engine stalls on quick acceleration

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Wagnerjp25, Oct 30, 2009.

  1. Wagnerjp25

    Wagnerjp25 New Member

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    I have a 2004 Prius with 100K plus, but this problem has occurred eever since I got the car used at 15K. When I am stopped, with the engine turned off, if I punch the gas to the floor for a quick acceleration (like crossing 2 lanes of a busy highway) the engine will stall. I have to pump the gas to get going. Scary when traffic is bearing down on me. I don't seem to have the same problem if I push the gas pedal down more slowly. I heard once that this stalling was a firmware problem, but I never got any recall notices about that.:eek:
     
    #1 Wagnerjp25, Oct 30, 2009
  2. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Stall? You mean, you actually hear the engine stop running? Or do you mean that the car doesn't want to accelerate momentarily, as though, oh, maybe, the tires were slipping?
     
    #2 richard schumacher, Oct 30, 2009
  3. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    My guess is the traction control is kicking in...
     
    #3 firepa63, Oct 30, 2009
  4. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Wagner. It's not really a stall. I have a 2004 and he does the same thing. There are numerous people here who have reported the exact same thing. I'm not a technical guy so I'll let one of the others explain exactly what's going on. What I do know is that a steady acceleration rather than a pedal stomp is many time more effective and will avoid the "stall" situation you describe. Once you get the steady acceleration down you will be able to make your Prius jump off the line.
     
    #4 TonyPSchaefer, Oct 30, 2009
  5. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    I assume you are activating the traction control, which is very sensitive on your era of Prius. What type of tires are you running? Good tires will go a long way toward reducing this problem.

    Tom
     
    #5 qbee42, Oct 30, 2009
  6. Wagnerjp25

    Wagnerjp25 New Member

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    No, the engine definitely stalls. Quits. Dead. Then restarts after several seconds.
     
    #6 Wagnerjp25, Nov 2, 2009
  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I suggest you visit your local Toyota dealer and find out what they will charge to update your engine and hybrid vehicle ECUs with the latest firmware. Had you done this before 60K miles, you might have gotten this done at no charge under the powertrain warranty. Good luck.
     
    #7 Patrick Wong, Nov 2, 2009
  8. Politburo

    Politburo Active Member

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    If the engine is stalling, I'd think you'd get a CEL.

    Not really relevant, but this 'scary' problem has occurred for 85K miles with no previous attempts at diagnosis?
     
    #8 Politburo, Nov 2, 2009
  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Mine reacts similarly when mashing the pedal and making a slight turn but every rarely does it do it from a dead stop and in a straight line. I have high performance 215/45/17 tires though so they are not likely to slip in a straight line. Your problem sounds like traction control kicking in where all power is cut momentarily. If it is not then you definately need to get it checked out.
     
    #9 F8L, Nov 2, 2009
  10. Wagnerjp25

    Wagnerjp25 New Member

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    Thanks for the many replies. I don't understand what the traction control is and why it cuts out.
     
    #10 Wagnerjp25, Nov 5, 2009
  11. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Traction control is designed to prevent you from spinning your wheels which could potentially cause you to either a)spin out, or b)over-rev your hybrid system.

    Unfortunately Toyota designed it to be a bit too aggressive in the Prius where almost any slippage sensed causes a complete stop of the wheel rotation. This was improved in the Prius II 2006+ and apparently is much better in the Prius III.
     
    #11 efusco, Nov 5, 2009
  12. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Traction control on Prius cuts power to both front wheels if one front wheel slips under acceleration. What you feel is the front tyres slipping, maybe on a white line or a man hole cover, the power is cut for a fraction of a second which feels like several seconds when you want to get going, then the power comes back on.
    Feed the power in rather than stomp on the power and the problem wont happen.
    Don't pump the pedal, just maybe lift off a little.
     
    #12 patsparks, Nov 5, 2009
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