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what point in charging indicator brake pads engage ?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by amit, Sep 8, 2009.

  1. amit

    amit New Member

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    2010 T-III
    At what point in the charging indicator does it engage the brake pads? So, when I brake, the charging indicator in the dashboard moves to the left - at what point are the brakes using the brake pads versus mostly "battery regeneration"
    Or is it not an indicator at all ?
    The aim of course, being to improve charging while braking (if noone is behind me of course )
    Thanks,
    Amit
     
  2. amit

    amit New Member

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    Maybe this is also related:
    Does anyone know what the cruise control uses to get back to the set speed limit from a higher speed?

    Does it use brakes at all or only regenerative braking?

    E.g. while going downhill, if i have the CC set, I've noticed that the charging indicator moves halfway to the left while reducing the speed of the car.
    I'm assuming the brake lights are not turned on :)

    Would this be a good way to slow down the car to cruise to a stop, since the car "knows" that the speed needs to be reduced to say 25mph from 45mph (by resuming CC at 45mph after initially setting it to 25mph)
     
  3. eglmainz

    eglmainz New Member

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    Since applying the brakes will cancel cruise control my assumption (meaning guess), is that there are no friction brakes (or brakes lights lighting up), and that only regenerative braking is done to reduce your speed.
     
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  4. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Cruise Control also uses engine compression braking to reduce speed, though I have seen this only when the traction battery is full, or nearly full.
     
  5. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

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    We don't have a convenient way to read battery current or brake
    pressure in the 2010 yet, but based on my "butt-dyno" and what
    I know a second-gen feels like in certain modes I'd say it's
    somewhere after the "CHG" bar bottoms out to the left. So
    staying within that range, if conditions permit, seems like a
    good idea. One of these days we'll get a current clamp on the
    battery leads and really see what's going on. I expect the limit
    is still around 100 amps of regen.
    .
    _H*
     
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  6. a64pilot

    a64pilot Active Member

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    I hadn't thought of that. I should be able to do that, and try to correlate it to a dash instrument. I am becoming of the opinion that the HSI is not linear. That should be easy to prove or disprove by comparing the HSI to percent throttle opening.
     
  7. amit

    amit New Member

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    "butt-dyno" LOL
    I guess that's how other folks mentioned that everyone's brake pads last 100K+
    And yeah! It would be cool to have that - It reminded me of our old-old cars which had an amp-meter on the dash for the 12V.