on Wiki, the consensus seem to be it's a mix.

 

i'm not going to get in the middle of two of my priuschat buds, you're going to have to sort this out yourselves.

 

I see what you're saying - but my understanding is that it's a bit more complex than that. Definitely in reverse, and at low speed forward, but I'm sure the ICE provides power direct through the Power Split Device when needed.

Check out :

- start at 20:30.

Or:

 

Point taken.

 

Kilgore
Quit it man. He's productive. He's not doing burn outs. It's you man, not him. I was a mechanic and I was aggressive, perhaps more than him. I used to drive bucketloaders on one wheel. The owner of the business used to laugh as I skillfully drove by the shop doors on one wheel. The service manager used to go nuts because he couldn't fathom the skill I had and thought I would crash. The service manager called me reckless yet I wasn't doing stunts. The manger hated me because the owner did nothing about it and understood my skill since the owner is a jujitsu master and can relate to skill. The service manager is a pothead who is incompetent with a wrench and can't relate. This was easy and casual to me. I never crashed. Trust your mechanic and stop it. What you think is abuse is nothing. And it has no I'll effects. You're being too sensitive. He is the pro, you are the one w emotions.

 

pshaw

 

The fact that The Prius may have built in safeguards that minimize any damage that may or may not of happened is not the point.

The point is the OP witnessed their vehicle being treated in rough manner, a disrespectful manner.

A few things, in most dealerships I've been in lately, a pet peeve of mine is that they all seem designed in build and operation from separating you from your vehicle and any visual or hands on connection to what may or may not be happening to your vehicle. Under normal circumstances today, you hand your keys over, they drive the vehicle away to a non-visible service bay, and you don't even get to speak to the mechanics or technicians directly working on your vehicle. The closest connection you get is the fabled "Service Rep" , who IMO mostly serves as a buffer between yourself and the actual technicians, and who's primary execution seems to be to get your signature on approved estimates and ultimately on a signed paid in full bill.
I'm sure it varies from Service Rep to Service Rep, but in some cases I don't have much confidence that the Service Rep knows much about the vehicle at all. The major training seems to be on what keys to push to get the paperwork to print.

So I'm surprised the The OP was in a position to even see what was happening to their vehicle.

Whether I was right or wrong?
If I witnessed my vehicle being treated in any manner that I felt was less than professional, and less than respectful to the faith I've put in the dealership and the investment I have in that same vehicle, I would be upset.

If I was upset enough? I'd change service departments in the future.

If I felt like it was a fluke? If I was one time happening? I might brush it off.

I wasn't there. I didn't witness the treatment.
But..."(I) observed the technician throwing my car into reverse, then into forward, then into reverse and so on 3 times. He did it with such vigor that I actually wondered if he was testing the brakes, or some other component on the car "- doesn't sound like respectful care. There is IMO nearly no reason lining up a vehicle in a service bay should take throwing a vehicle into reverse then forward 3 times, evidently so violently that the OP thought maybe the brakes were being tested.

What we have here however, is freedom.
And it boils down to me, that if you feel your concerns weren't being appropriately and seriously addressed. And if you feel the treatment was sub-standard or unprofessional, your best long term move is to simply change dealerships for service.
Depending on your location and number of possible dealerships in the area, this may be easier said than done. But continuing with a service department that you don't have faith in, is not worth doing. Now whether this was misinterpreted, or not...the OP would always have shadows of doubt and concerns handing their keys over for anything from routine maintenance to possibly more serious issues in the future.
Unfortunately for the service department, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. And whatever actually did happen, it was not a situation that built confidence for the OP.
Sometimes just follow your gut. I think I'd be researching the NEXT place I'd be taking my vehicle , for service in the future.

 

@The Electric Me you should run for prez.

(I sense undisclosed location is somewhere in the States.)

 

Best I can tell he’s around the city of roses in the state of ducks and beavers.

 

It's annoying when they do that - we know they're on one of the continents - but probably not Antarctica. When we drive vastly different cars depending on location, it can lead to confusion, different servicing regimes, different consumables.

Why, I hear that drivers in some countries even sit in the passenger side to drive.

Not sure if a PRIUS has been to Antarctica yet.

 

With all due respect, I bring my car to the dealership because I reasonably expect that it will be serviced by mechanics who are professionals. To that end, I think it's reasonable to expect that they will treat my property with respect (I have driven quite a few very expensive vehicles, and I did so with extreme care because they did not belong to me). If I saw a technician driving around my vehicle or a vehicle I was responsible for (e.g. a corporate vehicle), I would go to very significant lengths to ensure that it did not happen to me or anyone else's vehicle again.

Regardless of whether there is permanent, lasting damage or not, I do not bring my vehicle to people who would treat me or my property with that kind of callousness.

Over the years, I've formed the opinion that a large number of Toyota dealership service departments are able to get away with less-than-ideal quality of work because of the sheer number of customers they have. Did they do a bad job and lose your business? Doesn't matter - there's a hundred other customers out there and Toyota corporate seems to have like no leverage at improving the quality of their dealers.

A few years ago, I checked every dealership around my area on google maps - all of them were rated like 3 stars. I've personally had two different dealerships put the wrong oil in my car (I know because I bring my own oil) - one didn't even seem to know that a Gen 2 Prius takes 5w-30 (they put 0w-20 in - it's written on the paperwork).


OP: I'd be leaving reviews detailing your experience on Yelp, Google Maps, and anywhere else you can leave comments. At least give others the chance to avoid that kind of unprofessionalism.

 

I'm not doing it to be annoying.
But in a culture that now expects you to share a mini-profile of yourself to do everything from grocery shop with a "savings card" to simply have your hair cut?
Sometimes I default to the refreshing feeling of NOT sharing.

Seriously, I went to get a haircut at a local franchised hair cutting establishment, and just to get a walk in hair cut, the girl wanted to know my name, address, e-mail address, phone number....
My feeling is, I just want a haircut. Do I really have to disclose that level of information?

I think a big part of it is generational and age.
Younger people have grown up, punching information into their cell phones, signing up for online coupons, joining "shopping clubs". Sharing a mini-profile of themselves to participate in any number of IMO "casual" undertakings. Try ordering a Pizza online, and see how much information they want from you.

I come from a different era. So sometimes, I find it refreshing to not automatically share.
But I realize I'm a Dinosaur in that regard. And maybe a paranoid Dinosaur.

At Prius Chat? I'd say 99%+ of the conversations I have participated in have not been impacted by my non-disclosure. If my location becomes a natural part of the conversation? Or is needed to aid myself or others? I'll share. But I don't feel I need to have my location advertised in my public profile, even if I also recognize that it's probably harmless, and doesn't make a difference.

I just remember a time, when every action didn't require sharing nearly a complete profile of ones self for participation. It's a symptom of our age.
Ironic to me that most of us automatically accept this. We sign up for everything, sharing our information with nearly any entity that goes as far as asking. Most of the time it's completely harmless. It's getting coupons and solicitations in your e-mail in box. But...a lot of times, I don't want it.

Sometimes I feel like I'm going to be asked to leave a blood sample to buy a jar of pickles.

So if I can join and participate in Prius Chat, with the refreshing feeling of NOT automatically sharing my location....
Well just let this paranoid dinosaur enjoy it.

 

Qsorry for coming across harshly. I kinda beat a dead horse on this one....

 

This is a non-issue. The prius has no gear change mechanism. Forward and reverse are the same gear, just different torque vector for the vfd. Its software not hardware. I do it all the time on my gen 4 and I did it on my gen 2. Its no different than regening.