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Maintenance & Repair Hybrid Vehicle Maintenance, Repair and Concerns
97 messages, Last post on Jun 09, 2009 at 9:50 AM
You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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That's reassuring. I believe gasoline is more expensive in Canada than the U.S., which would decrease the payback time for the extra cost of a Prius versus, say, a Corolla. When we were in Vancouver, we rode from the airport to our hotel in a Corolla. One thing that struck me, besides the vehicle, was how gently the driver drove compared with most American taxi drivers tooling around in Crown Vics. That was confirmed by a ride back to the airport, this time in a previous generation Camry. It was apparent that both drivers were conscious of fuel consumption, and maximizing the longevity of their vehicles. New York taxi driver should take a lesson from these other drivers. Heck, even in Naples, Italy, where you can get some hair raising rides in taxis, with drivers disregarding traffic lights, sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, one-ways and more, the drivers don't abuse their cars. I think you'll see a big move out of Crown Vics, for taxi service, over the next couple of years, unless oil prices keep declining. Even then, though, knowing how volatile oil prices are, and how quickly prices can shoot up, cab companies will factor the possibility of another price rise into their next vehicle purchase. In addition to Priuses, I've also seen some Ford Escape taxis. |
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Replying to: railroadjames (Oct 14, 2008 9:06 pm) In California, the traction battery is warrantied to 150,000 miles. Apparently, battery failure is simply a non-issue. Sounds like, unless you are very unlucky, that your Prius's battery will be sold again through the wrecking yard that takes your worn out Prius. |
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These are significant because they help answer the durability and cost-of- ownership concerns. Whether or not the hybrid taxi fleets continue to grow will say a lot about the concerns of those who are reluctant to be early adopters. It would be interesting to do a long term comparison between the Prius and, say, the VW Rabbit or Jetta diesel for taxi use. Of course, for many participants in Edmunds forums, fun-to-drive is an important ownership consideration, and taxis don't address that issue. Maybe the 2011 Honda CR-Z, which I believe is scheduled to be introduced in 2010, will be a game changer for enthusiasts. For all of the Prius' attributes, I've never heard that these cars are fun to drive. They're probably good transportation modules for certain uses, but that doesn't fully satisfy my needs. Compact and mid-size diesel hatchbacks, sedans and wagons can be reasonably fun to drive. For those willing to spend more, the BMW and Acura TSX diesels will soon be available,
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Oct 15, 2008 10:02 pm) Also the Prius is rather comfy for passengers and it's great for marketing purposes to promote a taxi business. It's gonna be tricky to get away with the slogan "breath easy in a diesel". The reason we have mostly American taxi cabs is about the running costs. Parts are cheap and you can beat the hell out of them and throw them away, since you got a lot of passenger room for your money and zero resale value anyway. So you might as well buy 'em cheap, destroy them and start over. The best taxis are cheap to run and/or cheap to buy. It's hard to have both---Prius are cheap to run but not cheap to buy. I'm sure a fleet price on a Chevy is way better. |
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 13, 2008 5:14 pm) I've done that in my Prius ( just under 3 yrs & 92,000 mi ) but 'only' for 7-8 hours!!  Actually in this case what happens is that the gasoline engine cycles on for 45 sec or so to boost the traction battery then the ICE shuts down. On - Off - On - Off - etc, etc, etc, etc At that rate of running for 45 sec every 3-5 min it would take an awfully long time to run the tank empty. I'm guessing weeks. At that time the ICE would stall out and the system would shut down. The 12v battery serves very little purpose in a Prius. It only sends a signal to the engine to begin to power up and it keeps the 'clock ticking' when the vehicle is off. It's about half the size of a normal 12v battery. It can be run down like any other 12v if a light is left on inside but that's about the only way it can go dead. As railrodjames has noted the Prius is ultra reliable and durable. It is in fact the No 1 most reliable family vehicle in both CR and JD Power's rankings. I've been hit twice, once on the rear door by the battery, with no difference in driving dynamics at all. Other than these accidents the hybrids actually have LESS maintenance than a similar ICE-only vehcle!!! Huh? LESS you say? Yes, the hybrid systems need no maintenance EVER at anytime during their lives. The ICE needs oil and filters every 5K or 6 mo's like any other ICE vehicle. The ICE needs an air filter  30K mi, Many other vehicles recommend 15K intervals. The ICE has a timing chain which never needs service. The same as the Corolla/Camry for example The PSD needs a coolant drain/replace at 100,000 mi intervals. The ICE has 120,000 mi spark plugs. The same as the Corolla/Camry for example. The EPS never needs maintenance. The same as the Corolla/Camry for example. The 12v battery were it to fail is about half the size of a normal ICE 12v battery. The OEM tires are Goodyear run-of-the-mill Integritys which should last 40,000 mi. My OEMs went to exactly 50,000 mi. Oh...hybrid drivers are finding that their original brakes are lasting well over 100,000 miles and even up to 200,000 - 250,000 without replacement. I'm about half way there. A friend who also posts here just turned 215,000 miles on his '04. He did replace a water pump and serpentine belt at about 150K-160K mi. but he's still on his original brakes.
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Oct 19, 2008 7:58 am) If it is just a small 12 volt battery why does it cost $300 to replace? At least two Prius owners have quoted that price from Toyota. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Oct 26, 2008 7:29 pm) 
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 27, 2008 8:47 am) new battery type the invention Sheez, now why didn't I think of that!!
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Replying to: kiawah (Oct 27, 2008 10:00 am) |
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I'm waiting for the Highlander Hybrid to morph into an emergency vehicle or cop car. Heard the Brits tested some Lexus Hybrid SUVs for inner city use a while back.
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