What Did You Do To Gen4 Prius Today

We have two Gen 4's....2017 LE and my 2021 AWD LE. There's a huge hill I go down on the way back to work and my car must use that to recharge the batteries as it coasts down...it gets pretty loud as I go down it. But, yesterday, I took my wife's car home that way (which is rare), and I noticed her car doesn't get nearly as loud as it revs up as I coasted down...dramatically quite.
It's not the ICE engine that revs up so must be one of the MG1 or MG2??
So I'm wondering if her car is better insulated for sound or if my upgraded engine is, somehow, different? (My ICE engine takes 0W-16 and her 0W-20 but, other than my car having a radiator cap and hers not, that's about the only noticeable difference.)
A mystery...anybody have any ideas?

 

Are you talking about 'braking mode'? BTW - it will automatically go into 'braking mode' as well once the battery has filled up. The 'revving up' sound actually is the ICE engine acting as a 'compressor' to slow the car down...it doesn't fire the cylinders. Similar to jake braking on a semi...

 

Maybe...I don't shift into the "B" or anything...it just revs very loud and I can see the traction batteries filling up on the display. I should record my cars noise when I go down the hill and then my wifes car for comparison....it's pretty huge!

 

Also what do you mean by "my upgraded engine"? If there is an engine difference then there certainly could be a difference in sound when 'braking mode' kicks in.

 

Well, besides the oil being different, it's hard to see what they did to the ICE engine. They are both the 2ZRFXE and the only difference is on the door sticker...the 2017 says "ZVW50L-AHXEBA" and the 2021 says, "ZVW55L-AHXEBA" But I don't know the specs on those...the 55 might just be for the AWD models. (And I only have a small 7-HP electric engine in the rear end.)

 

Trivia for the day: the gasoline engine's braking effect is produced by acting as a vacuum pump, sucking air across the closed throttle.

In any braking effect, the work done by the car's momentum on the wheels has to be turned into some other kind of work, and in this case it's being turned into the work of pumping across the closed throttle.

It also takes work to compress air above the piston, yes, but that doesn't help, 'cause you get that work right back once the piston crosses top dead center; the compressed air just acts like a spring. But you don't get back the work of pumping across the throttle, and so that's how this braking effect can get rid of the energy.

It's different with jake braking in diesels, because diesels don't have a throttle, so they can't do what our engine does. Instead, they have to use compression, and they need a way to not get the compression energy right back again pushing the piston down. So the Jacobs brake changes the exhaust valve timing to pop off the compressed air into the exhaust right at the top of the compression stroke, after all the work has been done to compress it, and before it gets to give that work back to the piston. That's what makes jake braking so loud.

 

Great explanation...thanks!

 

Yesterday installed dash cam...

It is a 3 channel(front, interior and rear), 4K that splits 2 ways or 3 ways on how you want.
(Bought 256GB mini for better longer recording, about $23 bucks but comes with 64GB)

The majority of the PITA is the rear camera and cable'ing that thing, taking off the panels, etc...
I've ordered a "Hardwire" kit but as of now it is cigarette lighter'ed, should arrive in three days so I can remove all wires from dash/mirror area.

1. Drilled hole in the windshield passenger side rear view mirror panel to feed power to cam and ease angle of wire making it look "professional".
Be careful with glass or use like a spatula against glass to protect bit from gouging sensor paint
2. Fed rear camera wire up into panel and around mirror power wires(existing), and returned them passenger side all the way back to rear hatch BUT crossed over to driver side(too much wire, so actually hiding wire).
3. Fed wire into areas behind panels(removed some, dealt with others as is) around hatch down drivers side and horizontal glass. Taped rear cam for now(too cold/humid this week 36F-98% for good sticky tape attachment), but its's at center of lower/horizontal rear glass, I'm thinking better than angled glass...
4. Put all back together and tested..., WORKS !
ALWAYS, power stuff on making sure items work before installing, best time to return !

WHAT IS NEEDED:
CAMERA w/hardwire kit.
Trim tool(s).
8mm drill bit or similar depending on wire size supplied for mirror panel.
Two Stout beers.
Logic and common sense.
Good thumbs and an extra hand sometimes for panel removal.
If this is first time, about 2+ hours, it was mine(3+) !


