Snow tires

It's simply a matter of keeping enough weight over the driving wheels. I did consider fitting studded snow this winter since they're allowed in NH between Nov & April, but others with more experience than I said "Too noisy!", and the reviews of the WS-80s clinched the deal (BTW I don't think the WS-80s are available with studs!)

 

West Michigan , brutal winters , We put four Michelin X-ice Xi3's on our 2012 , they worked great

 

Did this in my neighborhood just to make sure it worked (it did), then made a cheat sheet for the glove box. Pretty sure I won't use it to go 1/2 mile up a hill...just to visit...but will keep it on ready-standby for that oh s--t monent.

 

Don't you stand a fair chance of toasting the transmission with this? I'd let discretion be the better part of valour, in terrible conditions. Maybe you're getting into cargo cult territory?

 

I think I'd have to agree with you on this one! I'd rather let the system do its thing rather than try to second-guess it!

 

…useful, but how do you get it back to the original state of having full traction control? …and would it work for a Gen II?

 

Just shut down and restart, gets it back to normal.

Maybe ok, IF you just use it momentarily, to get out of a jam. But do not know.

Interesting video btw. One application: if you want to avoid the car shutting down when warmed, want it to just idle conventionally. Maybe in the course of a coolant change, for example?

 

Just for sh*ts n' grins I just tried doing the magic sequence on the ChuggyPig (2009 Gen II) and although there were misc clicks and whirrs during the procedure, the final state had a single word "Problem" appearing across the very top of the touch display screen, with a dimly iluminated symbol (looked like the hybrid warning light (p.424 - destruction manual) also in the very top left of the touch-screen.

 

Don't know about the Gen II. This mode, as it applies to the subject at hand and to Gen III, would only be used by myself as stated...for oh s--t situations. There are a few variations of the button-peddle dance that can be used with the Gen III to bypass the need for Toyota hookups/software for maintenance and other functions.

 

Yeah, they don't exactly give you a switch to flip, for a reason?

 

Would be easier to do brake flushes and coolant changes though. That's OK...once you learn to dance you never forget.

 

So I put on Michelin Premiers on my Prius in October, and waited, and waited for white stuff. Today Dec 28 (a day that will live in infamy in our family, but thats another tale), we had to drive our son from Cedar Rapids to Moline IL to get a plane to San Francisco. This day we had a monster blizzard with rain, sleet, snow, gusty winds in all combinations. That Prius stuck to the road like glue! Even the wind rocked the car body but car never wavered in its path.
So while my mileage took a 2 mpg hit , I will trade it for security of driving on ball bearings weather like we are having now.
Oh and Happy New Year!!