Milage Sudenly Droped - Toyota Prius

[LAXMAN917576]

My car is toyota prius 3rd GEN 2010 MODEL I BOUGHT ON 2012 JUNE EARLIER MY CARS MILAGE IS FOR LONG TRIP 26 TO 30KM/L AND SHORT DISTANCE 15 to 17km/lbut now for last 2 months it reduced to 20 to 22km/ l and 12 to 14km/l please advice what is the reason

[Watchman]

  On 4/20/2013 at 4:03 PM, NZer said:

Well like all spare parts we have to go with the word of the seller but here its been tested and comes with warranty so i guess no one is really screwed. Screwed would be if you had to pay like 500,000 Rs like some people think.

You put your foot in your a$$ with the first post now you're just digging it deeper in.

Unlike mechanical parts where you can see the tell-tale signs of usage, i doubt you can see the internals of a battery to see how more life you have in it...

[terrabytetango]

Which mode are you driving in? Maybe you're in Power mode, which uses quite a bit more fuel. And also do you drive long enough for the battery to charge completely?

[LAXMAN917576]

Most of the time am driving in ECO mode

[carbuddy]

  On 4/21/2013 at 10:55 AM, LAXMAN917576 said:

Most of the time am driving in ECO mode

I have send you a personal message please check.

[carbuddy]

  On 4/19/2013 at 2:15 PM, Sylvi said:

carbuddy,

Can you inform the issues are good or bad.

I find most members, do not recommend the new service centers.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

I would say bad things are popular but they may have satisfied customers as well. check this . I have check these before servicing my one (Its a 2ng gen). So i looked for other places instead of most popular places. They provided a satisfactory service.

[The Don]

  On 4/23/2013 at 3:27 PM, carbuddy said:

I would say bad things are popular but they may have satisfied customers as well. check this . I have check these before servicing my one (Its a 2ng gen). So i looked for other places instead of most popular places. They provided a satisfactory service.

This is why a lot of us stick to our trusted mechanics, and unfortunately some of these guys do not have the skills not the equipment to repair hybrids. As such we take the lesser of the two evils, stick to vehicles out trusty mechanics can repair

[Californikan]

  LAXMAN917576 said:

My car is toyota prius 3rd GEN 2010 MODEL I BOUGHT ON 2012 JUNE EARLIER MY CARS MILAGE IS FOR LONG TRIP 26 TO 30KM/L AND SHORT DISTANCE 15 to 17km/lbut now for last 2 months it reduced to 20 to 22km/ l and 12 to 14km/l please advice what is the reason

Since your Prius is relatively new it's unlikely that there is a problem with the traction battery.

Here are some things to consider and check:

1) Check tire pressure. Prius is sensitive to tire pressure so make sure your tires are at the recommended pressure. Improperly inflated tires can lower your fuel economy by as much as 10%.

2) Check the tires. The Prius comes standard with low-rolling resistance tires designed for max fuel economy. Have the original tires been changed to non low-rolling resistance tires? Non-LRR tires can lower your fuel economy. Changing tire size or having different size tires front and rear can also lower fuel economy.

3) Check the 12 volt battery. If the 12V battery is not in good condition, you will experience a decline in fuel economy.

4) Check the parking brake. Sometimes it can stay not fully disengaged and slightly drag, lowering fuel economy.

5) Check the spark plugs. Were cheap spark plugs installed during your last service?

6) Check the oil level. Overfilled oil can lower Prius fuel economy.

Also your expectation of 26-30 km/l seems unrealistically high. Normal Prius fuel economy averages around the 19-23 km/l range.

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[jdnet]

  On 4/24/2013 at 1:30 AM, Californikan said:

Since your Prius is relatively new it's unlikely that there is a problem with the traction battery.

Here are some things to consider and check:

1) Check tire pressure. Prius is sensitive to tire pressure so make sure your tires are at the recommended pressure. Improperly inflated tires can lower your fuel economy by as much as 10%.

2) Check the tires. The Prius comes standard with low-rolling resistance tires designed for max fuel economy. Have the original tires been changed to non low-rolling resistance tires? Non-LRR tires can lower your fuel economy. Changing tire size or having different size tires front and rear can also lower fuel economy.

3) Check the 12 volt battery. If the 12V battery is not in good condition, you will experience a decline in fuel economy.

4) Check the parking brake. Sometimes it can stay not fully disengaged and slightly drag, lowering fuel economy.

5) Check the spark plugs. Were cheap spark plugs installed during your last service?

6) Check the oil level. Overfilled oil can lower Prius fuel economy.

Also your expectation of 26-30 km/l seems unrealistically high. Normal Prius fuel economy averages around the 19-23 km/l range.

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Aney bung. all those googling skills and the only thing you could do was state the obvious?

So his the air in his tires are to blame?

