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Slip Indicator Light

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by heliotropehead, Jan 9, 2005.

  1. heliotropehead

    heliotropehead New Member

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    Thrice now my car has jerked right then left for no apparent reason. All three times the slip indicator warning flashes for several seconds and then disappears. I'm just worried that there's something more to this. Today when it happened I was going 35mph, road & weather conditions were perfect & I honestly did nothing wrong. The only this I can come up with is right before the car jerked, I went over a slight bump in the road. Still, I remained in control the whole time. Is this normal?

    Thanks!
     
  2. removeum

    removeum Member

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    8) heliotropehead,

    Is it possible that you hit some patches of ice and/or wet pavement and if so, that might be why the TC kicked in?

    Ben
     
  3. heliotropehead

    heliotropehead New Member

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    Nope. Do you think a pothole would do it? Louisiana roads aren't the best!
     
  4. removeum

    removeum Member

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    8) Yes I think a pothole could do it. What part of Louisiana? I lived in Oakdale, LA for 13 years before transfering here to Omaha, NE.

    Ben
     
  5. heliotropehead

    heliotropehead New Member

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    Originally from New Orleans, schooled in Lafayette, now living in northern LA but considering a move back to New Orleans.

    :)
     
  6. removeum

    removeum Member

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    8) I do miss my friend, bass fishing, (cushanda layes) I know spelled it incorrectly.
     
  7. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(heliotropehead\";p=\"62618)</div>
    It's happened to me a few times, at the same exact spot about a quarter mile from my house. The bump must cause a wheel to become momentarily airborne, which must have the same characteristics as slippage as far as the Prius' computers are concerned.
     
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    A quick bump over railway tracks at crossing (when wet) will trigger the TRAC.
     
  9. DaveG

    DaveG Member

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    It's also happened to me when I went over a manhole/utility cover and one wheel spun-out slightly because of water on the metal.

    Dave
     
  10. Ceres

    Ceres Junior Member

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    A similar thing happened to me today. I was braking for a red light when I hit a bump in the road, and all of a sudden I lost control of my car for a couple of seconds as it veered side to side slightly. The Slip Indicator Light flashed a few times afterward, then went off. I drove over this bump almost daily and this is the first time I lost control. It was quite scary, felt almost like I was hydroplaning at a low speed, but the road was dry and weather was sunny, so it must have been the bump in the road. I just hope I can avoid having this happen the next time. :frown:
     
  11. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Have you checked the tire tread depth of your tires, especially the front tires? My guess is that they are sufficiently worn to allow the tire slip. If you get new tires then this problem will likely go away.
     
  12. ualdriver

    ualdriver Member

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    This happens to me all the time when I brake on a bumpy road with the Prius, especially if you hit a good sized bump in the road. It also happens to our other cars as well. I wouldn't say I lose control, but the brakes definitely feel like they "let go" for a second. It's a long second.
     
  13. Ceres

    Ceres Junior Member

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    The treads are still good, so I don't think it was a tire problem. I used to drive a Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla before my Prius, and I have never experienced something like this on a dry pavement and at such a low speed in those cars before. I'll just have to be more cautious with my Prius driving over bumps from now on.
     
  14. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The transition from regenerative braking to friction braking makes it feel worse with the Prius.

    Tom
     
  15. i3akachan

    i3akachan i love my new prius:)

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    so i have a gen 3, and i was just reading the manual for fun...

    it says that if u're braking, and u depress the brake pedal all the way down and hold for 2 seconds, the anti-slip thing will come on. maybe when u go over bumps, the car thinks ur foot is flooring the brake pedal (b/c the car goes up, and ur foot stays at the same place), and turns on the anti-slip.

    no idea if this is the case, but that's my theory, since it looks like it happens in perfect conditions.
     
  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Don't confuse it with Hill-Start Assist which is activated when you're stopped and you press the brake pedal past a "denté" or a threshold.