What to do if you drive a Prius.

[trof]

This works for me, anyway.

I've been driving a 2008 Prius for 2 1/2 years.
Never a problem, but the story out of San Diego got my attention because that Prius was the same year as mine.

On a deserted rural road I experimented.
I found I could shift into neutral at various speeds up to 60, and in various conditions.
Foot off gas.
Foot on gas.
Accelerating, decelerating, and at stable speed.
With or without cruise control engaged.

When you hold the shift lever to the neutral position it takes a second or two to go into neutral, but it goes, every time.
At least it did for me.

You might practice this a few times so you can be familiar with what happens and be ready to shift as soon as you think there may be a problem.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Good to see

a constructive remark on the subject.

[Mopar151]

69. Absolutely. Advice from a guy with a closet full of trophies...

Test your car's panic stop abilities. Use a big area, try dry and wet. If it locks one wheel, pulls hard, locks the rears first, if ABS actuation does'nt act like the manual sez - see your dealer, or mechanic. Try some bumpy/broken pavement at low speed, especially if you have ABS.

Alignment saver driving tip (GM certified alignment tech) Teach yourself to release the brakes JUST before a big bump or pothole. For a bunch of complex reasons, this greatly lessens the impact of the bump on your car's suspension. If anybody wants alignment advice from a obsessive alignement / setup guy, PM me.

[rfranklin]

2. Does holding down the "power button" turn off the engine?

I have heard that it does if you hold it down for three seconds or more.

[trof]

27. I was too chicken to try that.

[Kablooie]

62. Problem with that is you might lose power steering and breaks.

I haven't tested it but that's a common problem with unpowered cars.

[hlthe2b]

3. "up to 60"-- does this mean you couldn't over 60 mph?

(sort of important since those documented events were well over 60mph and if it uncontrollably accelerates as quickly as has been depicted, you might not have a chance to react at lower speeds).

[trof]

28. Maximum safe speed on the road I was on.

It's posted at 35, but in totally uninhabited farmland.

[still_one]

4. That is good advice, however, if the electronics or software screw up, as they were for the

person in San Diego, it may not work

[thereismore]

8. That guy did not try to put it in neutral, as far as I know. So this is good advice. nt

[still_one]

10. I will try to find the link, but I thought the account I saw said he did /nt

[TommyO]

15. Yes, when requested to by the CHP he did, and the car didn't respond

[frylock]

25. the person in san diego eventually shifted to neutral after being coached by CHP..

and it worked. and if it doesn't work, there's no harm in at least trying.

on edit: "Sikes told reporters he didn't go into neutral because he worried the car would flip."

i'm sorry, but that's just stupid. all experts agree to shift to neutral. several tests have been run that indicate that it will shift.

[high density]

55. Did the car typically flip when he let his foot off the gas?

It really makes me wonder how some people can apparently hold a job that lets them afford a Prius.

[lonestarnot]

5. Take the fucking bus!

[thereismore]

7. What an assinine comment. Buses don't go fucking everywhere. nt

[lonestarnot]

40. Well then stay home or call a cab.

[kestrel91316]

11. Even in my city, buses are woefully inadequate unless you are starting and ending your trip in

certain specific locations.

Get a grip.

I trust you are so pure that you don't even own or drive a car.

[lonestarnot]

41. I never lost my grip thank you and after the prius news I wouldn't get in one. I would make them

take the damn thing back or walk or stay home.

[Nihil]

43. You know, for all your bluster and rah-rah-Team America ...

... you really are a nation of cowardly little sheep ...

> after the prius news I wouldn't get in one. I would make them
> take the damn thing back or walk or stay home.

"Oh No! There was a report on the NEWS that someone lost control
of their Toyota and I'm now pissing myself so much that I daren't
get into the car ... waaaahhhhh wahhhhh!"

:rofl:

[lonestarnot]

64. And you'd ride a run-away horse too.

:rofl:

[trof]

37. Get me a transit system in my small rural town and I'll sell both cars.

Thanks for your input.
:eyes:

[lonestarnot]

42. Bike? Feet? Carpool?

:shrug:

[trof]

44. Look. Give it a freakin' rest, man. Really.

I'm 68.
I live in a rural community and I'm 10 miles from the closest grocery store.
I'm unable (and totally unwilling ) to hike 20 miles to bring a loaf of bread home. Let alone how I'd get a full grocery cart of food from there to here on foot or bike.

At my age a bike won't hack it.
Sorry I don't live up to your expectations.
:eyes:


You: "Well, you should bake your own bread."
You've got an answer for EVERYTHING, right?

Yeah right.
I should grow all my own food.
If you'd like to come on down and help me put a garden in on my small plot, come on.

Guys like you just really piss me off.
:grr:

[Midlodemocrat]

45. FFS. Give it a rest and lay off trof.

[trof]

51. Thanks, Mid. jeez

:eyes:

[donco6]

56. Aye - men.

Sheesh.

[vadawg]

50. hell i still wouldnt get rid of my truck, no matter how good the public transport is

it just dosent give you the freedom having your own vehicle does, try carrying your canoe or atv on the bus or trying to tow your basstracker behind the bus, aint going to happen..

[Midlodemocrat]

58. I live in the 'burbs. So, public transportation is out.

No apologies here. This IS America, after all. I kind of think I get to choose how I live and how I take care of my family.

[gateley]

6. How thoughtful of you to be the crash test dummy! And thanks for the PSA!

Although I don't drive a Prius, K&R-ing because I think those who do will be helped by this. :hi:

[kestrel91316]

9. This is what I have been suggesting. Just throw the car into neutral.

It can't go anywhere too fast once the engine and wheels are disconnected. If that fails, shut off the engine.

