Prius PHEV Plug-In :: Should Upgrade Suspension While Going PHEV?
I am planning to get a Hymotion Plug in Conversion on my '08 Prius soon. Whether or not I should upgrade the suspension? Would upgrading the suspension increase the car's load capacity, compensating for the weight of the new equipment, or just improve handling? Seems like I remember reading that even though the conversion adds about 200 pounds, it is effectively more like adding 300 lbs.
View 19 RepliesPrius PHEV Plug-In :: Using BMS+ To Increase ICE Assist
I have been using a BMS+ with my 4KWH kit for a few weeks now. I want to know if there are any other users out there using a BMS+ with a Engineer Kit. I have found that the BMS+ to increase ICE assist and improve fuel efficiency in highway mode (greater than 70kph). Since most of my driving in is in highway mode I find this device to be very useful.
View 19 RepliesPrius PHEV Plug-In :: EV Mode Won't Stay On
Any additional scenarios that can kick EV mode off? (I have read if the traction motor is above 104 degrees, EV mode is kicked off.)
Could too much (Enginer) power being dumped onto the HV buss (with a fully charged NiMH battery) also kick EB mode off?
Yesterday my NiMH battery was fully charged, all bars greed (don't know SOC because ScanGauge was set to AMPs). Three hours after a lengthy drive on a 70 degree day when I did have difficulty entering EV mode, I started the car, successfully engaged EV mode and the Enginer Kit, was backing out, and the engine immediately started. (No beeps indicating EV mode was turned off.)
My guess would be that after 3 hours of sitting in a shaded and cool garage that the traction motor would not be 104 degrees.
Could too many AMPs going into the PRIUS (not Enginer) DC-to-DC converter with a FULL NiMH battery cause the engine to start to somehow cool the Prius Converter? (It does have a cooling system, right?).
Prius PHEV Plug-In :: Forced EV Mode When Put In D After Turning The Key
I have noticed that when I put my 01 Prius in "D" after I turn the key but, before the ICE starts, it seems to force it into an "EV" mode (the ICE doesn't start, and I can drive on battery only until its charge is way lower than the system usually lets it get). I also get all the warning lights (Triangle, Check Engine and Hybrid Warning). If I pull over, turn it off and turn it back on, the ICE will start and the car will function normally (all the warning lights will still be on unless I cycle the ignition several times). It has happened to me at least 5x in the past two years (only because I'm so impatient and put the car in "D" too fast not because I'm trying to do it).
View 3 RepliesPrius PHEV Plug-In :: 2009 - Cannot Enter EV Mode Now
I have a 2009 Prius with an Enginer 4kwh battery pack. I know that the Prius' programming has a number of parameters that control when it will enter EV mode.
The display says "Cannot enter EV mode now" when engaging my Coastal EV mode switch at times when I believe it should be able to enter EV mode. Here are the conditions from a recent trip:
-Stopped at a light
-The ICE not running
-Car fully warmed up (just drove 10 miles)
-AC off
-Outside air temp 62 degrees
-Battery showing green bars with the top bar white
If I enter EV mode when the car is started cold then it works fine. Once I've driven it a while I can't get it to return to EV mode reliably.
The last time I spoke with my local Toyota dealer they said that because the 2009 American Prius was not shipped with an EV mode switch they would not support that mode.
Prius PHEV Plug-In :: Engine Indicator Won't Indicate Charging
A good thing about Prius PHEV conversions in general is that they mostly don't change the appearance of the car, except for an outlet on the bumper and a switch on the dash.
You can't tell when it's charging and when it's done, without opening the bottom hatch (which may require unloading cargo). The "low battery" indicator can't be seen in daylight.
The charger has a light that turns red when charging and green when charged (or when the battery pack is disconnected). My preference was to move this light to the power connector on the bumper, but this was not practical. Instead, I found that it was very easy to get access to the reverse light in the tail light assembly, without even removing the cover.
Prius PHEV Plug-In :: Hymotion Battery Dead - Won't Charge Enough
Hymotion battery pack is dead. Won't charge beyond .8 kw max. Doesn't charge enough to offset the cost of the added weight of the pack.
