Toyota Prius: Problems & Solutions - READ ONLY

711 messages, Last post on Oct 27, 2006 at 3:23 AM

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#650 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [pathstar1] by texvegas Sep 06, 2006 (2:31 pm)
Replying to: pathstar1 (Sep 04, 2006 7:51 pm) Thanks for the response. The fact still remains that Toyota or any car maker should not sell a vehicle with tires that do not meet standards that affect the area where it is sold.I personnaly feel that stock tires should not be so "generic" that people who pay the price for a car should NOT, repeat NOT have to spend any additional money for tires to make their vehicle safe.This is why I will not go through another winterwithtires that are unsafe. Those who are considering purchasing a Prius in the Northeast should consider this fact and plan on spending another 400 to 600 bucks on tires that should have come with the car. Please, no comments unless you live in Upsate NY. This in my opinion for people who live in my snow belt area.
#651 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [texvegas] by midnightcowboy Sep 07, 2006 (9:50 am)
Replying to: texvegas (Sep 03, 2006 11:07 am) Actually to be truthful, there are absolutlely no RWD that are good in the snow. The will kind-of sort-of work when you put snow tires on all four wheels, but RWD and snow don't mix very well. Any FWD car is pretty good in snow, even a Prius. And FWD car is especially good if you put snow tires on all four wheels. Now if you are in a really bad winter area use studded snow tires. Now if you want to try the absolute worst car in snow and ice get a manual shift 1970 odlsmobile 442 with anti-spin ( old name for antilock /traction control). It was RWD had a 455 cubic inch engine with 365 horsepower and so much torque 440 ft-lbs, it would spin the wheel when you slowly let out the clutch. Compared to any other car it is absolutely without a doubt the worst; especially with summer performance tires. Cheers YOMV the opinion express above was mine, MidCow Replies to this message: gagrice (Sep 08, 2006 5:24 am) midnightcowboy (Sep 08, 2006 10:02 am) dmathews3 (Sep 08, 2006 12:29 pm) and 1 more... typesix (Sep 08, 2006 5:57 am) Mr_Shiftright (Sep 08, 2006 6:33 am) stevedebi (Sep 08, 2006 12:42 pm) and 15 more... northernnyer (Sep 11, 2006 3:43 pm) pathstar1 (Sep 11, 2006 6:19 pm) northernnyer (Sep 13, 2006 4:59 am) midnightcowboy (Sep 12, 2006 7:18 am)
#652 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [midnightcowboy] by gagrice Sep 08, 2006 (5:24 am)
Replying to: midnightcowboy (Sep 07, 2006 9:50 am) Actually to be truthful, there are absolutlely no RWD that are good in the snow That is just NOT true. I will take a RWD vehicle over a FWD in snow any day of the winter. I did most of my first 10 years of Alaska winter driving with a Datsun RWD PU and a Dodge RWD van. My first FWD car was a 1973 Subaru and it was worthless in snow deeper than 4 inches. At the time only Saab made a good FWD snow vehicle. My 1978 Honda Accord was not much better than the Subaru. The very best vehicle for getting around in snow was the old RWD VW Bug. I went through snow a foot deep with highway tires in that Bug. If it was not impossible to keep warm at 20 below I would have kept driving it. After 37 years of snow and ice driving, I prefer a 4X4 Chevy PU or Suburban. Replies to this message: midnightcowboy (Sep 08, 2006 10:02 am) dmathews3 (Sep 08, 2006 12:29 pm) midnightcowboy (Sep 11, 2006 6:14 am)
#653 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [midnightcowboy] by typesix Sep 08, 2006 (5:57 am)
Replying to: midnightcowboy (Sep 07, 2006 9:50 am) It depends on the situation. FWD cars are good as long as there are only 1-2 people riding and not going up steep hills.Put people in the back seat and try going up a steep hill. RWD is best naturally when there's weight in back and would have the advantage going up steep hills with a load in back. Your use of the Oldsmobile is not the typical rear drive car back then, but it is true that most of the rwd cars one would see stuck would be high performance cars, especially the people with fat summer tired Camaros,Firebirds, and Mustangs. Replies to this message: Mr_Shiftright (Sep 08, 2006 6:33 am) stevedebi (Sep 08, 2006 12:42 pm) Mr_Shiftright (Sep 08, 2006 1:34 pm) kdhspyder (Sep 08, 2006 1:43 pm) and 13 more...
