2010 Level II not Two

Both keys; he put the check in the prepaid priority mailer that had the title and bill of sale to be completed and I handed over both keyfobs. It was about 21F with a gusting 20 mph wind (beach weather in Boston.) We got back in the terminal and finished the paperwork over coffee and taquelia. Then he dropped me off at the bus terminal and we're both headed home in opposite directions.

Next week I hope to see the tags and registration back in the mailer, and later the flashlight, scangauge, and leather man.

$24,000 purchased May, 2009
$7,750 sold @73,092 miles Jan 2017
(with the stuff Toyota forgot)

Bob Wilson

 

I forgot to mention about the over-filled oil from May. I was thinking more about getting the new pair of tires on as normally I have the service writer put in a note to put in no more than 4 quarts. In this case, I forgot so the car has about an extra quart of oil. In the earlier 1.5L Prius that would kill MPG BUT the 1.8L engine has a special oil 'gallery' to handle the foaming so I didn't drain it out. Also, the extra warm-up time of the extra quart is not that significant in Alabama. Just remember to tell the service writer with your next change. I also changed the cabin filter when I bought the engine air filter in May.

My annual practice is to do two oil changes and one air filter change per year. One change in the Spring to get rid of condensed water in the oil (the thermal cycles!) Then an air filter and oil change in the fall after the seasonal pollens, plowed field dust, and insects die off. Yes, I know one can vacuum the filter but they aren't that expensive.

About those tires, I use the 'European' style replacement cycle: (1) front tires wear out first, do not rotate but measure all tread depths and inspect to check for any abnormal patterns; (2) order two new tires for the rear; (3) move rear tires to front and check the wear pattern, and; (4) mount new tires on rear. I can actually feel the handling deteriorate when the front tires get thin but I'm only paying for a new pair with each change.

Ordinarily the rear wheels can not be toe and camber adjusted. However there is an 'easy shim' system that can do both toe and camber but this is something an ordinary tire place can't even spell, much less do right. Fortunately, the rear wheels on that car were close enough and I found no evidence of rear tire wear patterns needing to be shimmed.

Remind the service writer of the lug-nut torque. They will of say 'of course we always follow ...' but seeing the note 'customer expected xxx ft-lbs on the lug nuts and 4 quarts of 0-20W synthetic oil' lets everyone know you're not the ordinary bear. Tell your significant other to do the same with a practiced voice with confidence and everyone will respect her!

They will reduce the tire pressure to door-jam levels to do the alignment and they know how to reset the tire pressure warning system. It is OK to ask them to re inflate tires to 51 psi when done but I prefer to borrow their hose and do it right. <GRINS>

You'll find the tires on that car are not the 'standard' Toyota sized tires. I use a slightly oversized tire whose revs per mile keep the error between GPS, mile markers and trip meters to a minimum.

I ran those tires at the maximum sidewall pressure, 51 psi, because I like the precise handling. On a nice dry day, experiment with taking curves at faster and faster speeds ... I love the expression on tailgaters when we hit a curve and I am pulling away. Accelerating in a curve also solves the merging problem! The tires run cooler and last longer. In one of my studies, I found maximum sidewall pressure measurably reduces the temperature effects of a slightly out of alignment wheel. In another, older paper, stopping distances became shorter in the rain with increased tire pressure, as the harder tire pushes the water aside instead of hydro planning >>> but theory doesn't make up for too much speed at the wrong time! <<<

I don't pay any attention to 'low rolling resistance' because there are no objective metrics. I see 'low rolling resistance' as advertising, not engineering. But maximum sidewall pressure, 51 psi, is real and works. Tire Rack calls them 'small pickup' tires but at maximum sidewall, the tire weight capacity is at maximum and higher than the OEM and recommended replacements.

The tire pressure light goes ON when it drops about 10 psi. Experience has shown cold weather and/or ever 2-3 months, it is time to top them off. There is lot of malarky about 'cold inflation'. If the car is sitting in the shade for an hour or so, go for it. But if the sun is shinning on one side, wait until all tires can cool an hour or more in the shade. IMHO, 'cold inflation' advocates wear a copper bracelet or a PhD ... sometimes both.

One last thing, an air block on the lower, front bumper works well in cold weather. It reduces the aerodynamic drag at high speeds and shortens the warm-up time almost as much as a block heater. Use your Scangauge to monitor ICE temperature and take them off when temperature approach 80F.

My testing revealed the best air block was nearly totally, conformal with the front of the bumper, especially the side edges. Use wide, 'blue' masking tape to hold the experiment. Once you're happy, find some old political signs, the plastic flex kind, and use the cardboard ones as a template. Add some bungie cords from a hardware store, paint, and problem solved. There is an outside temperature probe on the driver side so you'll want some cooling air flow there.

Hope that isn't too anal-retentive. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

 

Check the service write-up but I think they charged me for 5 quarts. You may remember the oil level was above the full marker.

Bob Wilson

 

You'll have to contact the new owner or look for my postings in the Gen-3 forum. It is easier to describe how I approach the problem:

• Measure the error - use a trip meter and mile markers or a GPS to measure the error.
• Identify the revs/mile of the current tires (Tire Rack and/or @john1701a journals)
• Use Tire Rack specs for the next tire, revs/mile, and find one that most closely matches the correction

The method is more important because tire companies change their product mix over time. I used to cite Sumitomo but the model I was using disappeared about 2-3 years ago. So the most recent purchase were Yokohama. It is something I do each time I need to buy new tires.

Bob Wilson

 

I went back to my Tire Rack account:

AH75814
P195/65R-15 Yokohama AVID Ascend (T-Speed Rated) SL (Qty:2)
05/18/2016
$177.40
Shipped

Specs: Yokohama&nbsp;AVID Ascend (T-Speed Rated)

Currently Selected Tire Size(s) (View Specs for All Sizes)
SIZE UTQG MAX.
LOAD Max. Inflation Pressure Tread Depth Tire Weight Rim Width Range Meas. Rim Width Sect. Width Tread Width Overall Diam. Revs. Per Mile Country of
Origin*
P195/65R15
89T SL

LRR:
BluEarth 800 A B 1,279 lbs. 51 psi 12/32" 21 lbs. 5.5-7" 6" 8" 5.9" 25.1" 828 US

My criteria: "51 psi" and corrected revs/mile (or close enough), 828 revs/mile

	UTQG	LOAD	Max. Inflation Pressure	Tread Depth	Tire Weight	Rim Width Range	Meas. Rim Width	Sect. Width	Tread Width	Overall Diam.	Revs. Per Mile	Country
1	800 A B	1279 lbs.	51 psi	12/32"	21 lbs.	5.5-7"	6"	8"	5.9"	25.1"	828	US

I go with the maximum psi first because that reduces the rolling friction. The "revs/mile" is less important since I amuse myself by doing those calculations in my head while driving down the road. The trick is to use multiplication instead of long division.

Bob Wilson