How can I get this "boat anchor" removed.
Prius PHEV Plug-In :: Check Engine (Malfunction Indicator Light)
Yesterday, I was driving home in EV mode, PHEV on, about 80°F, no hills, not accelerating, SOC about 4 bars, about 1/2 mile out, when it dropped out of EV mode, and then I got the red triangle and the check engine light. Today I grabbed the code with an OBD2 reader, and got this:
Freeze Frame Information:
1. DTC for which Freeze Frame was Stored - P0A92.
2. Engine Coolant Temp - 138.20 °F.
3. Engine RPM - 1,888.00 Rpm.
4. Vehicle Speed Sensor - 14.91 Mph.
5. Intake Air Temperature - 96.80 °F.
6. Time Since Engine Start - 101 Sec.
7. # Warm-ups since DTC Cleared - 74.
8. Distance since DTC Cleared - 706.50 Mi.
9. Control Module Voltage - 13.69 V.
10. Ambient Air Temperature - 80.60 °F.
11. Accelerator Pedal Position D - 30.98 %.
12. Accelerator Pedal Position E - 46.67 %.
13. Time since DTC Cleared - 30 Hr32sec.
Does this happen because it's in EV mode? Do I just have to put up with it every so often? (This is the second time it happened.)
Prius PHEV Plug-In :: EV Mode Audible Sound / How To Stop The Beep
I have got a plug in supply phev kit, and I live in the uk. As the software on the kit is written for the American market, I'm assuming our speeds are a little different, ie, the phev kit always wants to enter ev mode automatically below or at 30mph, and the kit does do this, but our 30 mph speed must be different to the usa, as the kit tries to enter ev mode when I'm doing speeds of over 30mph even up to 35 mph, the the cars software stops this from happening and the audible alarm sounds, 4 beeps, and words on the led state ev mode not allowed because we are of course going too fast.
This is of course quite annoying sometimes when the kit is constantly trying to get into ev mode and alarms are frequent at speeds between 30 and 35 mph, over this speed the kit stops trying to go into ev mode.
The kit is working really well to be honest, and I am very pleased with the way it works. One thing I would like to do is to try to stop the audible alarm when the ev mode is not allowed, is there a way of disabling the cannot enter ev mode chime / beep alarm with software, I do own a techstream light.
I wish the PIS program and software was open source, I could alter the parameter myself then.
One more slight thing that could be addressed is sometimes, but not very often, when I am driving in mixed or blended mode, the oem hybrid battery gets too full of charge and the engine starts to burn off the Excess charge in the battery, again if the PIS program was open source, I could adjust the point at which the kit battery adds into the oem battery, I would drop that parameter a volt or 2 to stop the oem battery going into excess and burn off process.
I must say though, apart from these 2 slight annoyances, the kit is awesome.
Prius PHEV Plug-In :: Chirps On Occasions / Engine Drops Out Under Light Acceleration
For those of you with more experience with the Hymotion pack than I:
1) What does it mean when the car "chirps?" It seems like I get 3 or 4 chirps on occasion, with each chirp itself being a rapid succession of 3 individual chirps? I assume it is something to do with the Hymotion pack because I never heard them before the pack was installed.
2) Under light acceleration, say 1 mph/sec, when the engine is just barely contributing to acceleration, at around 31mph (+/-) the engine stops putting out power (the arrows from the engine disappear), the car noticeably hesitates when the engine drops out, I get 3 or 4 chirps, then the engine comes back "online" about a second or two later and all is well. Under normal (i.e. faster) rates of acceleration, this does not happen.
Prius PHEV Plug-In :: Early System Shutdown - Warning Lights / Error Codes
Have been having cascading problems since installing PIS 10kWh system in April. Early system shutdown, failed BMS boards, then triggering of Prius warning lights. The latter required disconnecting the 12v battery to 'reboot' and cancel them per Robb of PIS. But then, when attempting to do an electrical load test using air con & other accessories, we triggered several yellow warning lights that do no go away with a reboot. Have been told that we need to have a dealer read the codes to troubleshoot.