Later, I'll upload PICS.


Here is the dash cam at AMAZON:
AINAVIGO (AR-212) 4K Ultra HD 3 Channels camera Dash Cam

 

NIce. I installed a upgraded HU and Rear Camera on my wifes Gen 2 Prius because it didn't have any on her base model. Yes removing all the panels is very time consuming but worth it. Is there a mount for the rear? Or do they give you double stick tape? I see you used clear packing tape temporarily to set and frame up the camera. Nice. I would do the hardwired. version as well. Please share the link for that and let us know how the install goes. Well done.

 

ColoradoCrow...
I usually do EBAY for stuff like wires, cableing, etc...
MOST hardwire kits are similar but some different(older dash cams/lower HZ), search hardwire kit for your dash cam, somebody should offer it. Should be i the $10-13 dollar range/shipping included.

(Packing tape because it's really humid, afraid sticky won't stick, tomorrow should be nicer)

My dash cam (AINAVIGO (AR-212) 4K), offered it as a package deal.

 

Nice job with the cameras! After I hit a deer (and got the car back), I stuck front and rear dash cameras in mine. (I just hid hid wires under the trip) It's just a cheap one called Z-Edge.

We finally got over 50 here in Monument for the past two months so got my daughter's Mazda serviced and my 21 Prius. That Quick Jack really makes it much faster. I thought I had 5 qts of 0W-16 in my garage but only had 2 full bottles (and 3 almost empty) so had to go get a jug of Mobile 1 from O'Reillys...glad they had the right stuff.

 

Got the oil/filter changed in my wife's 2017. 6-months ago, I converted her cartridge-style oil filter to the spin-in (like my 2021) so was interested to check for any leaks and issues but didn't see any, which was good. She's only put 1,500 miles in 6-months but the oil was dirtier than I would've imagined, so glad I still changed it out.
My 2021 will be hitting 25,000 in a month or two so will be cleaning out the throttle body and MAF sensor and the Nano tires are already looking worn so will, probably, be swapping those out with something else before next winter comes.

 

Installed a 2" receiver hitch.

 

My wife is worried about her 12-volt battery in her 2017 going out so asked me to replace it, as a preventative measure.
So I was all ready to call my dealer to see if they have one in stock, but just for poops and grins, hooked up my high tech battery tester on it....says 100%.

WHAT? Experts say you should replace a 12-volt if the test comes back at 25% or lower. My Tundra battery, only 4 years old, is at 85%. (But it's too big to fit in the garage so is out in the elements.)

Cancelled the plans to replace her battery but will test it often for her.

 

HOLY cow..., guess I am not the only one that uses VERY USABLE carboard as a tool !
WOW, that is going to be an all day event for me, did purchase a hitch but the fright is the removal of half the car for installation !

Is it just remove without braking plastic pieces tough or what is the technique for a perfect job ?
Thanks, double guessing here...(my patience) !

 

Posted in Being new to Prius section about "What I did to Gen 4 Prius..."
(but bringing it to here...)

So at 214.500 +/-
1. Oil change
2. Trans fluid w/WS Toyota(original fluid)
3. Installed ceramic 38% window tint lifetime warranty(really works)
4. Alignment
5. Grill block(water pipe insulation cut to fit nicely)
6. Rubber floor mats that actually hold dirt, rocks, etc...

All this in a month plus learning to improve ECO driving.
I'm guessing that TOYOTA may become my middle name, after all, 50-65mpg's are not bad !

 

2020 Prius awd-e, in blizzard pearl

Added door cup scratch covers from Amazon. These are thicker plastic instead of simple coated paper, and installed very easily.
Added door edge guard in white
Added Car Play to Android Auto translator box. $60 and works fantastic, even the steering wheel buttons (push to talk, volume, etc) function as expected through it while in Android Auto. Sure beats rip and replace on the head unit. Lag is non-existent save in one spot in the UI, and touchscreen functions all work well.

 

I took a spare tire out of my retiring 2010 and put it in the trunk of my 2016. Not the most technically impressive but it did the trick

 

Hi everyone! Today I replaced the meep-meep horns of my 2022 Prius with Fiamm AM80SX more "premium sedan sounding" horns. Really easy.