Toyota Prius Enthusiasts

2005 Prius - Fuel Door Failure

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:40:39 GMT

*grumble* I try to stop last night for cheap gas whilst I've still got two fuel "bars" left. Pull into gas station, pull lever on floor to pop open fuel door, and... nothing. No amount of lever-pullage will pop open the fuel door. Drive from cheap gas to house of friends where I'm crashing for the evening, elect to deal with it in the morning. Down to one "bar" of fuel.

In theory, I could probably make it all the way home to my home dealership (where the car was purchased) to get them to deal with this... but it's just far enough that I don't want to risk it. Of course, it's Sunday, so no dealerships' service hours start 'till tomorrow. I need to do lots of things today-- like, y'know, drive home, do a zillion errands, and drive to the office (another 45+ miles from home), where I'm there overnights most nights 'till November. So, right now, am at the friends' house, waiting for them to come home, so I can get a 2nd pair of hands to help me try to jimmy the fuel door open (I can't reach, of course, to hold the lever up AND fiddle with the door).

Any ideas on tools or gadgets to try to pop/pry the fuel door open that won't completely bung up the paint there? If I can't pry it open, I'll be calling the nearest dealership (one town over) and asking about their "emergency" options for service...

E/T/A: Crisis solved. The 2nd pair of hands finally arrived, and a quick "I pull up the lever; he pops open the fuel door" move located the hitherto hidden issue: the plastic tether that holds the gas cap to the threaded sleeve had gotten in the way of the fuel door's latch. Lesson learned!

Prius Lovers: The Next Generation

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:27:11 GMT

Thought I'd share a sight I've come across on the road several times in recent weeks in Amherst, MA. A pale light green Prius has gone past my (2006, Driftwood Beige) Prius with this message emblazoned on its hood:

STUDENT DRIVER

PIONEER VALLEY DRIVING SCHOOL

It makes a lot of sense for a driving school to save gas with a Prius, considering all the miles on the road instructors spend with nervous high school students with freshly printed learner's permits. But I also think it's cool that these kids are also being taught how to drive with a Prius. Love will surely follow!

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:57:45 GMT

I'd like to join the 100,000 mile club please! My '02 still looks and runs like new!

Neo ProLink

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:59:42 GMT

I bought a Neo Prolink iPod adapter for my Prius, and the manual says to hook up the cable to the back of the radio...yet does not tell me how to get the back of the radio! I am at a loss as to open the dash as I don't want to break some minor little widget (which of course holds the entire dash together). Help!

Replacing headlights

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:50:05 GMT

One of the headlights in our '08 Prius has already gone out (???) and we're getting mixed signals from the 'net about replacing it. Is it possible to easily replace it yourself, or do you have to pay the dealer ridiculous amounts of money to have them do it? Is it covered under the warranty?

Today's "Indexed"

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:04:19 GMT

Not sure how many of us there are out there who also read Indexed. but today's comic is funny.

perspective

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:44:34 GMT

last night i went out downtown with some friends and when we were leaving the parking structure, some guy saw me in my prius and yelled out "tree hugger!" i was almost too proud of my tree hugging ways to realize he was trying to insult me :) lol

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:37:32 GMT

http://www.pickensplan.com/
Check out Pickensplan, look at the main video on the first page. It gives a good idea of the plan. It's actually pretty informative. Pickens is a business man, first and foremost, and his plan, it's actually brilliant. I will admit I think he has no problems with making money off human needs. He wouldn't give away a glass of water to you. . .not if he could sell it to your rich neighbor for cash. This guy means business. But it's also happens to be green that he is selling, and its probably good for us.

The only thing is that he doesn't go into the details of how the natural gas will be used for more vehicles. Natural gas vehicles (I have one, a honda civic CNG) are rare and not common. To really save oil, we would need a huge push from the government (in more incentives) to get people to buy these cars. How is that going to happen? Is Pickens saying that can NOT happen now with the Bush administration, because he is in bed with the oil companies, and has no leadership? I would say, uh "Yes!".