[Not Me]

12. As a previous post mentioned...

if the computer has malfunctioned and taken control, this may not be possible.
The transmission on the Prius is not mechanical, the shift lever does not disengage the transmission, but closes a switch that sends a message to the transmission to disengage.

[spoony]

13. Or, you could stop supporting working slave labour to death

and help out your domestic union members with your vehicle purchases. Then you won't just LOOK like you give a shit about liberal causes.

[trof]

29. TWEET! 15 YARDS! EXCESSIVE SNARKINESS!

:rofl:

[Brickbat]

32. Right on.

[taterguy]

39. Real liberals don't support modes of transportation that perpetuate oil wars

Sorry, sometimes I just can't help myself.

:shrug:

[Midlodemocrat]

48. Or drink Budweiser from a can.

Sorry.

:rofl:

:loveya:

[taterguy]

63. I only drink from cans if I'm in the middle of a river

[trof]

57. OMG!1! I'm a NEOCON1!!1

;-0

[Midlodemocrat]

60. No worries, trof. I'm declaring war on him again. Probably next week.

He just never learns.

:rofl:

[Midlodemocrat]

46. Hm. Funny. My Toyota was built here.

My Chrysler? My husband's? Built in Canada.

Weird, huh?

:eyes:

[TommyO]

14. And when your car accelerates and doesn't respond to your

polite request to put in into neutral, then what?

I hope the CHP is available to help you.

[liberal N proud]

16. The car in San Diego was gong 90+ mph

[Tesha]

18. It's likely that "60 MPH" was the fastest speed at which Trof could conduct their test.

Look, for you folks who are convinced that Toyota is the
mega-biggest-evil-car-company-evah, JUST DON'T BUY
THEIR CARS.

But much of what you've all been spreading on DU lately
is 1) nothing but propaganda and 2) almost-certainly wrong.
Stop it! Information like Trof's is useful. In addition, the
overall rate of Toyota unintended acceleration incidents is
actually quite low, and hardly out of line with the incidence
rate with the rest of the manufacturers. The hysteria you and
the media are manufacturing is wholly unwarranted. And in
the long run, you're only going to make yourselves look foolish.

Tesha


Tesha

[liberal N proud]

19. Almost-certainly wrong?

Are you sure?

[Tesha]

22. Yes. (NT)

[liberal N proud]

24. Does (NT) mean that you don't have to quantify your statement?

[Tesha]

34. You asked me a simple binary question and I answered it.

I'm under the impression that you're not especially convincible
so I didn't waste my time trying.

If that impression is wrong, I'm sure you'll correct me. ;)

Tesha

[trof]

30. You're right.

I figure if it works at 60 it'll work at 70 or whatever.

[ddeclue]

53. A Prius that can move at 90mph ought to be national news even if the gas pedal wasn't stuck..

talk about underpowered cars..

[trof]

66. I find mine plenty peppy enough.

Acceleration is good.
And it can cruise at 90, no problemo.
:-)

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. What to do if you own a Prius.

Trade it in for a Civic Hybrid.

[Kalyke]

20. Nope.

Trade it in on a Ford Fusion.

BUY AMERICAN!

PROFIT AMERICA!

http://madeinusaforever.com/

[rcrush]

23. Must be nice

To have a job and good credit.

[RaleighNCDUer]

26. Actually, i have a job, no credit, and a 13 yr old Nissan.

What that has to do the problems with the Prius, I don't know.

[harun]

21. What happened when you tried to shift in to neutral above 60?

[trof]

31. 60 was as fast as I wanted to go.

90% of our driving is local at 55, or below.
Mostly at 45 and 35.

[galileoreloaded]

33. I know what to do too. Buy a VW Jetta TDI and get better fuel mileage, AND not die in horrible fire.

[Tesha]

35. Aren't you worried that the Jetta is "drive by wire" as well?

(I don't actually know, but our 2003 Audi A8 certainly is.)

Tesha

[Mopar151]

68. All electronically controlled diesels are drive-by wire

Even big honkin' Kenworths.

Audi, BMW, Volvo, VW, Nissan, Chrysler all use drive-by wire, too - but with open code, redundant sensors, and different default settings.

[trof]

36. Gee, now all I need is a time machine so I can go back 2 1/2 years.

:eyes:

[ddeclue]

52. What a coincidence! They do make those in automotive form!

Do you want the Plutonium powered version or the Mr. Fusion powered version?

Ironically to make it work you will of course have to get the gas pedal stuck to the floor and go 88 miles per hour.

:rofl:

[trof]

54. I'll take the Mr. Fusion.

Cool.

[ddeclue]

61. Not really "Mr. Fusion" but here's a story on a gasification device..

http://gas2.org/2009/01/08/build-your-own-mr-fusion-and-power-your-car-with-trash/

That's interesting..

[11 Bravo]

65. Yeah, but if the flux capacitator gets stuck on the floormat, you are well and truly fucked.

[Midlodemocrat]

49. Dude. If you GAVE me one of those, I wouldn't drive it.

[blueamy66]

38. My co-worker owns one.

I am begging him to let me sit in the passenger seat and then have him drive into a wall.

I wanna be a millionaire dammit!!!

:wow:

[ddeclue]

47. You know Prius owners shouldn't have to be their own "test pilots"...

auto companies are supposed to thoroughly test this crap for you before they even sell the first one.

Toyota has some serious explaining to do.

[Swamp Rat]

59. Always drive uphill.

:)

[taterguy]

67. Good advice