Advice for a new Prius?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by yyyiiikes, Oct 18, 2011.

  1. yyyiiikes

    yyyiiikes Junior Member

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    I expect to pick up a new Prius this weekend. :D

    Are there any items you would recommend to check at delivery?
    Are there TSB items or common issues I should watch out for?

    Thanks for any input!
     
  2. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    I would suggest bringing along a few BIG friends if you going to try and pick one up. :p


    Seriously, I don't know of anything out of the ordinary to check other than the usual's (oil, tire pressures).
     
  3. yyyiiikes

    yyyiiikes Junior Member

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    Good idea. :D

    How well did your solar roof work in this scorching, Texas summer?
     
  4. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    The solar roof/vent and fuel economy were the two primary reasons for purchase. It works very well and is completely seamless in operation.

    Good luck with your purchase.
     
  5. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

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    OP: It would be a rare problem, but since many here have complained about interior noises and rattles, take your new Prius for a drive on some rough roads near the dealership. Have the salesman along and see if you hear any creaks, squeaks, ticking sounds or rattles that would bother you. If you do find some, get your salesman to agree to fix whatever it was you discovered.

    NOTE: there are some hybrid noises that are normal for the operation of the system. You will soon discover these too.
     
  6. car compulsive

    car compulsive Active Member

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    Be on your guard in the finance manager's office where you will likely get bombarded with extras to buy like extended warranties, paint protection, fabric protection, etc. My dealer presented me with a page of various monthly payments which all contained various extras baked in. I had to ask for a new sheet with only the car, no extras, and for the desired loan term to get the numbers I really wanted.
     
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    ^+1

    If you have the time/inclination, and a pressure gauge:check the spare tire pressure. You will have to drag it out to do that, which is a good learning experience. Or not: it's no big deal to top it up when you gas up, but it's nice to catch them on something, if it turns out to be low. It should be 60psi, it's embossed on the tire.

    See if you can refuse stickers, license plate surrounds, etc. The stickers in particular. If they're already on there, it's not a deal breaker, but try to stop them putting on more.
     
  8. yyyiiikes

    yyyiiikes Junior Member

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    Thanks for the great advice - I called the salesman and requested the front license plate bracket not be installed. Fortunately, this dealership does not install any emblems or stickers, just a rear license plate frame with their name.

    Bad news is that the car arrival has been delayed for a few days so not going to happen until next week.

    I just learned about the "reverse beeps"... I will add a single beep to the list.
     
  9. car compulsive

    car compulsive Active Member

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    Somewhere here there is a pdf of the configuration options that the dealer can set. I printed it out, filled in my choices, and handed it to my salesperson so they could set everything while the prepped the car. I can't locate it right now, but you should be able to do a search and find it.
     
  10. Gurple42

    Gurple42 New Member

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    There are some programmable features in your car, try to get a copy of an owners manual and check this out. You can cut the reverse beep to one beep, eliminate the seatbelt chime and some other things, Make sure you get the mods done that you want upon delivery and for free, here in Southern Cal they charge an arm and a leg to do these simple 5 minute tasks. But you have leverage before you sign the check:welcome:
    Didn't see the post above, be sure to check out the above pdf!