Hi all, I just bought an 07 Prius last week, and having been nicknamed "Inspector Gadget" by a cycling buddy, I have been reading about some mods that can possibly improve mileage. I am not interested in voiding my warranty, so my questions are; 1) Are there any aftermarket or Toyota mods (that really will increase MPG) that will not void my warranty? (including solar mods) 2) Anyone have any experience with the Hot Inazma ECO (battery attachment) or Inazma HG (that fuel line magnet) 3) If I were to install an EV switch that would void my warranty, would the dealer be able to detect it if I were to remove it prior to a diognastic check? So far I am only averaging @ 43mph, but that is on winter gas and cold starts, plus I am still adapting to hybrid driving techniques. I have found the car a blast to drive, especially the challenge of trying to keep fuel effeciency at its highest. Thanks for any answers you can give. Happy driving.
1) no 2) no idea 3) in the US, we have said no but it's really up to you. My technician had no idea I had mine installed.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Feb 28 2007, 07:43 PM) [snapback]398174[/snapback]</div> Thanks for the welcome. Have you noticed a ride quality difference with the increased pressure? I was planning on at least 40/38, but also don't want my car to hit a bump like my road bike does at 120psi.
It's a little rougher at 42/40, but I couldn't tell much of a difference at a day or two. Nor could my wife, and that's the real test. Also, blocking the grill helps. As does having an engine block heater. As for the fuel line magnets, save your money and get a Scangauge instead. (There's a group buy going on right now.) I have found it to be very useful. Check out this thread for tips to up your mileage. Also, check out CleanMPG.com for some information on getting your mileage up. And welcome to PriusChat.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Mar 1 2007, 07:38 AM) [snapback]398462[/snapback]</div> To be fair, all that money also buys additional 12 volt battery capacity, and electronics to add charge to the HV battery while in 'ready mode'. That being said, I would not expect this solar mod to 'pay for itself' in fuel savings over any realistic time period. I do not believe that Steve Lapp is offering a 'kit' for the new model Prius anyway. Improving the underbody aerodynamics may help at highway speeds. Low viscosity engine oil (0W20) will help a bit, but not all are anxious to use a grade of oil not specifically endorsed by Toyota. Make sure that the suspension alignment is accurate, with toe-in set as close to zero as possible. A little negative is OK; any positive will not be enjoyable on the road. Carry no superfluous weight in your car. Everything else (including, especially, driving style) has already been covered by the responses. As has been discussed many times before, a modification per se will not void a warranty. First, some warranteed component must fail and second Toyota must demonstrate that the modification caused it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tochatihu @ Mar 1 2007, 09:56 AM) [snapback]398475[/snapback]</div> Unless the original design has been changed dramatically the original did NOT charge the HV battery at all...that or you're thinking of a different solar charger than I am.
The mod I'd like to do most myself for winter is the engine block heater, a Toyota part available for Canadian Priuses, that allows you to plug in the car and warm up the engine block before driving it, thereby reducing those first five minutes of bad mileage. As we park ours outside and don't have ready access to a plug it turned out not be be an option for us, but I was also concerned about the warranty issue, and the general opinion, given that the block heater is a Toyota Prius part (just not available as a standard option in US), is that you'd only have a warranty issue if your dealer was a real, uh, jerk. If you search on block heater you'll see lots of threads regarding it, same with blocking the grill, an easy do-it-yourself way to up winter mileage.