Read more: [URL] ....
Prius Plug-in 2012-15 :: ICE Always Comes On When Going Downhill At Any Speed
I'd like to stay in EV mode when driving my sons to school, but we live on top of a hill, and with a full charge, no matter what speed I go down that hill, the ICE always comes on. I've tried braking to limit my speed to 35 mph or 45 mph or just coasting, in which case I get up to 53 mph. It's usually about 60 degrees out and I don't use seat heaters or A/C. Is there anything I can do to stay in EV? I'm guessing the battery gets too full from the coasting and/or braking on the first half of the downhill and that's why it switches the ICE on halfway down. I sometimes wonder if I should use the timer to prevent the battery from charging up all the way...or just drive around the block a few times before going down the hill to "free up some space" in the battery for the energy I will get going down.
View 4 RepliesPrius Plug-in 2012-15 :: Low Speed Electric Acceleration In Hybrid Mode?
Just curious, is the low speed electric acceleration in *hybrid mode* generally, seat of the pants, noticeably more robust than that of the 'regular', 3rd gen Prius? By low speed, I mean starting off from stop lights in normal driving.
Why do I ask? In 3rd gen Prius, electric acceleration lasts only a few seconds from a stop, maybe up to about 15 MPG roughly with light acceleration. With heavy throttle, gas engine comes on about right away.
How does the PiP behave under moderate acceleration from stop in hybrid mode? Could we say PiP accelerates on electric drive in HV about 6 MPH per second +/-x up to 25 MPH +/- x on level ground, etc....?
Prius Plug-in 2012-15 :: Scheduled Timer For Plug-in Charge Only Shows Finish Time?
After my 25k service it seems the timer scheduler when the square button is pressed/held flashes at 7am. When i press the H button the hour advances to 12am then closes. I want to start the charge at 12am and finish at 5AM. The timer windows closes when i move the finish hour to 12am and then my regular clock hour changes. It used to be when i pressed/held the timer button the start time would show at 12 am and after setting it would go to the finish hour.
View 8 RepliesGen 3 Prius (Audio/Electronics) :: 2010 - Radio Speed Up / Down As Of Car Speed - Locks Up?
I have a 2010 Prius. In the last few months, the radio has started acting strangely.
Sometimes it will increase I speed when you speed up and slow down when you slow down. And play normally when at a stand still. Sometimes it locks up, you can not change the volume or station. Sometimes it does not work at all. Other times it works just fine.
When I called the dealership, they will only replace the radio and not investigate the issue. Replacement could cost 300-400.
Prius Plug-in 2012-15 :: PiP Vs V5?
I am about to finish up my graduate studies here in Ohio, after which, my wife and I will be headed back to California. We are in desperate need of a second car, but have decided to wait until we move to get one. My wonderful in laws have said that they are willing to split the cost of a new car with us. With that said, we have already decided that we want to get a Prius, but we can't decide which one. We both really like the V. We love how roomy the car is. This is very important to us because we are going to start a family soon. However, we also like the regular Prius and the PiP. I really like the PiP but am a little concerned about the new batteries, and I am not sure that I want to pay the early adapter premium assuming one is even available. But, only paying half for a PiP sounds rather tempting. Considering all that I just said, if you were in my shoes what car would you get and why?
View 12 RepliesPrius (Gen 3) :: How To Change Spark Plug
I want to change spark plug, took connector of spark unit and took bolt M6 out, lifted spark unit but not enough clearance to remove the unit in order to use wrench for unscrewing spark plug. How it works?
View 14 RepliesPrius (Gen 3) :: Location To Plug In Scangauge II
Where do you plug Scangauge II inside the Prius?
How do you mount it? On the window or on the dash, and can you buy the mount or does it come with one?
Prius Plug-in 2012-15 :: Shifting In And Out Of EV?
Just wondering, is there a recommended procedure or speed range to shift in or out of EV mode while operating, or should it be done while the car is stopped?
View 2 Replies