Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: Can't Decide Whether To Use Gas When Coast With Neutral
Aug 2, 2012
I'm very puzzled by how prius (2008) decides whether to use gas when I coast with neutral (I only do that if there is a long stretch of the road that is going down the hill). Same roads, same driving style, but sometimes, the gas usage goes to 0 but sometime it continue to use gas. Sometimes if you just let it in the gear a little longer or just press the gas pedal, it would go 0 after switching to neutral. There is no consistency that I can come up with the best method to get it to not to use gas and just slide using the gravity and momentum.
I can understand if it has to fill up the battery but when it uses gas at neutral, no transfer of energy among all parts. The diagram (wheel, engines, battery) shows standstill but it still uses gas. I don't have air on and turn the fan to the lowest and it doesn't make any difference.
A few conclusions I had:
It will always use a little gas at highway speed (55 to 70mph).
It appears to use gas at higher humidity (not sure but the MPG is higher when it's humid).
View 4 Replies
Advertisement
I've got a 2004 1.8t GLI. I recently developed a problem where the car will idle very poorly at random times, where it goes down to 500, jumps up to a 1000, and continues that and eventually levels out. Also, occasionally while I am driving and put it in neutral to coast, the engine will die. This has also happened at stop signs/red lights. I had it scanned via VCDS, and the only two codes that popped up were running lean, and an n249 code. I already changed the MAF out, changed the alternator. Where to go next.
View 1 Replies
In my 98 Ford Ranger, 4 cyl. manual, was driving up a 6% grade on the freeway, about 60mph for about ten minutes when i reached the top and began on a downhill grade. i let off the gas and put it in neutral to coast and then i looked down and it had stalled in neutral. i put it in gear to jump start it, it wouldn't fire back up. so i pulled to the shoulder. it wouldn't key start either. towed to mechanic, code read cam sensor. he also did a comp test and # 2 and 3 cyl were lacking comp. so the mechanic thinks the lack of comp is more serious than just the cam sensor, he thinks it might be the head. so my question is, can the cam sensor get far enough out of time so there would be no comp?
View 19 Replies
Im curious if this is normal or not. When I'm driving and I put my car into neutral to coast, the idle speed is at around 900rpm. When I come to a stop, the idle will drop to around 650rpm. Is this a design feature? I wish the rpm would drop more to conserve on gas while I'm coasting!
View 7 Replies
Is there any harm being done by putting the car in neutral to force a coast then putting it back in "D" to charge up the battery just before coming to a stop? I've changed my driving patterns and started heavy usage of the CC and putting the car in neutral for a forced coast, but putting the car back in D just before coming to a stop or even after the down-slope coast ends. Just before going back up hill.
View 9 Replies
Is it ok to shift into neutral when the car is moving?
View 19 Replies
I am a new 2010 prius owner and I am very interested in obtaining the max MPG in my new car I have read and seen video with regard to the pulse and glide method. My question is
1. can you shift into neutral on the glide
2. can this do any harm to the car.
View 17 Replies
Traffic permitting, pulse and glide or coast seems to work for the mpgs for those dreaded 1 mile trips on a cold engine. If no one behind, I'll just get off the gas and coast down the street, usually to the next stop light. Funny how often the light is red. If a bunch of ICEers are close behind, coasting not an option.
View 3 Replies
I'm still getting used to my prius and hybrids in general so there are a few things that I still don't know about them. But what what makes that cool whirring sound you hear when accelerate from a stop or coast? It's got a cool scientific buzz.
View 6 Replies
My 05 F150 with 107k miles becomes increasingly noisy.... From speeds about 15mph up to 50mph there is a humming noise from the front wheels, clearly audible during coast. It sounds almost like tire noise, low frequency with a clear tone (not rumble) and gets worse in LH turns / better in RH turns. The frequency follows the speed.
I also can feel vibrations in the steering wheel. It's not the tires, I changed them without any impact. Checked wheel bearing play - seems OK. The locking hubs are stuck in locked position, with quite some play between the hub and the driveshaft at the RH front wheel (have not checked the LH front wheel yet), seems weird...
Where should I start to look, - wheel bearings or locking hubs? And more important, we plan a 1500 mls trip to Germany - do I dare to drive the truck? What is the worst thing that could happen if wheel bearing or locking hub?
View 1 Replies
I just received a phone call from my wife stating her prius automatically goes to neutral.
She mentioned there were not any odd noises. Just that once in drive it automatically goes to neutral.
