Driving in snow: Prius is really good.

this isnt about hybrid or not. this is still a fwd car with 4 wheels and a steering wheel. sometimes you need the front wheel to spin and keep momentum up, you dont want the car to cut power and hit the brakes when you are climbing hills. this has nothing to do with hybrid, handling, ground clearance, its just pure physics. if you apply brakes and cut power going uphill, chances are that you are not clearing it

 

It doesn't cut the power. It lowers it, very low. Easing up on the pedal works much better because you don't want the system to drop the power to that level.

So you have to play around and get a hang of how much power you should give.

 

How much lower ? Is the entire output power-throttle relationship modified according to certain conditions detected by the TCM ? What are those conditions ?

Unless one drives the same route everyday, there's little opportunity for the experiments you suggest.

 

If I remember correctly, it was lowered to 10 or 15 kW.

If the TC light comes on, back off the pedal and reapply the pressure more and more until you trigger the TC light. Repeat above and Prius will keep going with the momentum. Very simple. Of course, keep steering while doing it.

 

I just got my 2007 in December, and luckily we've had a couple big storms here in the Northeast where I did some tests right away BEFORE the roads had been treated. I'm reposting the next part of my comment from another thread where people complained about the impossibility of uphill snow driving.
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Here were the most trying of my tests:

1. Start from 0 mph up a moderate hill in front of my house on a patch of pure ice, had no problem accelerating moderately. I repeated this on other moderate hills around the neighborhood.

2. Start from 0 mph in the middle of a very steep hill, also on untreated snow/ice combo. Here the traction control light lit up intermittently for one or two seconds at the most, but the vehicle moved and continued to the top of the hill with moderate acceleration. The power did not cut to the wheels.

3. Start from the same spot in reverse, no problem moving to the top of the hill (this was done, by the way, in front of my friend's house. He had just left in a Honda Fit, and had to go all the way to the bottom of the hill to get a head start with momentum - he couldn't get up it on multiple tries, and I did the first time).
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By the way, I have on the stock tires. I couldn't be happier with its performance in these tests and in actual driving around in the snow. I can't wait for the next storm so I post a video on YouTube of the car starting up a hill.

Interesting to note that I eased onto the pedal everytime, and didn't try to spin, which seems to demonstrate nothing of use about the car itself, and more something about the driving technique, or perhaps the idea that ice might be slippery.

 

Is there any chance of getting a photo or video of the hill in question. Possibly even of your ascent?

 

I solved the "non-existent" traction control problem once and for all. I bought a Subaru. We still have one Prius left, but I guarantee I will NOT be driving it instead of the Subaru when it's snowing or I have to go off road.

There's a LOT of ignorance regarding TC and it's issues. Everyone seems to think that since they've never had a problem, that it must not exist. It is a problem, it does exist, and it's not the Blizzaks I had on my car, and it ain't because I don't know how to drive. There are certain conditions where the Prius TC hurts, not helps. I can even get a Prius stuck on a dirt road in perfect sunny conditions because of TC.

Those of you who think the Prius is the perfect winter car, have fun. Hope it never leaves you stranded.

Zhe Wiz

 

Do you think Subaru is a perfect car in the snow and will never leave you stranded?

 

I can tell you it's one hell of a lot better than the Prius. In both instances where the Prius' lousy TC left me stranded, the Subaru wouldn't have. Come to think of it, I can't think of too many cars that would have...

Zhe Wiz

 

Great to hear it works better for you. My brother-in-law had STi that couldn't drive up to his garage with all seasons tire. He did not bother with snow tire and got rid of it. Tire rotation for symmetric AWD was a hassle too.

 

It's not that the traction control is bad or anything, it would be nice if we have the option to turn it off!

 

Works better for me, works better for everyone. To argue that the Prius with FWD and TC that you cannot disable is better in adverse conditions than a Subaru with AWD and TC that you CAN disable is complete and utter nonsense. Good luck arguing that point. Sounds like your brother needs to learn about winter tires.

And tire rotation is tire rotation. It should be done on all cars and is the same procedure, AWD or not. Sorry!

Zhe Wiz

 

Maybe in your 2010 it isn't bad, but it is, or was, in BOTH of my 08's. It works well in MOST situations, but not all. And in the situations it doesn't work well in, it is horrible.

The 2010 appears to be better than my 08s, but based on your description, they still have work to do. In the mean time, I'll "suffer" with the horrible inconvenience of Symmetrical AWD.

Zhe Wiz

 

Hi cossie...,

Traction control is superior in slippery winter conditions. But, its not going to work, if all you do is plant your right foot on the gas pedal and trust in God and engineers.

If your tires slip, traction control or not, your not going anywhere. And in a Prius, if the engine is cutting back, the tires ARE slipping. TC if used correctly, will result in less wheel slippage, and better acceleration.

 

You are the one making that argument, not me. I was pointing out not all cars are perfect for all conditions.

Tire rotation for AWD includes the spare. If you don't, you will need to shave it to match the rest.

 

Negative - my tires are relatively new and in great shape. The tires on the Camry that drove past me, however, were worn down.

-Brad

 

Yeah, and the Prius battery costs $5,000 and lasts 3 years.

My AWD spare is a donut. Shall I include that in my rotation? Let's talk after you've actually owned an AWD vehicle - a modern one. Right now you're spewing misinformation like most SUV owners do about the Prius.

Anyway, back to the point.

This is NOT true on gravel. As I've stated a hundred times, one of the times TC let me down was on a dirt road. I had two choices: go easy on the accelerator and go nowhere due to insufficient power, or go harder on the pedal and go nowhere due to over-intrusive TC. Stop telling us that we're just doing it wrong. It's NOT THAT SIMPLE!! Wheel slippage in that case would have been helpful and necessary.

Zhe Wiz

 

Uhhh...sarcasm? Re-read my post. It was sarcasm.

Completely false. Read a little, drive a little. Any car should have made that climb. Keep fooling yourself!

Thanks! But remember, I still have the Prius for fair weather days. I'll happily exchange the 40 MPG winter mileage I get with the Prius for the 25 I get with the Suby. Especially since the payment plus extra gas is the same, or a little lower than my payment would have been with another Prius.

Zhe Wiz