Think whatever you want of Pickens. . .but a strategy similiar to his ideas MUST be adopted SOON or America will suffer greatly. I beleive we will fail if we don't do this. It's simple, our government must push us towards other sources of power to become more efficient. Yes I think we can NOT wait for the market forces to guide us towards renewable energy. We will end up starving to death while we wait for the market to catch up. With the recent survey of 38% of Americans having problems buying food, I would say we are already starving. I really think the government needs to step in and push for renewable energy, one way or the other.

Copyright 2008 Rod Deluhery

Photo of Honda Civic GX, Natural gas car refueling in the home:

Pickens:

Body shop "lost" HOV sticker

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:13:51 GMT

I am about to sell my Prius, so I finally took it in to the body shop to have a dent removed from the front bumper (a bucket flew off a pickup truck on the freeway -- hit and run).

The owner of the shop I went to told me that they wouldn't remove my HOV sticker to fix the bumper. The dent was on the opposite end.

When I picked up my Prius today, they said that the sticker had to come off because they had to paint the whole bumper. Oddly enough, the "void" sticker that's underneath the yellow foil part of the sticker was not painted over, but still very much visible. Furthermore, the guy said that they didn't have the sticker, and that he's hoping his employee has it.

Obviously, I'm skeptical, and the whole thing has me thinking that they're selling stickers on the black market.

Two questions:

1. What can I do about the body shop?

2. I know the HOV stickers increase the resale value greatly. Is the HOV status still valid with one of the stickers missing/stolen?

Roof capcity

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:12:56 GMT

I'm looking at getting a roof rack for my 2004 Prius. I have not been able to find out what the roof weight rating is and was hoping someone here knows?

MPG inquiry

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:51:11 GMT

i have been driving "Lucy" since May 21st, 2008. i've been driving her from the odometer reading of 1 mile to approximately 2700 miles and counting (for many many 10000's to come!) *g*

i have read people's accounts that it takes about 3000 miles to "break in" with the gas mileage, and i officially crested the 51 MPG mark this week. i keep wondering how much i can keep increasing when every week my average seems to go up another tenth or so.

so, you other Prius owners, what are you getting and how/where do you drive it? i have a mix of some interstate/mostly 2-lane highway/some city, with not a lot of stop-and-go.

secondly, i have not yet reset my gas average setting since i got the car. should i do that after 3000 miles just to see if 51+ is an accurate reading or just keep it going? what did you do?

No, my baby!

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:22:13 GMT

My Prius flashed the Triangle of Death and check engine at me on Friday. I called the dealer (I bought the extended warranty) and they couldn't get me in until this afternoon. After waiting around for an hour they told me it was an electronic sensor (to the tune of $1000, roughly what I paid for the warranty) and they couldn't get one in until Wednesdayish. So they gave me a car to drive until then: a 2009 Camry.

At first he pointed at one and said "the gray one" and left me. I got excited when I saw a silver Camry Hybrid (although I secretly wished for the 2009 dark blue Prius parked on the side ;) I tried to unlock it but it wouldn't open. I realized it was the one behind me, a regular Camry LE.

It is so weird to drive a non-hybrid, I miss my Prius so much. I'm terrified driving an unknown car but it is nice, new car smell and all. ;) I just hope this sensor going out isn't a precursor of things to come, I bought the car because of it's reliability. Will have to do more research.

Prius to be built in the U.S.

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:00:44 GMT

To help keep up with demand for its 45+ mpg hybrid, Toyota plans to bring Prius production to America.

question.