The car is now parked in a lot until I go and take a look.
View 3 Replies
I wonder what's the difference between Stealth (no arrow on display at all) and Neutral Gear? The reason I ask is, Neutral Gear is much easier to maintain than Stealth.
Also, when I break moderately hard, it seems like the CVT gear is put to low, so for every yard I travel, more rotation on charging motor. Since Toyota did a great job on transition between regeneration and brake pads, I can't tell when brake pads start to work. Any indications?
View 7 Replies
After getting on the highway, the red triangle of death, the amber ABS and the VSC lights came on, and little exclamation point came on on millage/audio screen, while battery power went down from high blue to one blue bar. Pulled car over to parking lot, and put in park. After putting it in park, the car would not go out of neutral, but the power still worked.
View 15 Replies
We love our 04 Prius (190K, still original brakes, etc.). Today we encountered a strange problem. My wife was driving and pulled into a parking lot. She could not turn the car off , remove the box key, or shift out of neutral. No warning lights.
After about 10 min. the car would drive again. We've now cycled about 5 times (i.e. driven somewhere) and it seems OK. We replaced the 12V battery a couple of years ago and haven't seen any problems in that area.
View 2 Replies
I just bought a 2006 Prius about a month ago (57K). I love the car and have been educating myself on all things Prius, This car has also made me change my driving style quite a bit. I am getting around 50 MPG (combined) and very happy about it.
I have been using some of the hypermiling techniques to get the mileage, one of the things I do is to put the car in Neutral (to emulate the Glide portion of the Pulse and Glide) especially when coming down a gradient. I was bit concerned about using the Neutral gear and called Toyota Corporation to get a clarification, The answer I got from Toyota was - there is no technical issue, however they do not recommend this be done for safety reasons.
View 6 Replies
I have a Gen II 2009 Prius with 31K miles on it. I love my Prius and until now had no issues with it. Last Saturday when I was driving on the highway, the following lights came on the dashboard.
1) Master Caution Light
2) VSC
3) ((!)) 'electronic brake malfunction'
4) Check engine light
The car seemed to be handling fine, and I kept on driving. However, after a few miles the car would go in neutral, I would need to stop before it will let me drive. I got to where I needed to go and then had the car towed to the dealer service shop.
The dealer came back and said that the water pump for the inverter needed changing (it was under warranty) plus the 12V utility battery also needed changing. They saw the DTS codes when the connected their computer to the car. I have my car back and other than the price of the battery had a really good experience with the dealer service center. They were prompt and efficient. Also it seems to me that car is driving more in the electric mode with the engine coming on less. Just my impression.
View 17 Replies
My fiancee has a 2005 base model and is out shopping today. She just called me and said that she is stuck in a parking lot.
She told me on the way off the highway today the "big and little" triangles came on, but the car drove fine. When she got back to her car to leave, the car would turn on presumably, but all the warning lights were on. She then said that the car would not go into drive and only into neutral.
View 19 Replies
I've searched & still haven't resolved my problem.
View 19 Replies
2008 prius won't stay in gear, goes to neutral when hot...
View 12 Replies
A little back story my hybrid battery went out about 4 months ago ago and I've been saving money to get it fixed. I've been trying to remember to start it and get it moving every so often. Well I guess I didn't do it enough because go to drive the Prius yesterday to get it started and moved since it's been awhile and the main battery is dead. The way the Prius is parked I can't even get to it to jump it. I'm wondering is there a way to put it in neutral with a dead battery? Or is there a way to charge the battery, since it's actually inside the car? And I'm assuming since the 12V is drained, I'll have to replace that as well correct?
I'm about over this car, while it done great the first 7 years I had it, past two have been a royal pain. Ready to go back to a normal engine and car.
View 8 Replies
Have read threads on car wash issues but have only had the dreaded red triangle flash with no problems as a result. Tuesday, however, got ALL the lights on and now car will not go past warm up phase and only goes in neutral or park. Lights come on, clock reads correct time, and radio works. Tried a jump to aux battery, a reset of the main hybrid battery and finally had my baby towed to the local dealer. 2 days later they are telling me the transmission needs to be replaced. They say I have an irreparable short in the transmission and the replacement is $5000. With no issues with transmission and only two bars magenta in color on the battery level showing is this a transmission issue or a battery issue. Can't say I have had great luck with the local dealer on previous maintenance so my confidence is not high. Love my girl but unsure whether the car is worth this repair at 8 years old and 183,000 on the odometer.
View 11 Replies
