Newbie questions: charging, EV mode, noises.....

Your charging cable is weather resistant.
Primes make noises. Some happen even hours after turning the car off. It’s never really off unless you disconnect the 12V battery and even then I’m not so sure.
My guess on not starting in EV mode is the dealer may not have charged it. If the EV portion of the traction battery is depleted the car will operate as a conventional hybrid with a propensity to run the engine. Once you charge it or run a while in Charge Mode it will usually run on EV mode unless it’s cold outside or you run the defroster.

 

https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omnav-s/OM20Multimedia/pdf/OM20Multimedia.pdf
https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omnav-s/OM47C84U/pdf/OM47C84U.pdf
https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omnav-s/OM47C85U/pdf/OM47C85U.pdf
https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omms-s/T-MMS-20PriusPrime/pdf/T-MMS-20PriusPrime.pdf
It sounds you are missing all 4 of those.

The car end of the cord is designed to be very safe in rain and snow. the House end is as dangerous as any other Plug.

This can keep it dry www.amazon.com/SOCKiTBOX-Weatherproof-Connection-Electrical-Enclosure/dp/B009RX5GI2

extension cord www.amazon.com/Lighted-Indoor-Outdoor-Heavy-Extension/dp/B07ZG5TJ7J

 

congratulations!
prime should start in ev mode unless it is below 14 degrees, or front defrost button is pushed.

 

You should ask your dealer for hard copies of those manuals. Chances are you will never use them, but you are entitled to them. If you don't need them, you can sell them on eBay.

No problem. The only time I don't plug in is when a lightning storm is imminent. I want to be safe from any damage to the car if the lightning hits.

Use the shortest 10 gauge pure copper extension cord you can find. I could not find anything shorter than 25 feet, but so far it is working fine. Protect the box and plug with a weatherproof box like one suggested above.

If you are talking about the indicator on the right front of the dash, then yes when the charge is completed it will shut off the indicator.

The car should start in EV mode by default if you have any charge remaining in the battery. It does not need any warm-up. Did you have the heater on and it was very cold (below ~14F)? Or did you use front defroster? Both of which will cause the gas engine to come on.

Yes, it is normal. It sometimes makes noise hours after you park.

There are many Toyota videos and other posted videos on the internet. Do the search.

 

I have had the same problem looking for 10/3 10 ft pure copper extension cord. Chances are the Life-Supply USA extension cords are all CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum), not pure copper. I actually e-mailed their customer service and asked about their 10/3 extension cord, and their answer was it is CCA. I have used thinner 12/3 pure copper 25 ft sjoow extension cord for almost two years without any heating up observed. But I recently changed it with 10/3 pure copper 25 ft sjtw extension cord by Coleman Cable just to be safe. Of course, I observe no heating up with this thicker cord even though it is a bit longer than I need. The problem is that in winter sjtw cable tends to become very stiff. That was the reason I was using the thinner 12/3 thermoplastic jacket (sjoow) which stays very flexible even down to sub-zero temp.

If you really want 10 feet pure copper extension cord you can ask @Rob43 to make you one.

 

I did some research on that "lifesupplyusa" 10 awg extension cord, It is a CCA (copper clad aluminum) extension cord. Here's a screen shot of when I entered the word "copper" in the "have a question" section. Also when you click on the user pictures, most of them show a burned up plug with black charring. This brand should be avoided.




www.amazon.com/Lighted-Extension-Outdoor-Jacket-LifeSupplyUSA/dp/B073SWWX2B?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1


Rob43

 

The Quick Start Guide is the only place I was able to find the location of the Jack. I couldn't find it in the manual when I got a flat. It's under the back seat, on the driver side. There is a plastic cover over it, near the floor.

 

FYI, It is shown on page 610 on the 2017 User Manual. I knew where it is, and I checked it one time. But I could not get it out of the under the seat storage. Didn't try hard at that time, but was kinda stuck.

Edit: Now come to think of it, the jack must be turned a bit to rise up to lock it in place so it does not rattle under the seat. I will have to try again to lower the jack before removing it from the storage.

 

When you slide the jack back into it's holding space,
the jacks long threaded bolt can be turned a half turn or so to secure the jack in the space and keep it from rattling in there.
It wouldn't slide out of that space until that jacking bolt is turned back a half turn.

I'll have to take a look at the DIY section of the manual. Thanks for the location.

 

Yeah, I just realized that after posting the picture, and edited my comment. I was not going to use it, just checking the location at that time. The only time I will use it is when I have to change a tire on the road. That has not happened in my lifetime.

 

I use a 12/3 flat 10ft from walmart $10 that works fine for me at 120v
yeah, copper is better.

 

See my post here. The one from Lowes is good, and I'm sure the ones from McMaster would be great.
WARNING: Extension Cords | Page 2 | PriusChat

Also, Monoprice has 14 gauge, 15A rated, indoor only, UL listed cords in 3, 6, and 10 foot lengths if you just need a very short cord. I used one for several months and it was fine. I have a pile of them, so I could sacrifice one and see if I can tell if it's copper or CCA if anyone wants me to check.
Monoprice Extension Cord - NEMA 5-15P to NEMA 5-15R, 14AWG, 15A, 3-Prong, Black, 25ft - Monoprice.com
I'd slightly prefer a 10 or 15 foot 12 gauge cord for a little extra durability over a 6 foot 14 gauge cord.

I doubt any reputable store would sell a CCA extension cord, except maybe for the cheapest lamp cords. But if anyone has any examples otherwise, let me know. Amazon and their third party sellers are NOT a reputable store in my opinion. The problem with CCA from what I understand is that aluminum work hardens and fatigues, so it is not an appropriate material for a cord that's designed to be flexed.

 

Is a rating of 15 amps sufficient? of should I look for 20 amps? Also, this cord doesn't mention material, should I look for "pure copper"?[/QUOTE]

This is what I ended up going with as a temporary solution as a contemplate hard wired.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-25-ft-10-Gauge-3-Prong-Outdoor-Heavy-Duty-Lighted-Extension-Cord/1001462922

25ft, 10/3, pure copper per manufacturer's site and packaging. Ordered from Lowes online and it took 2 weeks to arrive being shipped directly from manufacturer. It's $75 for an extension cord, but my philosophy here is that I"m not taking chances with both my car and my house with a cheap extension cord (both thin gauge and poor construction) and this was the one that gave me the most confidence of having a good cord.

 

Yep, that's a very nice cord. I just made a forum member a 30 ft long version of what you bought for about the same money, good quality costs a bit more.

Your new extension cord will give you virtually a lifetime of service, my only recommendation would be to clean those brass contacts every few years.


Rob43