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:18:31 GMT

i have a bit of a weird/stupid question.

ive had my prius for about two months now & since ive had it, i wash & vacuum it myself when its dirty.

well now im away from home for 13 hours a day & i havent had much time to actually wash it myself. the dirt is building up & i really hate how messy she looks :(

now i want to take it to a HAND CAR WASH near my job because it would save me so much time.

my question is, based on your experience, do those car wash places know HOW to turn on/turn off, park, switch gears in the car & drive it?

i only wonder because when i test drove my car, i had no clue how to turn it on, switch gears, park, etc without the help of the salesman. i was a complete idiot.

from your experience do the car wash places usually have prior experience in that?

im sorry if this is a "duh" question but i really am curious.

thank you in advance (:

Prius trumps all cars in energy consumption, even used ones

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:58:44 GMT

Is it more energy-efficient to buy a gas-guzzling used car than a brand-new hybrid?
By Brendan I. Koerner
Posted Tuesday, July 8, 2008, at 7:29 AM ET

I'm shopping for a car, and my tree-hugging pals are pushing me to get a Prius. But it seems wasteful to buy a brand-new car, given all the energy that goes into the production process. Wouldn't it be greener to get a certified, pre-owned vehicle with decent gas mileage?

Your query is a serious toughie, as we don't really know how much energy it takes to manufacture a hybrid. Toyota does admit that because the Prius' engine and battery are relatively complex, assembling the hybrid requires more energy than making a similarly sized nonhybrid vehicle. But the company has never quantified that energy premium, so the Lantern will have to rely on an educated guess. If our informed figure is in the ballpark, however, a fresh Prius beats virtually all used competitors—assuming you follow the Lantern's golden rule and keep your car running until the bitter end.

The best guess regarding the Prius' energy consumption during assembly comes from sustainability engineer Pablo Päster, a Lantern favorite. He used Argonne National Laboratory's GREET model—which takes into account the energy intensiveness of producing glass, steel, copper, and other critical materials—to calculate that manufacturing a Prius requires about 113 million British thermal units. (Päster also guessed that manufacturing the hybrid version of a Toyota Highlander uses 155 million BTUs, vs. 107 million BTUs for the standard Highlander.)

In order to do an apples-to-apples comparison, let's pit the Prius against a car that's frequently cited as its closest nonhybrid equivalent in terms of weight, size, and other specs: the Toyota Corolla. Would it be more energy-efficient to buy a brand-new Prius or someone else's old Corolla? Since certified, pre-owned cars tend to be less than five years old and are refurbished before going on sale, let's generously assume that your used Corolla will last exactly as long as your new Prius: 11.5 years, or 172,500 miles. (The average American discards a car every eight years, but that's more often than necessary: A well-made vehicle will typically last 15 years.)

According to the federal government's 2008 fuel economy guide (PDF), a Prius averages 46.5 miles per gallon (assuming half of a driver's time is spent on city streets and half on the highway). Beyond 172,500 miles, then, the Prius will consume 3,710 gallons of gas. Each gallon contains approximately 124,000 BTUs of energy, so that translates into 460 million BTUs' worth of burned fuel. Add in the production energy, and the new Prius is responsible for a grand total of 573 million BTUs over its lifetime (not including disposal costs).

A Corolla with an automatic transmission, by contrast, averages 30.5 mpg—more than eight miles per gallon better than the average car on America's roads. Over the vehicle's lifetime, that translates into 5,656 gallons of gas containing more than 701 million BTUs of energy. Since the Corolla we're considering is used, we won't add to that total by factoring in production energy.

The Prius is thus the clear winner in this matchup—and, please, no angry letters citing the nickel in the hybrid's battery, an urban legend that the Lantern debunked in March. In fact, a certified, pre-owned car would have to average better than 37 mpg in order to match the Prius' energy consumption over the long haul. And the only nonhybrid cars to achieve such lofty fuel-economy heights are either tiny or diesel-powered. (The Lantern is intrigued by the promise of "clean diesel" technology, and looks forward to test driving the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDi, but he sounded a note of caution about it here.)

It's also worth noting that the Prius has another green advantage over the likes of the Corolla: lower tailpipe emissions. According to California's emissions classification system, the Prius qualifies as one grade higher than the Corolla—a Prius is a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, while a Corolla is an Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle.

