Hey guys I reached 15k on my 2019 prime. Two questions for you guys 1) do you guys think its ok to skip the 15k scheduled maintainence? In the midst of covid would like to minimize my trip to the dealer. Seems like its just tire rotation and a bunch of inspections? 2) when going down hill on a mountain today while in ev mode ( regenerated to 100%) I heard the engine come on and it sounded like when a car is downshifting or in a lower gear when going downhill. When I pushed on the gas it became silent again. Is this normal? is it because of the cvt or because I have fully charged? thanks
2) Is normal. If the battery charge goes over the systems high limit, it will spin the engine with M/G1 to get rid of the excess charge, and/or let the engine spin faster for extra engine braking.
I don't think any harm. The car is designed to do that to protect the battery. Changing to HV mode would still regenerate energy that can not be captured and the end result is more or less the same, engine brake on regen energy wasted. But if you knew the downhill was coming ahead, then try using the traction battery before getting to the top of the hill. That way you will capture the regenerative energy back into the battery. If this was the start of the trip (i.e. You live on top of the hill.) then you could try stopping the charging event earlier say at 80%, to make more room in the traction battery. As for the 15k service, if you can rotate tires yourself and check liquid level, I see no reason to make a special effort to visit a dealer. But many dealers are offering non-contact service, so it may not be as risky as you may think. Just ask your dealer how they are handling the COVID-19 situation, and if it sounds too risky, then stay home.
If only for possible warranty implications I would not skip oil changes. You could even do it yourself just keep the receipts.
I would check with your Toyota dealership about COVID precautions. Mind did a good job funneling people in/out and socially distancing them. I don’t know what could be done about the tech in the car though unless they wipe it down for you?
100% Normal...that is engine braking and it comes on because you were fully charged and there is no more room in the battery for additional regen charging. You don't need to switch drive modes. The only thing to consider is switching to B "gear" if you have to ride the brakes to maintain a safe speed, since all braking at this point is from the friction brakes, and you don't want to overheat them.
thanks guys this is very helpful. Next time I go down this mountain I will have far less charge but its good to know this is all normal. I started at around 70% and regernaterd to 100%. Based on the mountain I likely could have regenerated from 20 or 30%. As for the 15k service I will do the service myself since it only seems to involve mainly tire rotation.
I took my Prius to the dealer for its 5K warranty service. I felt they did a very good job of observing social distancing and the wearing of the masks. There were very few people in the dealership too.
