What to do if you drive a Prius.

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.

a constructive remark on the subject.

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.

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

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

(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).

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

person in San Diego, it may not work

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.

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

certain specific locations.

Get a grip.

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

take the damn thing back or walk or stay home.

... 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:

:rofl:

Thanks for your input.
:eyes:

:shrug:

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:

:eyes:

Sheesh.

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..

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.

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

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

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.

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.

:rofl:

Sorry, sometimes I just can't help myself.

:shrug:

Sorry.

:rofl:

:loveya:

;-0

He just never learns.

:rofl:

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

Weird, huh?

:eyes:

polite request to put in into neutral, then what?

I hope the CHP is available to help you.

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

Are you sure?

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

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

talk about underpowered cars..

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

Trade it in for a Civic Hybrid.

Trade it in on a Ford Fusion.

BUY AMERICAN!

PROFIT AMERICA!

http://madeinusaforever.com/

To have a job and good credit.

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

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

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

Tesha

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.

:eyes:

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:

Cool.

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

That's interesting..

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:

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.

:)