What are you going to say next? He should join weightwatchers? you are a Grade-A retard.

[Californikan]

  jdnet said:

Aney bung. all those googling skills and the only thing you could do was state the obvious?

So his the air in his tires are to blame?

What are you going to say next? He should join weightwatchers? you are a Grade-A retard.

You're the fellow who claimed only a few days ago that the Prius accelerates suddenly uncontrollably on it's own.

The six things I listed are what my U.S. Toyota hybrid mechanic told me are the most common causes of Prius fuel economy declines, after my Prius experienced a reduction in fuel economy. Turns out it was my new improperly inflated tires.

Since it never even occurred to you that it might be a good idea to first check the simple obvious things that might be causing the problem, before getting into the more complex possible causes, why don't you crawl back under the rock you came from and stop embarrassing yourself.

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[jdnet]

  On 4/24/2013 at 4:09 AM, Californikan said:

You're the fellow who claimed only a few days ago that the Prius accelerates suddenly uncontrollably on it's own.

The six things I listed are what my U.S. Toyota hybrid mechanic told me are the most common causes of Prius fuel economy declines, after my Prius experienced a reduction in fuel economy. Turns out it was my new improperly inflated tires.

Since it never even occurred to you that it might be a good idea to first check the simple obvious things that might be causing the problem, before getting into the more complex possible causes, why don't you crawl back under the rock you came from and stop embarrassing yourself.

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aiyoo I didn't know that information came from your amaricaan hybirid mechanic. See us Sri Lankan's don't inflate our tires ne. When our cars break down we like to find the problem instead of coming up with some bullsh*t of the tire pressure is to blame. See us Sri Lankans don't notice flat tires.

[Californikan]

  LAXMAN917576 said:

My car is toyota prius 3rd GEN 2010 MODEL I BOUGHT ON 2012 JUNE EARLIER MY CARS MILAGE IS FOR LONG TRIP 26 TO 30KM/L AND SHORT DISTANCE 15 to 17km/lbut now for last 2 months it reduced to 20 to 22km/ l and 12 to 14km/l please advice what is the reason

Check the six simple things to make sure they are up to specifications, and to rule out the simple causes.

The cause is most probably the 12 volt battery since a low battery can reduce fuel economy and the 12 volt battery needs to be replaced in the Prius more often than in normal cars.

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[Rumesh88]

  On 4/24/2013 at 4:33 AM, Californikan said:

The cause is most probably the 12 volt battery since a low battery can reduce fuel economy and the 12 volt battery needs to be replaced in the Prius more often than in normal cars.

May I dispute your claim based on the following arguments.

1. You would not find a low battery (ie low terminal voltage) in a running car, be it a hybrid or otherwise, unless there is something wrong with the charging system. In case of a Prius, then it is the converter that is to blame in that case, not the battery itself.

2. The failure modes and rates that applies to a battery vary from country to country depending on the climatic conditions. Thus the past experience in US may not apply to the same battery when used in SL.

[carbuddy]

  On 4/24/2013 at 4:33 AM, Californikan said:

Check the six simple things to make sure they are up to specifications, and to rule out the simple causes.

The cause is most probably the 12 volt battery since a low battery can reduce fuel economy and the 12 volt battery needs to be replaced in the Prius more often than in normal cars.

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This could be. But if you put a proper 12V battery then it will last for few more years. Here prius 12v battery is not anormal 12v one most of you may know it. If you put normal 12v battery then it may need to change after a year or so.

[CJ5]

Reading through the postings this is what I gather......contrary to the "talks doing the rounds", hybrids do not and will not do 30kmpl. Money saved on petrol ultimately goes for the complicated repairs a hybrid brings along with it and to buy batteries, be that be 12V or traction batteries. The 12V battery in the hybrid requires more frequent changes than the 12V battery in the so called "eco unfriendly" cars. The discarded traction batteries of a hybrid are supposed to be more eco "unfriendly" than the eco "unfriendly" conventional cars that we drive around. That leaves me with the question....why a hybrid???????

Edited April 26, 2013 by CJ5

[Komisiripala]

Because neighbour/boss/colleague/wife's ex has one!!

[Rumesh88]

  On 4/26/2013 at 4:46 AM, CJ5 said:

The 12V battery in the hybrid requires more frequent changes than the 12V battery in the so called "eco unfriendly" cars.

There is no logical or theoretical explanation to why the auxiliary battery in a Prius need more frequent changes (if it is the case!), but since this 12V 28Ah OEM battery is a AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) type one, one must realize that there are certain restrictions (In fact, it should be other way round given what the battery of a conventional car would have to go through) . AGM batteries are more vulnerable to damage under both high discharge and charge conditions as well as being sensitive to high temperature. Hence this battery should never be used for jump starting another car. Also with the charging current limited to 3.5A it will take a longer time to charge the battery compared to a battery in a conventional car with similar state of discharge. Also AGM batteries being more sensitive to deep discharge, one should not leave the cabin lights etc on for extended periods. If all these things are taken care of the aux battery in a Prius should last longer than that of a conventional car.

