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Hybrid Vehicles Toyota Camry Hybrid Toyota Camry Hybrid
3174 messages, Last post on Oct 15, 2009 at 3:24 PM
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just got my 09 TCH 3 weeks ago, and while I do use the electronic data display, I'm not really in love with the leather quality. My dealer had a trunk lip as an option, but I figured it couldn't help the mileage (and it was ridiculously expensive for what it is) I bought mine in Burlington, Ontario. The price difference between the base and the Nav model was $2,800. Go back to you dealer and ask for a better price! After a few weeks, I don't use the data display much, because I have learned how to drive it to maximize my mileage (I've averaged 50 mpg so far). I do use the GPS daily, but Toyotas DVD is hopelessly out of date. Houses that have been built for 3 years are not in the database, and the new highway that opened in Hamilton last year (and has been on the books for at least 10 years) isn't in it. They say a new one is coming out in the fall, but it will be $300.00. That burns me! If I did it again, I'm not sure I woud get the Nav. I can get a really good GPS for under $500.00 and use it in my other vehicle, and the leather is so-so looking and feeling. |
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Replying to: toyofan5 (Feb 18, 2008 2:41 pm) Also, after starting the car the gas engine usually kicks in within seconds, even with the A/C off. This occurs even if the traction battery shows as over half-full. Is this normal? If I leave it idling it will shut-off for awhile and then come back on. The gas engine is only consistently OFF when coasting or usually after coming to a stop at a light. Does all of this sound normal, or should it stay electric-only when under 20mph unless you are accelerating hard? I've read stuff indicating it should be off when stopped or going under 20mph. I like the car alot, but I'm disappointed in some of the interior fit and finish. If you look close at all, the plastics on the door have bad "cuts" in some spots with rough edges, and the soft plastic is cut jagged in some spots. It is like this on two doors; the others are fine. I'm probably going to take it into the dealership, but is this typical? Thanks for any info. |
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Replying to: lferris (Aug 13, 2008 9:56 pm) Also, after starting the car the gas engine usually kicks in within seconds, even with the A/C off. This occurs even if the traction battery shows as over half-full. Is this normal? If I leave it idling it will shut-off for awhile and then come back on. The gas engine is only consistently OFF when coasting or usually after coming to a stop at a light. That all sounds normal to me. Except maybe the high-pitched noises for 5 minutes. Is it really 5 minutes or less than one minute if you actually time it rather than estimating? |
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agree that the noises/engine changing to gas vs electric is normal sorry about your finish inside--ours which we bought in May has good quality even if it is a beige-grey plastic-- our friend bought a V6 top of the line and she has the wood-grain film--looks nice now--don't know if it is strong enough to resist normal wear/tear usage for years... |
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Replying to: lferris (Aug 13, 2008 9:56 pm) Yes all of this is normal in the HSD system. There is always a 10 sec period at startup ( it's called phase 0 or zone 0 in the Prius boards ). Do a search on PriusChat.com I haven't been given a good explanation of what occurs during those 10 sec but my supposition is that MG1 draws some power off the traction battery to get the fluids in the ICE flowing and pumping without any fuel being pumped into the cylinders. Then the plugs begin to fire and the ICE kicks in. If you're still sitting in place the ICE 'repays the juice' borrowed from the traction battery then it shuts off after 30-60 sec. All quite normal and by design. While driving don't worry at all about when the ICE is running or isn't running. The computer will take care of everything. The best thing you can do to induce the ICE to shutdown is take your foot off the pedal as often as possible and coast for as long as possible without blocking traffic. Anticipate having to stop as early as possible and coast for as long as possible. Otherwise the computer knows what's best. BTW, the correct procedure for getting away from a dead stop is NOT to crawl away from a light or stop sign in order to try to keep it on battery power. This was thought to be correct in the first years. The hypermilers found in their playing around that it's much more efficient just to accelerate normally or even quickly up to 'traffic speed' then let off the pedal to induce the ICE to turn off while coasting for as long as possible ( Pulse and Glide ). When you have a fully charged battery and you're in slow moving conditions or in your neighborhood where the speed limit is probably 25 mph then just keep your foot lightly on the pedal ( 'Feathering' ) which will keep the batter/e-motor engaged while not having the ICE turn on. You can drive a surprisingly long time like this, maybe as much as a mile until the battery draws down then the ICE will kick in.
