My new Prius scares the crap out of me

The 1st Prius experience that I had was my son buying a 2006 Prius V with 88K miles. From the dealers lot, myself, my son and my wife all took turns driving the Prius. All of us were 1st timers and had fun driving it. It was like three kids driving a go-kart, "It's my turn to drive, no, my turn, ...". My wife liked it so much that she drove it home solo 50 miles. That experience lead me to check into the possibility of trading my Camry in for a Prius. Well, that worked out quite well for me!

 

@Oldhippie the Prius is not for everyone. Still you come from an era like this 66 year old Prius owner and we can do that which terrifies the youngsters.

Sure we are driving the control computers that operate the Prius but the control law software is fixed. It means we can figure them out and do stuff Toyota never imagined.

Sell the car and be happy or keep the car as a puzzle. You need to have things that match your expectations. Just let me share 'Bob style':

• Both our 03 and 10 Prius have 1.1 and 1.5 kW AC inverters for emergency power.
• I've run the tank dry 40 times in the 03 and 10 times in the 2010.
• I use N when it makes sense on both Prius.
• Both Prius have tow bars that I use.
• Drove over 1,000 miles on 10.9 gallons in 2013.

Your car and it should meet your cognitive style. Still I make my bones diagnosing what is going on and you have a fascinating puzzle in your hands.

Bob Wilson

 

@Oldhippie

FWIW, the Prius may not be the car for you. I can understand you might have difficulty with the manual's. As other's have stated, it can be wordy at times.

IMO, if you think the manual is "japlish", you should try to read some of the manuals that come with modern day motherboards for computers.

I found from asking a few questions here and there along with reading some stuff both in the manual and here on Prius Chat that I have been able to go from point a to point b with out too much trouble.

Each of us are individuals, so what is good for the goose sometimes is not good for the gander.

I do hope that over time you will learn what you need to feel safe in your Prius. The only thing that really scares me today is some of the other drivers.

Take care and don't sweat the small details.

 

What is wrong with the one's that pull your car through? I have used them and haven't noticed any thing.

 

The Prius can't be off and in neutral; you have to leave it on and in neutral. A few owners have had issues with battery rundown, and/or a shut down car being dragged through.

 

The Prius High Voltage battery cannot charge in Neutral, so if it is slow enough your battery may get so low it is unable to start the engine, and so cannot recharge. That would involve a tow to the dealer who may or may not have a 201 volt battery charger.

If it is always fast enough the battery does not run down, no problem

 

I use the pull through one's all the time.
BUT...
The key is to have plenty of battery power entering and make sure you are in neutral.

As long as you meet those criteria there is no problem.

 

don't go in with 2 purple bars and your a/c on, or a weak 12v and your stereo on.

 

Or look for the kind Jimbo mentioned.

Beside the point, but regular reliance on a car wash is bad for your car's bodywork: it doesn't get in the corners, can be tough on finishes, and every time you use one is a time you skip a close up look at the finish, miss finding possible scratches and dents.

 

or just dump your car for a gasser, like old hippie did. no worries.

 

I never thought of that! Kinda scary... I used the pull through ones to get the undercarriage washed during the Winter months. When I do enter them, have already been driving for awhile so it should not be a problem. Prefer to hand wash the car.

 

No, you didn't, because that's impossible. The 1962 VW Beetle had a 6V electrical system which could not have jump-started a Detroit Diesel. So what you had was a 1962 VW that had been rewired with a 12V electrical system.

I know that because I, too, am an old hippie.

The Prius is the VW Beetle of this era. In the 1960's, the Beetle was a revolutionary vehicle that offered amazing economy and reliability. But the reliability and economy of a VW is a joke compared to a Prius: The fuel economy of Prius is double. A Beetle needs oil changes and valve adjustments every 2,500 miles. A Prius needs an oil change every 10,000 miles, and valve adjustments... never. At 85,000 miles, the brakes in my Prius still have 70% left... they'll probably last over 200,000 miles.

This Prius can be the last car you ever own. You just need the community of PriusChat to guide you in the right direction for maintenance, and do's & don'ts. If you live in the San Francisco area, use a shop called Luscious Garage for everything. They are legendary.

 

I can understand and I agree that hand washing is superior.
But I think fears of "problems" using a pull through Car Wash are being severely over stated.

With a healthy HV battery, and a "normal" charge level, going through one shouldn't be a problem what so ever.

You'd have to have a problem battery or be at a VERY weak state of charge upon entering for it to even possibly be an issue.

I mean, really, I keep the vehicle running as per normal right until I'm on the track and ready to go. Then the car wash itself is what? Maybe 90 seconds? A healthy, even mid-range..lower range charged HV battery will not fail in 2 minutes or less in neutral.

Even though circumstance has meant I use automatic car washes more than I'd like. I agree hand washing is a better way to go.

 

Why not? Just put car in neutral and keep off the brakes and steering.

 

There's a car wash in our neighbourhood: you roll in, stop, and all the action is brushes and sprays moving around the vehicle. Never use it, always handwash, but it's good they're available.

 

I had one of my alloys severely scraped by one of those pull-through" car washes. Never again for me.

Fortunately, some kind soul totaled their Prius Plug-in, so I could score a replacement wheel.

 

Really.....

 

Not saying they aren't without some level of risk.
BUT..
They obviously aren't designed to cause damage.

If you don't line up with the track correctly or aren't straight, I could see where rim damage could possibly occur. You could scrape up against the track as easily as curb or any other surface.

Most instruct "Car in Neutral, Hands Off Wheel".

I honestly pay some attention to condition and maintenance of the car wash itself. There is one near me that is very active and seems to be well maintained.- They aren't all that way.

I will admit they probably aren't the ideal way to keep your car clean. Careful and thorough hand washing is probably best. BUT...I just can't do that anymore. So it's a bit of careful and balanced compromise.

My point is with a "healthy" Prius, I really wouldn't fear any problems going through a Car Wash as far as battery failure.
If the car wash itself is defective?
That's a whole different set of wheels.

 

In the newer ones, you simply drive through and there's no conveyor. I'll use those from now on, that's all.

 

The problem with the stationary car washes is the undercarriage doesn't really get washed. I have tried them, but prefer the pull through ones. It's important to remove the road salt underneath (I live in Mass). I prefer hand washing the car, even the undercarriage.

I haven't seen one of these types here in New England. I'm curious, what is your driving speed thru one of them?