EV Mode Indicator on 07 Instrument Cluster

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rest @ Feb 22 2007, 12:25 PM) [snapback]394741[/snapback]</div>

Your logic may be open to a challenge.

There are at least two instances reported here on PC of two different Toyota dealers installing an EV switch. Do you suppose that would happen if the Company would not honor a warranty because of such an installation?

In an interview, a company official did say, that it is POSSIBLE to use an EV switch in such a way as to defeat the excellent emmission characteristics of the Prius as ONE of the reasons for leaving off the switch. As I said above, we don't KNOW what the Company position is beyond that. We also know that they would need to demonstrate that a misuse of the EV switch was the cause of a battery failure in order to deny warranty coverage. That seems a rather unlikely possibility given what we know.

Just because you believe Toyota's leaving the switch off for North America means that Toyota would void the warranty if it was put back on does not make it so. If they felt that strongly about the matter, why did they leave the programming for the switch in the car they deliver over here?

Could it have been a marketing decision? Might they have decided that people in North America might be disappointed with performance as a result of using the switch (you can't go very far before the Ice cuts back in to charge the battery)? Might they have been afraid of lawsuits from blind people who were struck by silent cars moving around which had nothing to do with warranty matters (We all know that North Americans are sue happy)?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rest @ Feb 22 2007, 02:25 PM) [snapback]394741[/snapback]</div>

I think it's because the EPA did not want the American public to be able to manually select fuel sources. In other words, the EPA thinks pure EV mode is a different fuel source than a car running on gasoline. I thought I read about his last year but I have slept since then.

 

regional rep upon hearing DH put an EV switch in our car: "wow, cool!"

or something along those lines.

DH has scrounged a couple green bulbs from the turn signals of a defunct/replaced instrument cluster from a corolla and one of these days we're actually going to have the time and energy to pull ours apart and see if it's a plug and play (with carving the EV symbol on there) deal.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Andre86 @ Feb 22 2007, 06:12 AM) [snapback]394431[/snapback]</div>

Not true, you misunderstood that site. They actually claim "10 all-electric
miles, 20 miles of doubled gasoline mileage" http://www.calcars.org/conversions-factsheet.pdf

The 100+ mpg claim therefore applies to the first 20 miles, at best.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Feb 4 2007, 08:24 PM) [snapback]385331[/snapback]</div>

I just had a thought, Has anyone explored behind the dashboard to see if the bulb holder for the EV Mode dash indicator lighrt is just not populated? Perhaps if one bought a spare bulb socket, there is a place on the PCB to plug it in on the back. If no one else has explored this, I think I will get my service manual out and check on the instructions for replacing the instrument light bulbs.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Andre86 @ Feb 22 2007, 06:12 AM) [snapback]394431[/snapback]</div>

Speaking of calcars.org... I've yet to see anything from them that specifically describes how to do the extra battery modification step-by-step, or whether they intend to offer the technology to folks living outside CA.

 

I searched first. This post is what came up.

I know this is an OLD POST, but I have the same question. And since some time has past, I thought maybe a better solution has presented itself.

For those of us with an EV MOD installed on the U.S. models, how do you tell you are in EV mode? I do have a ScanGauge 2, and someone told me I could use that, but I haven't found the gauge.

Thanks.

 

Taken from The SGII Xgauge Database - CleanMPG Forums

As for the EV light on the dash, the North American Prius doesn't have the LED installed. I also saw one other thread (can't find it now) where The Force (I think) did some investigation and found that the relay wasn't even there, so just putting an LED there wouldn't be enough.

I use my SG2 and it works out well enough.