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Aug 14, 2008 7:14 am) It has kind of clicked to me while driving that the best thing for my average mileage is to get up to speed by accelerating normally, then drive steady, and finally coast as early as possible (but like you said, without being ridiculous and blocking traffic). My next question was going to be "is it normal for the battery to drain so quickly -- or is mine not holding the charge?" It sounds normal. Obviously moving a 3500lbs car takes a lot of juice. Does that mean all-electric cars will use huge batteries, or do those use a different type of battery?
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Replying to: lferris (Aug 14, 2008 8:18 pm) In reply to your questions in paragraph 3... Yes it's normal to drain the battery pretty quickly while driving while driving only on electric power. 1-2 miles is about the maximum on a dead flat terrain. The all electric cars would need a HUGE NiMH battery to go any reasonable distance in a vehicle the size of a Camry, which is why the current technology is the more powerful Li-Ion batteries...but they are unproven as yet. They need another 2 yrs of engineering validation. |
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Hello all. I just picked up from 09 TCH three days ago. I am still learning the "best way" to drive this car, but I have a few questions that I need assistance with. 1) One issue that doesn't seem normal to me...When I am at a complete stop, and then push the accelerator to go, there is a pause, a bump, a jerk, and then it takes off. Is this normal? It's like a jerking movement. Am I pushing the gas pedal too hard or not hard enough? I've tried it both ways, and it does the same thing every time. 2) Also, when I turn on the car first thing, it's so quiet. Then about 10 seconds later, I hear the engine kick on. During the quiet seconds, is the car on? Am I able to move the car (back out of my driveway) during this time or do I have to wait to back out when the engine kicks on? 3) When can you use the "B" feature (battery mode) instead of putting the car in "D" (drive)? Any information would be greatly appreciated!!!!!
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Replying to: jaedyn_99 (Aug 16, 2008 6:50 pm) 1) Yes it's normal. Ignore it. Just stomp on it and get up to speed. Then let off the pedal. 2) When the 'READY' light is on the dash you can just shift and go whether the ICE is running or not. As soon as you give it some gas the ICE will kick in. That 10 sec pause is built into all the HSD vehicles. Ignore it and just shift and go. 3) The 'B' has nothing to do with 'battery mode'. The only purpose of B is to act as engine braking in steep downhill situations so that you don't ride the brakes all the way down and over heat them. It's the same a low gear on any other car. THIS should have been explained to you at time of delivery. It's right in the manual. There is no purpose ever to shift into B-Mode unless you're going down a LOOONNNNG downhill descent. Don't listen to anything anyone says about B-Mode and charging the battery. |
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UNDERCOVER HYBRID TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID BASE PRICE: $26,310 M.P.G. RATING: 33 city, 34 highway, 34 combined COST TO DRIVE 100 MILES: $11.64 (regular fuel) A YEAR OF FILL-UPS: $1,746 The Prius may be the mileage champ and a rolling billboard for its owners’ green attitude, yet I’d argue that the low-profile gas-electric Camry sedan is the best all-around hybrid for price, roominess, mileage and performance. The Camry cuts the fuel bill better than any car in this group; the owner who drives 15,000 miles a year will spend just $35 a week on gas. With the hybrid system’s net horsepower of 187 the Camry goes from a stop to 60 miles an hour in a snappy 7.7 seconds. That’s a full second quicker than a 4-cylinder gasoline Camry and nearly three seconds quicker than a Prius.
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