Edit: For a usage pattern of 30 min (took this as a bench mark considering a ICE car needing 15min driving to compensate start up discharge) of driving for six days a week and at a quiescent consumption of 40mA and a self-discharge rate of 30mA (rule-of-thumb), the 12V battery in a Prius will always be undercharged. Have I gone wrong somewhere?

Edited April 26, 2013 by Rumesh88

[CJ5]

  On 4/26/2013 at 7:31 AM, Rumesh88 said:

There is no logical or theoretical explanation to why the auxiliary battery in a Prius need more frequent charges (if it is the case!),

Well.... logic or no logic it was mentioned by the "Guru-Champion" on hybrids on the forum stating that..

  On 4/24/2013 at 4:33 AM, Californikan said:

the 12 volt battery needs to be replaced in the Prius more often than in normal cars.

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BTW Rumesh88 you have got "changes" and "charges mixed up!!!!

Edited April 26, 2013 by CJ5

[Rumesh88]

  On 4/26/2013 at 8:25 AM, CJ5 said:

Well.... logic or no logic it was mentioned by the "Guru-Champion" on hybrids on the forum stating that..

BTW Rumesh88 you have got "changes" and "charges mixed up!!!!

I understand the logic now. Mix up corrected! Thanks for both.

However, according to a model I did, if a Prius is driven only for 30 min a day on a six day week here is a good chance of one ending up with a undercharged battery whereas a conventional ICE going through the same pattern would not. Pl see my edited post.

[CJ5]

  On 4/26/2013 at 10:53 AM, Rumesh88 said:

However, according to a model I did, if a Prius is driven only for 30 min a day on a six day week here is a good chance of one ending up with a undercharged battery whereas a conventional ICE going through the same pattern would not. Pl see my edited post.

As I understand ( I might be wrong) to get the full benefit of a hybrid's economical running 50% should be fast running and 50% city running. The rational, as I am made to understand, is on the fast run the petrol engine drives the wheels while also charging the traction battery and then in the slow traffic congested city running the traction battery takes over giving the petrol engine a break. So on that basis if 80-90% of running is in city traffic with hardly any fast runs the traction battery would not get charged even on a 30mnt run isn't it? So in that type of scenario it will be only the petrol engine that will be doing all the work with no power in the traction battery and ultimately the traction battery packs-up sooner due to under-utilisation. Am I correct or is there something else too which I am missing or is my understanding totally out?????

Edited April 26, 2013 by CJ5

[sanjeev]

  On 4/26/2013 at 1:59 PM, CJ5 said:

As I understand ( I might be wrong) to get the full benefit of a hybrid's economical running 50% should be fast running and 50% city running. The rational, as I am made to understand, is on the fast run the petrol engine drives the wheels while also charging the traction battery and then in the slow traffic congested city running the traction battery takes over giving the petrol engine a break. So on that basis if 80-90% of running is in city traffic with hardly any fast runs the traction battery would not get charged even on a 30mnt run isn't it? So in that type of scenario it will be only the petrol engine that will be doing all the work with no power in the traction battery and ultimately the traction battery packs-up sooner due to under-utilisation. Am I correct or is there something else too which I am missing or is my understanding totally out?????

hope this will help http://prius.ecrostech.com/original/Understanding/WhatsGoingOnAsIDrive.htm

[Sylvi]

  On 4/26/2013 at 2:22 PM, sanjeev said:

hope this will help http://prius.ecrostech.com/original/Understanding/WhatsGoingOnAsIDrive.htm

Sanjeew,

Your post is a very educative post to this thread.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[Magnum]

Diesel FTW!

[CJ5]

Thank you sanjeev!

Edited April 27, 2013 by CJ5

[Californikan]

Some Prius owners go 7 or 8 years before having to change the 12V battery and others have to do it in 3 or 4 years.

But keep in mind the Prius (or any hybrids) brakes lasts much longer than conventional cars. When a Prius driver brakes gently enough the regen system alone slows the car down from speed to about 10km/h without engaging the mechanical brakes. At about 10km/h the mechanical brakes kick in to slow car from 10km/h to a stop. Even if the driver brakes hard enough from speed to engage the mechanical brakes, the regen system does much of the 'braking'. It's common and normal for Prii to have been driven over 250,000km on their original brakes and still have several millimeters left on those original brake pads, and not need any brake work done.

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[VVTi]

Aney manda, all this trouble to save a few bucks at the pump. Sigh.

Save on gas, but spend on batteries.... what is the logic behind that?