There are complications to this comparison, of course, beginning with the uncertainty over the figure for the Prius' production energy—it may not take into account certain inefficiencies in Toyota's assembly-line equipment. There are also various wild cards to consider, like whether the Prius' complicated battery would need to be replaced, whether the used Corolla would become less fuel-efficient at an earlier age because of wear, and how driver habits affect fuel economy. (Every time the Lantern quotes the federal government's 46.5 miles per gallon estimate for the Prius, he is deluged with e-mails from Prius owners claiming that this figure is either way too low or way too high.)

The Lantern would be remiss if he didn't bring up the hybrid's price premium. The scales could definitely tip in favor of the used Corolla if you put the $5,000 you saved toward making some critical technological upgrades in your house—for example, converting to an EnergyStar water heater or dishwasher (though, granted, with gasoline at $4 per gallon, the Corolla in our comparison would end up costing you an extra $7,700 in fuel costs over 172,500 miles).

Here's the bottom line: The Prius is by no means a perfect car, but it's certainly tough to beat in terms of cradle-to-grave, pound-for-pound energy consumption.

http://www.slate.com/id/2194989/?y=1

update on the tire pressure light

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:20:41 GMT

thanks for the input yesterday...

happy to report: all is in working order and the tire pressure light works fantastic!

UNhappy to report: the nail in the tire is in the inside sidewall of the rear left tire.

this is a location deemed unsafe for a tire plug. i have to replace the tire--which is not covered by warranty. my car is less than 2000 miles old; the TIRE is less than 2000 miles old!

ah well. at least the tire pressure light works. ;P~

GoGo Gadget Lucy!

new prius!!!

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:51:29 GMT

hello fellow prius lovers, i FINALLY got my new baby!! i waited a little over 3 months for this beauty:

she was born at toyota carlsbad, california on saturday july 5th at 3pm. her name is rebecca (named after a certain "character" on sex and the city). she is a package 5 in spectra blue mica :D

tire pressure light

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:54:37 GMT

i just bought my 2008 Toyota Prius in late may and i couldn't be happier with it. i love my car!! i'm still clocking in just under 50MPG average. i edge up to 49.9, and then edge back down to 49.7. it's a "game" i play to try to win my way to 50. i haven't even driven 3000 miles yet.

HOWEVER, the tire pressure light came on last Thursday. i reset it to make sure it wasn't just a trip-up, but it stayed on. so i took it to the dealer to check on it.

they said if the differential between tire pressure is more than 6 psi, the tire pressure light will come on. one of my tires was under a little, to 27 psi, the other was 33. sooo... they adjusted the tire inflation and the light went off. flash forward two days later, and the light came on again.

is the light sensor tripping off a common thing in the summer (with the heat and humidity/temperature changes) or is something wrong with my tire? i don't think the tires should lose that much air that quickly. i'm taking it in again tonight to see if there might be a puncture or something, but thought i'd see if anyone else has experienced this problem.

2002 keyless entry fob

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:30:57 GMT

I have a 2002 and my keyless entry fob makes no noise when I lock or unlock the car. Is there a way to program it to make a noise when I hit the button?

Eight reasons you'll rejoice when we hit $8-a-gallon gasoline

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:13:39 GMT

SHADES OF GREEN
$8-a-gallon gas
Commentary: Eight reasons higher prices will do us a world of good
By Chris Pummer

Last update: 7:30 p.m. EDT May 28, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- For one of the nastiest substances on earth, crude oil has an amazing grip on the globe. We all know the stuff's poison, yet we're as dependent on it as our air and water supplies -- which, of course, is what oil is poisoning.

Shouldn't we be technologically advanced enough here in the 21st Century to quit siphoning off the pus of the Earth? Regardless whether you believe global warming is threatening the planet's future, you must admit crude is passé.

