How to drive your third-gen

[Dan]

Good stuff guys!

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by Right Lane Cruiser

Give it a try for glides -- you eliminate any possibility of current flows to/from traction motor this way and can manage your SoC a bit more easily.

In most case, that is correct. When you are decelerating, there will be a current flow into the pack when you get to around 32-33 mph and will last until around 30-31 mph. Also, if you are going downhill in neutral, current will start flowing into the pack at around 32 mph and will continue to do so until around 37 mph. I have seen +15 amps going into the pack while in N.

[Right Lane Cruiser]

That's cool, Larry -- I didn't know that!

[diamondlarry]

I forgot to mention that I have recently found that if you start a downhill N glide at 33 mph, the current won't flow into the pack up to the 37 mph threshold. I have found that it's worth it to burn just a tad more fuel and enter those types of glides a little bit faster(33mph or above) because you can glide significantly farther due to not having the drag of pack charging. It really stinks if you don't enter fast enough and the hill isn't steep enough to exceed 37 mph.

[hobbit]

Waitasec, are you talking about a second-gen with this mystery
charge in *Neutral*?! I'm not buyin' that, and I would have
trouble believing it for a third-gen since that violates the
definition of how Neutral works in any Prius. I would have to
see that on an analog current donut, which I can 100% confirm
I've *never* seen in my so-instrumented car.
.
_H*

[royrose]

Originally Posted by xcel

___This was the best I could do after 1,800 miles, not a short jaunt down a local Interstate. This was also not with CC but a DWL scenario after an 8% SG-II offset was in place.

___And that damn 6 mpg over report by the aFCD

___Wayne

Wayne,

I'm a newbie to both Prius and Scangauge, so forgive me if I am a bit off the main topic of this thread.

Once the scangauge is set up for the 2010 Prius, does it estimate mpg more accurately than the gauges on the Prius itself or does it show the same inaccuracy?

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by hobbit

Waitasec, are you talking about a second-gen with this mystery
charge in *Neutral*?! I'm not buyin' that, and I would have
trouble believing it for a third-gen since that violates the
definition of how Neutral works in any Prius. I would have to
see that on an analog current donut, which I can 100% confirm
I've *never* seen in my so-instrumented car.
.
_H*

I have seen it numerous times in my '07 since I first discovered it last summer. I have the SG set to monitor the current into/out of the pack with the BTA X-gauge. When gliding in N at 31 mph or below, the current is reading .9-1.0+ amps coming out of the pack. When you approach 32 mph, you see the current draw slowly drop and, as the speed increases, it goes to a negative value (charge going into the pack) and there is a very noticeable drag that feels like a brake dragging. At 37 mph, the drag is at it's highest and the current going into the pack is highest at -15 amps and above. As the the speed hits 38 mph, there is a sudden decrease in drag and the current value shifts back to the standard .9-1.0+ range.

[msantos]

Originally Posted by royrose

...
Once the scangauge is set up for the 2010 Prius, does it estimate mpg more accurately than the gauges on the Prius itself or does it show the same inaccuracy?

My experience shows that on a per trip basis the scangauge tends to be a bit more realistic than my 3rd Gen's displayed FE. But while it appears to be more realistic, it still overestimates the FE by a tiny margin... especially when measured against the calculated FE at the pump.

Cheers

MSantos

[JimboK]

Originally Posted by hobbit

Waitasec, are you talking about a second-gen with this mystery
charge in *Neutral*?! I'm not buyin' that, and I would have
trouble believing it for a third-gen since that violates the
definition of how Neutral works in any Prius. I would have to
see that on an analog current donut, which I can 100% confirm
I've *never* seen in my so-instrumented car.
.
_H*

Buy it. I know it makes no sense but I see it too. I documented it here, fourth chart. If you're not seeing it with your analog instruments, I suppose an argument could be made that it's artifact of some sort within the CAN data stream. But like Larry, I feel it too on a steep hill as the momentary drag it produces suddenly lets go at about 37-38 MPH. I would say it feels more like momentary slipping into regenerative coasting rather than brake drag; it's very subtle.

Try it for yourself. Find as steep a hill as you can, which makes it most noticeable to the butt sensors. That also makes it short duration, so watch the instruments closely.

[ALS]

I tried neutral on my way to work today and I can't believe how far this car will coast.
I guess .40 Cd vs .25 in the Prius does make a huge difference. There is one section on my way to work about one mile long that has a small hill that levels out to flat section then back to another downward grade to a flat section with a slight downward grade all the way to my companies parking lot. Usually in the Volvo wagon I would have to engage the clutch tap the gas in the first flat area for a second or two to keep the car at 25 mph so I didn't drop into teens. Not with the Prius in neutral it stayed at twenty five all the way through that section.