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Thank you so much for your interest in our posts. If anyone has any more questions, we'll be happy to answer them.
About the radiator blocks seen in the winter, how much do you gain from using them?
Many hybrid drivers use them to minimize heat loss and avoid having the ICE run just to maintain coolant temperatures. I was wondering what sort of numbers you' all see?
Also, I've heard some stuff about power outlets at truck stops to minimize running the engine during some of the stops. Are you seeing more of these? How helpful are they?
Dick Byrd recently posted this story of a late night encounter with road debre. In his case, late night but it is one reason I advocate following but not tailgating trucks:
Quote:
Last summer, I had a much more devastating debris-impact event in my then
only one month old 2006 Prius. We were near Salt Lake City, Utah, on a
cross-country trip from Virginia to California. On an Interstate that was under
repair, at about 11 p.m. in the night, I drove over something, I still don't
know what. It gave a roaring, hard, shuddering impact under the car.
Immediately the MFD lit up and there was indication of loss of oil pressure.
Luckily, I was only about 1,000 feet from an exit and it was slightly downhill
to the exit.
After the impact all was quiet with the car, and so I coasted, ICE off, using
a little electric power to maintain speed, down the Interstate and up the exit
ramp. The SOC was high from my 60 mph highway cruising, so I slowly proceeded
on electric power for about two blocks to a shopping center parking lot, running
a red-light in the process in order not to stop. I don't think the ICE ever
lit off, but I can't be totally positive. If it did, it was for probably under
20 seconds. I took a flashlight and checked under the hood and crawled under
the car. There was oil everywhere under the car - everywhere. No surprise, the
dipstick showed zero oil in the sump. Lying on my back under the car, I saw the
reason. The oil filter was punctured and torn open and folded up against a
crossmember. Obviously, all of the oil had been pumped out of the engine in a
few seconds at 60 mph.
We spent a fitful night sleeping in the car, and awaited dawn. In the
morning, my wife wanted to call the local Toyota dealer and have it towed in. I
opted to walk two blocks to a Wal-Mart and buy a small hydraulic bottle jack, a
five quart jug of Mobil 1 oil, a new filter, a bag rags, a squirt bottle of
cleaner, and a hammer, a long screwdriver and a few other tools.
With the bottle jack raising the front-end up, I could get all the way under
the car. Using the hammer and a big screwdriver as a lever, I managed to tap
and lever the mangled oil filter until it finally started to unscrew. There
appeared to be no other damage. The filter boss looked fine. There was no
damage to the oil pan. I cleaned up the whole bottom of the engine, with rags
and spray cleaner and screwed on the new filter and refilled the sump with new
Mobil 1.
Fingers crossed, I pushed the Power button and in a few seconds I heard the
ICE light off. It sounded smooth and quiet. No MFD warning lights were on. I
put the Prius in drive and pressed the throttle and we smoothly moved off in
very normal manner. I drove slowly, windows open and my head outside to listen
for any unusual noises. No problems, all normal. Since it was now turning into
a hot Salt Lake City August day, I rolled up the windows and turned on the A/C.
Oh Oh - No A/C! Only hot air blowing. I checked the condenser all over and
under, no dents or gashes. Then I saw it. The low side line was dangling out
of the compressor. It had been torn out at the aluminum boss that bolts into
the compressor.
We drove over the incredibly hot long route from Salt Lake City to California,
105 degrees F, with no A/C. God! that was awful! BUT the little car made it
all the way to our destination in Santa Rosa without further incident. I had
the local dealer in SR check out the car and fix the A/C. Yes, $800 to replace
the low-side line. The compressor was fine, and car was mechanically fine.
There were some damaged plastic air dams and a bent cross-member, etc. under the
car, and a small gash on the right rocker panel where whatever I ran over had
exited. Our GEICO insurance paid for all the repairs.
I now have 22,000 miles on my Prius, and it is perfect. I love it. So, watch
out for running over debris in the road, it can do great damage.
Dick
Reposted from Prius_Technical_Stuff with Dick's OK.
Typically, most trucks average 6-7 mpg. Any tool to minimize extra running of the engine is very helpful. Radiator block heaters are one of them that we use. Some companies have them built-in on the trucks. I have driven for one who did not. The "idle-air" is becoming more popular at alot of truckstop chains. Not just because of the boon of saving fuel but also because of the "extras" of cable and internet. Some companies are putting generators on their trucks. I don't really have any concrete numbers for you, I'm sorry. I'm sure, though, that with that low of a average mpg that you can tell what good it does to not run the engine.
Debris in the road is an issue. One of our friends ran over a board in the road and it hit the airlines and sliced thru them. This is how we have power to stop. Suffice to say she had to make an emergency stop on the side of the road. Luckily, she and her husband had the tools and parts to make some quick repairs to get to a truckstop where the airlines could be replaced properly.
I am guilty of truck drafting, but not at night. Not any more, after seeing big chunks of tire tread flying over and around the little Prius. They were launched from the road by the truck's rear wheels I suppose. Somehow none of them hit, but it was a dramatic demonstration of what you can't see coming, at night.
Re: Please read......
Re: Please read......