Americans should be celebrating rather than shuddering over the arrival of $4-a-gallon gasoline. We lived on cheap gas too long, failed to innovate and now face the consequences of competing for a finite resource amid fast-expanding global demand.

A further price rise as in Europe to $8 a gallon -- or $200 and more to fill a large SUV's tank -- would be a catalyst for economic, political and social change of profound national and global impact. We could face an economic squeeze, but it would be the pain before the gain.
The U.S. economy absorbed a tripling in gas prices in the last six years without falling into recession, at least through March. Ravenous demand from China and India could see prices further double in the next few years -- and jumpstart the overdue process of weaning ourselves off fossil fuels.

Consider the world of good that would come of pricing crude oil and gasoline at levels that would strain our finances as much as they're straining international relations and the planet's long-term health:

1. RIP for the internal-combustion engine
They may contain computer chips, but the power source for today's cars is little different than that which drove the first Model T 100 years ago. That we're still harnessed to this antiquated technology is testament to Big Oil's influence in Washington and success in squelching advances in fuel efficiency and alternative energy.

Given our achievement in getting a giant mainframe's computing power into a handheld device in just a few decades, we should be able to do likewise with these dirty, little rolling power plants that served us well but are overdue for the scrap heap of history.

2. Economic stimulus
Necessity being the mother of invention, $8 gas would trigger all manner of investment sure to lead to groundbreaking advances. Job creation wouldn't be limited to research labs; it would rapidly spill over into lucrative manufacturing jobs that could help restore America's industrial base and make us a world leader in a critical realm.

The most groundbreaking discoveries might still be 25 or more years off, but we won't see massive public and corporate funding of research initiatives until escalating oil costs threaten our national security and global stability -- a time that's fast approaching.

3. Wither the Middle East's clout
This region that's contributed little to modern civilization exercises inordinate sway over the world because of its one significant contribution -- crude extraction. Aside from ensuring Israel's security, the U.S. would have virtually no strategic or business interest in this volatile, desolate region were it not for oil -- and its radical element wouldn't be able to demonize us as the exploiters of its people.

In the near term, breaking our dependence on Middle Eastern oil may well require the acceptance of drilling in the Alaskan wilderness -- with the understanding that costly environmental protections could easily be built into the price of $8 gas.

4. Deflating oil potentates
On a similar note, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently gained a platform on the world stage because of their nations' sudden oil wealth. Without it, they would face the difficult task of building fair and just economies and societies on some other basis.
How far would their message resonate -- and how long would they even stay in power -- if they were unable to buy off the temporary allegiance of their people with vast oil revenues?

5. Mass-transit development
Anyone accustomed to taking mass transit to work knows the joy of a car-free commute. Yet there have been few major additions or improvements to our mass-transit systems in the last 30 years because cheap gas kept us in our cars.

Confronted with $8 gas, millions of Americans would board buses, trains, ferries and bicycles and minimize the pollution, congestion and anxiety spawned by rush-hour traffic jams. More convenient routes and scheduling would accomplish that.

6. An antidote to sprawl
The recent housing boom sparked further development of antiseptic, strip-mall communities in distant outlying areas. Making 100-mile-plus roundtrip commutes costlier will spur construction of more space-efficient housing closer to city centers, including cluster developments to accommodate the millions of baby boomers who will no longer need their big empty-nest suburban homes.

Sure, there's plenty of land left to develop across our fruited plains, but building more housing around city and town centers will enhance the sense of community lacking in cookie-cutter developments slapped up in the hinterlands.

7. Restoration of financial discipline
Far too many Americans live beyond their means and nowhere is that more apparent than with our car payments. Enabled by eager lenders, many middle-income families carry two monthly payments of $400 or more on $20,000-plus vehicles that consume upwards of $15,000 of their annual take-home pay factoring in insurance, maintenance and gas.

