Acceleration Hesitation

Mine does it too. You just have to be careful when pulling out into traffic when you sitting on loose gravel or other things that make the anti-slip go off. This is another example of so called safety devices gone too far.

 

This is a traction issue. I see you have a 2008. Are you still running the crappy OEM Goodyear Integrity tires? If so, that is your main problem.

Traction control on the Prius is more than a safety issue. It's main function is to protect the HSD from damage. It is a bit touchy, but much better than it was in the earlier Gen II models.

The best advice is to get good tires. The next best advice is to be gentle with the accelerator when the tires start to slip.

Tom

 

IME, turning the wheel while stopped, then trying to accelerate, is a key culprit. If traffic conditions safely allow it, try to start moving while going relatively straight, then start the turn. Or, again if conditions safely allow it, you can start the turn before you stop to look at traffic (so that you're already a bit diagonal wrt the road you're turning onto). Then you aren't trying to make such a sharp turn from a standstill, which I believe is what really causes a problem (uphills just make it worse due to the weight balance).

 

+1

Buy new tires.

 

We just got rid of the crap Goodyear tires and most of the nuisance traction control problems went with them.

 

+ 100

BTW, I parked next to another 2nd Gen Prius and noticed that the tires on that car were a brand that I had never heard of. I think they were called Tempest. I was curious and on further inspection, I found that they were Made In China. I was initially appalled that someone would put these cheap tires on a Prius. Then I thought about it for a bit and decided they couldn't possibly be any worse than the OEM Goodyear Integrity(s). :madgrin:

 

Why are so many people dismissive of the OEM Goodyear Integrity tires? I run mine at 42F/40R (psi) tire pressures all over Southern California and have no complaints whatever since buying the car new in September 2007.
It is a car with characteristic nuances in operation that the driver needs to attune to, but none of them are so utterly different from driving any other vehicle. Braking has never been a problem, and acceleration is smooth when the pedal is caressed properly. By that, I mean you don't stomp it the way my wife does in her Acura, as though it's an on-off switch!
Neither do you aggressively stomp the brakes when coming to a stop, so that the car bucks to a standstill as the front suspension uncompresses! I am constantly on her case to modulate the brake pressure when coming to a stop, but the cause appears hopeless. Emergency stops are a different matter.

I have to confess to not having driven in snow in icy conditions where the effect of the ABS would be pronounced; but even the best of vehicles in ice and snow are essentially mobile accidents just waiting to happen.

 

Probably because we drive in places that have weather and unpaved roads. I gave my new OEM Goodyear Integrity tires to someone that lives in Southern California. It's a perfect place for them. Michigan is not.

Tom

 

Well, some of the freeway surfaces are in need of repair around here, but I would agree that we don't encounter conditions that Northern Michigan gets.
Heck, they even pave the river beds around here .... couldn't believe it when I first saw it!

 

When I had 28 - 29k miles on the Integrity(s) I could brake the front wheels free straight ahead on dry pavement. That was last summer. I replaced them about a month later. Stability and cornering are much better with the Michelin X radials. And I don't always get the infamous "NTHSA OMG brake failure" at the pothole just before a 4 way stop in my neighborhood.

 

Jeez Ron,

There are times when you need to stomp vs caress, on one pedal or another.

For those times, why would you not want the best connection to the pavement as possible?
The Integrity is plain and simple an awful tire in all conditions.
I think replacing the stock tires gives you a huge increase on the safety side. New (quality) tires more or less create a whole new car, with vastly improved handling characteristics.

Safety first...remember the Comet.

 

Yes DGH, there are times when you have to stomp the brakes, but with defensive driving techniques they should be few and far between. I personally have had no problems or frights with the OEM Goodyears; if they were as bad as some suggest there would have been a recall on those too! Plus I suppose the weather conditions in other parts of the country (like Wisconsin!) differ from here in Southern Cal.

Anticipating the idiocy of others is useful, though not always avoidable. I try to remember the mantra of my old RAF flight instructor when out driving:
"Keep your eyeballs uncaged and your head on a swivel"

I think the modern term for it is "situational awareness"!

P.S. Yes, I remember the Comet. Pioneers always tend to pay a higher price for success than followers.

 

The Goodyear tires weren't recalled, but they are no longer supplied as OEM tires for the Prius. Toyota realized that they were doing a disservice.

Tom

 

(First post!) Have the same issue in NJ -- relieved to hear it's not just me. Hope qbee42 and others are right about the tires; easy fix, not cheap!

 

Tires are not a panacea, but they help a lot. I still watch out for steep hills with gravel.

Tom

 

Hi Ron,

I'll tell you why I am dismissive. After 15K miles on my 2004, the original equipment tires were worn out. You could see the skidding vehicle icon frequently. Since then I've installed four sets of tires on that car (now have 99K miles) and no traction problems with any of those choices.

My HiHy also had Goodyear Integrity tires installed. After 6K miles they were 40% worn. Although the tires were only six months old, I bought new tires rather than risk driving around snowy Lake Tahoe with those inferior tires.

 

At 33k miles the OEM Goodyears would spin easily from a standstill on dry pavement and in the rain were starting to get scary. With the remaining tread on them we could have gone another 10k to 15k miles but we were getting tired of having to put up with them.

 

Re the OEM Goodyear Integrities. My 2008 Prius has 15.751 miles on it using the original tires. The attached pix give you a visual of the front pair left and right. Those on the rear show similar wear patterns.

There is around 0.25" of tread depth remaining on the tires. I have rotated them as per the OM (F to R) at 5000 miles per. They are kept at 42F/40R psi. The wear appears even across the tread to my in-expert eye, but I would appreciate any comments any of you might have.