Sorry, I've been really really busy lately. So I haven't been able to participate here. But it was for a good reason. See: [Broken External Image]:http://home.att.net/~priusowner/Prius_Info-Sheet_front.jpg [Broken External Image]:http://home.att.net/~priusowner/Prius_Info-Sheet_back.jpg That's the first edition of the 2-sided document I just finished creating for the 2004 Prius. (Every few months, I'll be updating it with new photos and text suggestions people make.) There's one for the Classic Prius too. It got downloaded, printed, and photocopied quite a bit by enthusiasts like yourself, then distributed to those curious about Prius and hybrids. Having something made by owners, not Toyota, has proven very effective. And the fact that it's cheap to reproduce doesn't hurt either! I find it really nice being able give something to those that catch me in a parking or at the gas station. It raises the odds that curiousity will be further stimulated after those chance (and oh too brief) encounters. There's a high-resolution DOC format available. So you may alter the content if you feel the need to customize for your locale or particular need. There is also both a high & low resolution versions in PDF format available too. Hope you like it. Happy downloading!
Oops! I forgot to mention where you can find the document... There's a permanent link at the bottom of the homepage of my website.
Nice! BTW, have you ever gotten the Battery-Pack Charge-Level Indicator to 2 bars, like you show on page 2 of that document? Mine has never gotten below 4 (or above 7).
Mine got down to one bar last night and turned pink! I totally drained the battery as I was climbing up a steep (6-7% grade) road for several miles (I-70 going west from Denver, CO) last night. I haven't driven much in the mountains since I got the Prius so this was the first time this has happened to me. It totally recharged to all green (including the white space at the top) on the return trip. I was a bit worried about all this, but all seems OK.
I was hoping that by having the pink level shown on the Info-Sheet, it won't come as much of a surprise to many owners when it happens. They'll figure out that under non-typical driving situations, it could occur. That "but all seems OK" comment seems to confirm that expectation.
Same thing happened to me driving from Denver to Glenwood Springs. It was a very cold, very windy, snowy day but I was very dissapointed. I will have it checked at the dealer soon but I have two friends who have done the same drive many times without loosing the electric assist. It's really unacceptable if you go over the pass regularly.
Steve, It WAS a bit disconcerting as I drove that way for quite some time. I was too busy driving to keep an eye on the mpg, but I was imagining it plummeting. Turns out I was wrong about that. The car was averaging about 51.4 mpg for that tank and after the trip to Evergreen I checked the mpg for the tank and it was up to 52 mpg! So I guess whatever I lost in mileage on the way up, I gained with the 99.9 mpg on the return trip. Temperatures were in the high 40's/low 50 for that trip and in Evergreen itself down to 37. At any rate, the battery does seem to charge up, but then discharge very easily, however, at least so far, mileage doesn't seem to suffer and the car seems perfectly normal. You say your friends do mountain driving and their battery doesn't drain. Based on my and your experience, I find that hard to believe because even just driving around with the hills we have in Lakewood, I have seen quite a variation on the battery level (not to the point it turns pink). However, a drive to Golden in front of Red Rocks Park and back DOES recharge the battery to all green except the top white bar. (The Evergreen return trip got it all green.) Also I'm sure Rocky Mountain driving has to be the most extreme case for the Prius and frankly, if I didn't glance at the battery level, I would not have known that it was in the pink - no difference in driving as I was zipping up the mountain at 65 mph. I was easily able to pass the slow trucks and VW beetle. As an aside, I used the "B" mode some of the time on the downhill return trip. It slowed the car and kept me off the brakes on that steep decline. I noticed that I had to put it in "B" and then on some of the stretches I put it back in "D" to maintain speed so I was constantly going back and forth as the "B" did a pretty good job of slowing the vehicle. Keep us posted if you find out anything from the dealer about the battery level.
I should have make it clear that the severe battery discharge going up is perfectly normal. I was down to one bar after 5-10 minutes of climbing. My problem was that the gasoline engine couldn't keep me going at much more than 50 mph on the rest of the climb(s). That might be due to the extremem cold, the deep snow and/or the 40mph headwinds from the west. On the way down, the battery charged fully in just a few minutes. Your good experience, plus that of my two friends, leads me to believe that I'll be OK after the SS-40A patch is applied by Bighorn Toyota or they find something else that needs attention.
Yes, that's the service campaign. Information on it is available in other threads here on PriusChat, in case you want to take a look.
John, Thanks for the effort. You did a real nice job with both the info sheet and the user guide. Paul
John, I picked my 2004 Prius (Driftwood BC/9) up yesterday morning in Alvin, TX (south of Houston) and drove leisurely back to Tulsa using the break-in info from your website. I had printed out 3 copies of your Info Sheet, and when I visited a couple of friends on the way home, each of them asked if they could keep the info sheet. Good job - and thanks! Beth
