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Anyone have problems in a huge traffic jam?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by FishHawk, Oct 17, 2006.

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  1. FishHawk

    FishHawk New Member

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    I was involved in a large traffic jam going to Cape Cod. We were crawling. I was mostly on my battery and electric motor. I got a little nervous because the battery was getting very low. Has anyone had issues with the car stalling or the battery not being charged in such as situation? FishHawk
     
    #1 FishHawk, Oct 17, 2006
  2. Pious

    Pious New Member

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    I had that happen to me yesterday, and the ICE kicked in and charged the battery with no problem.
     
    #2 Pious, Oct 17, 2006
  3. Bill Lumbergh

    Bill Lumbergh USAF Aircraft Maintainer

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    As long as you're not leaving the car in neutral, the ICE will start and charge the battery whenever the ECU thinks it needs to.
     
    #3 Bill Lumbergh, Oct 17, 2006
  4. daronspicher

    daronspicher Active Member

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    It wasn't very impressive a time this summer when it was too hot to leave the AC off all the way. I had that on low and we got in a traffic snarl. 1.5 hours, 10 miles... After a point, the car was pretty well freaked out starting and stopping the engine. It's terrible for mpg when it's doing that, but no harm done.
     
    #4 daronspicher, Oct 17, 2006
  5. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Just leave it in D and drive it; the Prius will take care of itself. You can't discharge the battery unless you leave it in N.

    Tom
     
    #5 qbee42, Oct 17, 2006
  6. DocVijay

    DocVijay Active Member

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    I've been doing this 5 days a week for the past 10 months. Not once has it been a problem. Battery is full, battery drains, ICE charges battery, battery is full. Lather, rinse, repeat.

    If you are really worried, when the traffic stops for a second, put on the brakes hard, and push the accelerator. The ICE will come on an charge the battery. Don't know if this is good or bad, but it works.
     
    #6 DocVijay, Oct 17, 2006
  7. aaf709

    aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan

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    The only time I have that bad a traffic jam is when I'm in LA. Every time the ICE kicks in and out as needed without problems.
     
    #7 aaf709, Oct 17, 2006
  8. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    This is a FEATURE of your Prius...instead of sitting and idling it uses the battery to keep critical systems alive during low speed or stopped traffic. It allows the battery to get quite low on the assumption that traffic will go away soon and you'll recharge when you start driving. If you don't start driving it'll start up, charge nominally for a tiny fuel burn, and go back to battery-only mode.

    Do NOT shut off the car when the battery gets low...this is worse for FE as it will force it to go through the warm-up cycle again and you'll actually end up with an even lower battery charge.

    Do NOT do the forced charge method above (brake, gas technique), also unnecessarily burns fuel and increases the temp of the electronics (inverter, battery, etc) making them less efficient.

    Do NOT put the car in neutral or you eliminated the option for the battery to be recharged by the ICE. There are really only 2 ways you can damage your prius battery....1)leaving the car in Neutral and allowing the battery to be discharged, or 2)running out of gas and continuing to drive until the battery is depleted (and even that won't do it unless you keep going and going with multiple restarts).

    DO smile at all those saps burning gas for no good reason and frown at those same saps for polluting our world while they sit there burning gas.
     
    #8 efusco, Oct 17, 2006
  9. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 17 2006, 03:56 PM) [snapback]334227[/snapback]</div>
    Indeed! You are driving a "real" hybrid. This is what it does. Be happy that it works this way. If it doesn't use the battery in this fasion, there's little reason to drag the thing along with you. In the car I drive the most, the Internal Combustion Engine NEVER comes on - mostly because there isn't one.
     
    #9 darelldd, Oct 17, 2006
  10. Ari

    Ari New Member

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    This whole thread sounds like my daily commute! (I'm sure I'm not the only one.) [​IMG]

    It's really cool to inch along using little or no fuel while everyone else is idling. So no, it's not a bug, it's a feature :rolleyes:
     
    #10 Ari, Oct 17, 2006
  11. Artemis

    Artemis New Member

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    Don't worry, I sell those and I own one. I can tell you that the engine will always come on when the battery gets low. That is the design of the car. Whether you know it or not, the battery always gets low before the engine comes online.
     
    #11 Artemis, Oct 17, 2006
  12. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Oct 17 2006, 07:05 PM) [snapback]334229[/snapback]</div>
    Don't you mean it's *always* on? It goes fast and slow, but you don't want it to ever stop, though it will someday. You are referring to the original, organic engine, fueled by bananas, yes? There's still an 'intake', 'internal combustion', and an...um...'exhaust'. :)
     
    #12 hyo silver, Oct 17, 2006
  13. jdauteuil

    jdauteuil New Member

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    I to sit in ridiculous MA traffic on a daily basis and sometimes notice the same thing happening... Just turn on the consumption screen and let the car do it's thing - like the other poster said!
     
    #13 jdauteuil, Oct 17, 2006
  14. Beryl Octet

    Beryl Octet New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FishHawk @ Oct 17 2006, 05:30 PM) [snapback]334173[/snapback]</div>
    It does take some getting used to. In the summer here, I will be in stop and go, with A/C on, and I am still surprised when the gasoline engine cranks up when I am sitting still, but it's the normal behavior from what I can tell.
     
    #14 Beryl Octet, Oct 17, 2006
  15. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FishHawk @ Oct 17 2006, 04:30 PM) [snapback]334173[/snapback]</div>
    Congrats! Having worried like that, then finding out later that the system was working perfectly, makes you are true owner now. Without having felt that anxiety would have deprived you of the complete ownership experience.

    Now that you do know, the real fun begins. Heck, 6 years and 122,700 miles later, I'm still enjoying it.
     
    #15 john1701a, Oct 17, 2006
  16. NCPriusGrl

    NCPriusGrl New Member

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    Never had a problem once the battery runs low. I drive from NC to Philly a few times a year and sometimes get stuck in 2+ hour traffic back-ups around DC and besides problems with a full bladder, my Prius takes care of me getting through it.
     
    #16 NCPriusGrl, Oct 18, 2006
  17. eagle33199

    eagle33199 Platinum Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NCPriusGrl @ Oct 18 2006, 09:24 AM) [snapback]334410[/snapback]</div>
    Yours or the cars? :lol:
     
    #17 eagle33199, Oct 18, 2006
  18. PA

    PA Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 18 2006, 10:38 AM) [snapback]334418[/snapback]</div>
    It would only be the car's problem if it were an empty bladder. :D
     
    #18 PA, Oct 18, 2006
  19. Pinto Girl

    Pinto Girl New Member

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    I read somewhere that when you have that feeling that you *really* have to go to the bathroom, the walls of your bladder are only a few cell layers thick...
     
    #19 Pinto Girl, Oct 18, 2006
  20. NCPriusGrl

    NCPriusGrl New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 18 2006, 10:38 AM) [snapback]334418[/snapback]</div>
    ha ha, it would be a good "problem" if the cars bladder was full.

    Hint, don't be in the far left lane on I-95 in the middle of the day.
     
    #20 NCPriusGrl, Oct 18, 2006
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