Newbie introducing herself

You think some people here are mean? Compared to some of the forums I've been on, this place is a regular love fest!

Congrats on your Prius, by the way.

 

Hi Heather,
Congratulations on your Prius...Thanks for sharing your experiences. Im trying to glean everything possible while waiting...and waiting. Have fun ~ Erin

 

congrats and welcome

 

:welcome::cheer2::cheer2::cheer2::cheer2::cheer2:

 

A big HELLO and Welcome to PC !!! You'll find most folks helpful and a wealth of info here. You are correct the gas gauge is not linear. Just think of the pips as 1 gallon each and make it a habit to fill-up when two pips are left. Air your tires up for better mileage. Many here on PC recommend 42 front and 40 rear. I find that a little too hard on my kidneys and suspension componets. I prefer 40 front and 38 rear as a good compromise between good MPG and ride comfort. Has the reverse beep driven you crazy yet? If so, use the search feature here and learn the procedure for turning it off. Good luck and enjoy driving your new Prii !!!

 

Hello Heather and welcome!

There is so much great information on the forum. Just surf around a bit, use search now and again. I started here when I placed my deposit, so I had a basic understanding when my car FINALLY arrived, just last Thursday.

I love your sense of humor, and the "funny things I've done so far" would be a great thread for all of us!

Enjoy Elle Fantasma, great name!

 

Welcome!!!:welcome:

Since you have run out of gas once, I'm sure you will be careful in the future. I never fill up unless the last pip is blinking and every time I wish I had waited, but that's just me. There's a lot of discussion on that topic.

 

Re: Newbie introducing herself...confession time

If your tires are in fact 205/40/R17's and not 205/45/R17's then they have downsized your tires by over in inch in diameter. I'm sure the low-rider look is nice, but the smaller diameter tires will result in a higher than accurate speedometer reading, running up the miles on your odometer at a higher than driven mileage, and of course any readings on the MFD that is based on miles driven will also be incorrect affecting mileage driven scheduled maintenence and even shortening the mileage portion of your warranty. I wonder what corporate Toyota would think of a dealer forcing a non OEM modification on a buyer, that negitively affects the warranty?
P.S. There are Prius owners are are running on tires that are not the OEM diameter, but it should be a matter of choice not forced on someone. While you had the option to walk away, I really think you have right to assume that any dealer installed option would comply with Toyota specs. These don't and I think you might have a case to have the dealer replace your 205/40/R17's with the OEM equivivent 205/45/R17's. Some may say it's only a ~4% error, but I just read a post where someone had the $3000.00 Traction Battery die @ 102,000 miles. There is a case that the ~4% error, or ~4000 miles would have made a difference.

 

Re: Newbie introducing herself...confession time

I'm sorry, Multi Function Display, the screen in the muddle of the dash. It caught me too as a newbie. I not sure, but I would think that it could be approached as a matter of the Toyota warranty. If you have any lawyer friends or perhaps someone here on PC could help with the approach. I don't know the dealer. I might try with the dealer sales manager first, giving him the out that the 205/40/R17's must have been a mistake and that without the correct equivilent OEM size 205/45/17's, your mileage calabrations will be off, affecting the items I mentions above, especially the warranty issue. That while you did not want the tires to start with, you wanted the car. But were given no reason to believe that they were not the correct equivilent diameter for the Prius and just want the correct size tires for your new car. Hopefully the dealer will have the wisdom to swap out the tires. I would not mention going to Toyota Corp. and or Better Business Bureau unless he/she balks, then re-emphasizing the warranty and erroneous gauge readings. You would expect after paying tens of thousands of dollars for you new car from a dealer these things should be correct. It was not sold as otherwise and the dealer did not reveal that the tires were not the correct size.
I am not a lawyer, perhaps other members can give better advice. Just be confident and firm. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

Heather; I thought that I'd do a little more research. I can not find the tire size specs for the 17" Enkei wheels sold by Totota dealers. I just wanted to find it in print. Hopefully another member can help. The is one posibility although I doubt it. They may actually mechanically or software wise modify or adjust the mechanism that records distance. Usually a sensor that monitors rpm of one of the wheels and converts it to distance driven. There is usually a way to adjust for different diameter tires. This may have been done for the 205/40/R17 tires. You need to check this out before going to the dealer. Here's what I based my other post on. The 205/40/R17 size just did not look right, so I looked up the sizes.
Prius Standard 185/65/R15 Tire diameter 24.4"
Prius Touring 195/55/R16 Tire diameter 24.5"
205/45/R17 Tire diameter 24.2"
205/40/R17 Tire diameter 23.5" ~1" smaller ~4% less circumference
It is not an equivilent diameter to the standard size OEM tires and therefore requires a modification for any of the readings, associated with miles driven as mentioned before, to be accurate. If not modified, these readings will be off by ~4% higher readings than actual.

 

Thank you for the reply! You have made my day, no wait, my week. I am so glad that I was able to be of assistance. Good luck with the Prius.

 

As for negotiating with your dealer being a nightmare...I'm surprised there was any negotiation with the demand for Prii being so high.

When I bought mine in 2005 from my Toyota dealer I had bought four cars from previously, it was sticker price....and that's that.

I am still elated with my purchase. I am amazed at how many people have no idea what kind of gas mileage you get and what kind of car a Prius actually is.

I get questions about where's the plug? You don't mean you actually get 52-55 mpg? Does it seat 4 people? Is there a trunk? How often do you change the batteries?

Stuff like that. Amazing!

Congrats on your Prius purchase. Hey, it's a Toyota. It will run foreverQ

 

Thank you for sharing what must have been a difficult experience. I am sure your new Prius will bring you much happiness. Be sure to check out the threads giving tips for new owners. The Prius has some things you need to make sure that you are aware of, that are unique for non-hybribs or even other hybrids. These are not difficult. They are just things you need to know that the dealer probably didn't tell you or is that clear in the owner's manual. Like walking on water, it's easy if you know where the rocks are.

 

Heather,

My 08 Prius tire size is P185/65 R15. If yours are 17 inch, that means the center of gravity is up two inches. With the comparative "boat-like" handling of my Prius, I would guess that quality would be magnified unless the dealer also modified the suspension. The brakes work better than almost any car I've owned, so unless they put extreme long wearing tires (very hard rubber), your brakes should be ok. It is hard to imagine a new car dealer screwing up your speedometer. It isn't rocket science to do a tire size change (older cars required a new size gear on the end of the speedo cable that goes into the transmission). Get a local cop to check your speedo with his/her radar if you have doubts. Can't help you with mpg, since there are more variables than just tire diameter - this car has so many feedback systems and new driveline technology... How does the handling feel to you compared to other cars you've driven. If it compares favorably, I would worry too much. If it feels out of control at moderate speed on corners, I'd look into the situation further.

In my experience, the manufacturers spend a great deal of effort in designing cars and most modifications, aimed at us guys with too much testosterone are unnecessary wasteful. Good luck.

Dave_M
P.S. Being an older fellow, I'm not conversant with these forums. How does one post a new question? (anybody...?)