The sting of forking over $100 per fill-up would force all of us to look hard at how much of our precious income we blow on a transport vehicle that sits idle most of the time, and spur demand for the less-costly and more fuel-efficient small sedans and hatchbacks that Europeans have been driving for decades.

8. Easing global tensions
Unfortunately, we human beings aren't so far evolved that we won't resort to annihilating each other over energy resources. The existence of weapons of mass destruction aside, the present Iraq War could be the first of many sparked by competition for oil supplies.

Steep prices will not only chill demand in the U.S., they will more importantly slow China and India's headlong rush to make the same mistakes we did in rapidly industrializing -- like selling $2,500 Tata cars to countless millions of Indians with little concern for the environmental consequences. If we succeed in developing viable energy alternatives, they could be a key export in helping us improve our balance of trade with consumer-goods producers.

Additional considerations
Weaning ourselves off crude will hopefully be the crowning achievement that marks the progress of humankind in the 21st Century. With it may come development of oil-free products to replace the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, fertilizers and pesticides that now consume 16% of the world's crude-oil output and are likely culprits in fast-rising cancer rates.

By its very definition, oil is crude. It's time we develop more refined energy sources and that will not happen without a cost-driven shift in demand.

Chris Pummer is a former senior editor for MarketWatch and Bloomberg News and a reporter for such papers as the Los Angeles Times and San Jose Mercury News.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/eight-reasons-youll-rejoice-we/story.aspx?guid=%7B82FCE1B0%2D1889%2D43B0%2DA465%2DE29BFEE95576%7D&dist=TNMostRead

Silver vs. Regular

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:23:00 GMT

With the high cost of gas lately, I've been looking for ways to save money. I live in Chicago, which currently has the most expensive gas in the country. Well at least it did a month ago, and I think it still does. It's going for about $4.53 near my house. On a recent trip to Iowa I did a little experiment. I noticed that Silver was actually cheaper at some gas stations, so I filled up a tank with Silver and continued driving the same way I usually do. What I found that while Silver was about 10 cents cheaper, I got about 6 mpg less on average than I do with Regular. My conclusion is that unless Silver is more than 70 cents cheaper than Regular we are all still better off using Regular gas.

I'm going to start biking to work.

Buying used

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:03:08 GMT

I'm considering buying a used prius sometime soon. I drive about 25,000 miles a year for work (traveling sales). I've been keeping an eye on craigslist for the most part, and am seeing anything from G1/2001 or so prii to 2008 models...most recently a 2005 for around 19k. Any suggestions on checking out a prius, and what you would consider a reasonable price would be appreciated.

Buying a Used Prius

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:32:41 GMT

Tips on buying a used 2001 Toyota Prius? Good idea? Bad idea?

I am considering selling my brand new 2007 Honda Accord SE and buying a 2001 Toyota Prius. Most of these vehicles retail for just under 10,000 and have between 90,000 and 100,000 miles on them. I've heard rumors that the battery may have to be replaced near the 100,000 mile mark. Does anyone know if this is true? Is there a way to check the battery life? What else should I consider? Overall -- is this a good idea or a bad idea?

I also posted my question on Yahoo! Answers, so you're free to respond over there as well to share your knowledge with a broader audience.

-j

2009 Prius shots !

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:35:53 GMT

Check out the sneak peek of the NEW 2009 Toyota Prius!

peppermintxflame@msn.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:35:39 GMT

My hope is that NEXT year a plug-in hybrid will take the prize next year as "cleanest or greenest car". And by the way I have had relatively few problems with my Honda NGV vehicle (which I fuel at home, with a home refueling appliance). And it's a cheaper fuel than $4.00 a gallon gasoline that's for sure.

Greenest Vehicle Five Years Running
For the fifth consecutive year, the Civic GX NGV has been named America's Greenest Car by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's Green Book® Online. This alternative-fuel vehicle has come out on top more times than any other car because it is fueled by clean Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for nearly zero emissions. A 113-hp, 1.8-liter, 16-valve, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine gives this car the power to get up and go--greener.