#654 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [typesix] by Mr_Shiftright HOST Sep 08, 2006 (6:33 am)
Replying to: typesix (Sep 08, 2006 5:57 am) This is a debate that can never be won because a good deal of snow driving success or failure depends on the driver's experience level...probably more than the tires or the car itself. When I lived in Colorado and witnessed the various disasters, there was no other explanation because some AWD cars were getting stranded on the same roads that RWD or FWD cars were getting through on, and even the same exact car had different kinds of luck. Just a wild guess, I'd say 50% driver experience, 25% tires, 25% car itself. My hat's off to anyone who can get a light RWD pickup truck through the snow. If I had a Prius, I'd run FOUR snow tires on it and very slightly lower tire pressure. Replies to this message: stevedebi (Sep 08, 2006 12:42 pm) Mr_Shiftright (Sep 08, 2006 1:34 pm) kdhspyder (Sep 08, 2006 1:43 pm) user777 (Sep 10, 2006 4:31 am) and 12 more...
#655 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [gagrice] by midnightcowboy Sep 08, 2006 (10:02 am)
Replying to: gagrice (Sep 08, 2006 5:24 am) Gagprice, I will have to ascede to your years of driving experience, I have only been driving since 1963 and in my limited experince RWD sucked in snow and ice. Now if you didn't have snow tires and a if you had a very low ground clearance then maybe just maybe a specific FWD would have more problems than a specifc RWD. But itill contend for most cars and for most people, a FWD does much much better than a RWD in the snow and ice. The funniest to see are AWD or 4WD they can get going better and therefore they drive faster, but all cars stop the same or DON'T. I think more in part is what are host, Mr. Shiftright said "Just a wild guess, I'd say 50% driver experience, 25% tires, 25% car itself. My hat's off to anyone who can get a light RWD pickup truck through the snow." I would chnge the percentages somewhat, I don't think drivier experience is that big of factor maybe 1/3 (33%). If Mr. Shiftright gives hats off to a RWD pickup driver , I would give hats off to a 60s mucle car driver that could do the same; I had a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, but any of those vintage cars would do. The absolute best car I had for getting around in the snow was a 1970 Audi LS 5-speed , 5 cylinder, FWD. Would drive up snow and ice covered hills when other cars were in the ditch. However, the Audi mechanics knew me by first name since I visited them almost weekly. Lately I haven't e countered any snow or ice problems either FWD or RWD, but then there isn't any snow or ice here. MidCow Is you name like "sticker shock" ? Replies to this message: dmathews3 (Sep 08, 2006 12:29 pm) midnightcowboy (Sep 11, 2006 6:14 am)
#656 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [midnightcowboy] by dmathews3 Sep 08, 2006 (12:29 pm)
Replying to: midnightcowboy (Sep 08, 2006 10:02 am) remember back when the very first Toronados came out in 1965. Front wheel drive. They built a rear drive one for advertisements that they showed against the front drive on a solid ice road. The FWD walked away from the RWD. Replies to this message: midnightcowboy (Sep 11, 2006 6:14 am)
#657 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [Mr_Shiftright] by stevedebi Sep 08, 2006 (12:42 pm)
Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Sep 08, 2006 6:33 am) Is everyone ignoring the reports that have been posted in this forum, detailing how the Prius can render itself immobile in snow situations, due to the fact that the traction control cannot be disabled? I mean, getting stuck in the snow with the car refusing to move at all - because the computer is preventing it - seems a bit frustrating to me... Some posts have claimed that Toyota changed the Prius to allow some wheel movement in these situations, but I have never seen justification for those claims. Replies to this message: Mr_Shiftright (Sep 08, 2006 1:34 pm) kdhspyder (Sep 08, 2006 1:43 pm) user777 (Sep 10, 2006 4:31 am) kdhspyder (Sep 10, 2006 5:30 am) and 11 more...
#658 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [stevedebi] by Mr_Shiftright HOST Sep 08, 2006 (1:34 pm)
Replying to: stevedebi (Sep 08, 2006 12:42 pm) no, no, I think we all understand that Prius owners have long had to deal with the TC acting up on slick inclines, ice, etc. and rendering the vehicle somewhat immobile. There seems to be no real solution other than to try the non-Prius aspects of a cure---that is, driver technique and better tires. I have heard (but have no idea if it works) that if you just keep the pedal floored eventually the Prius computers will allow you to creep through the slippery part or up the hill. But your problem is REAL, no doubt about that....question is, what can one do? Better tires, maybe "charging" a hill, maybe reversing the car before going forward again, etc.
#659 of 711 Re: Prius in the Snow [stevedebi] by kdhspyder Sep 08, 2006 (1:43 pm)
Replying to: stevedebi (Sep 08, 2006 12:42 pm) Is everyone ignoring the reports that have been posted in this forum, detailing how the Prius can render itself immobile in snow situations, due to the fact that the traction control cannot be disabled? For the 2006 models and later this changed. Replies to this message: user777 (Sep 10, 2006 4:31 am) kdhspyder (Sep 10, 2006 5:30 am) stevedebi (Sep 11, 2006 9:14 am) and 10 more...