EcoMode for Prius II?
#1
11-04-2009, 01:42 PM
EcoMode for Prius II?
I have seen threads in various places that show how to make an EV button for the Prius II. I find it interesting, but I don't know that it would be useful in my day to day driving. I recently got a chance to drive a 2010 Prius (compliments of Bob Wilson), and got to try out the EcoMode. This got me wondering if there is a simple EV button style modification I could make to activate EcoMode. I also tried out the PowerMode, but really don't think I would use that in my day to day driving! Any help would be more than appreciated. Thanks.
#2
01-18-2010, 09:11 AM
Pretty Darn Active Enthusiast
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: North Hollywood, CA
Posts: 374
Re: EcoMode for Prius II?
Google "Prius EV mod."
The use for the EV mode in getting higher MPG is telling the gas engine to turn off when you know better than it does:
* You have to be driving below 34mph or it just beeps back at you and stays in gas mode (to protect the inner electric motor)
* When you're coming to a stop, you can trigger EV mode early in the stop to kill the gas engine, rather than waiting till you come to a full stop and idle for 3 seconds (or more) and letting the computer figure out you're going to be sitting for a bit.
* When you're about to head down a long downhill, you can trigger EV mode beforehand to waste the battery down to 3 bars and make room for all that downhill EV resistance. This takes a lot of practice to get the timing right, and again during the "waste" segment you can't exceed 34mph.
* When you're just driving a short distance - for example across a parking lot - you can trigger EV mode within the 7 second startup time, before the gas motor tries to warmup. This avoids a lot of wasted gas on warming up an engine that's just going to be left to go cold again.
The simplest mod is one that you order as a small kit online. You wiretap (little gator-mouth shaped clip) the Cruise Control Cancel wire in the computer behind the glovebox. You then plug the other end into the empty EV Mode socket of that same computer. The kit has little timer that waits for 3 seconds of Cruise Control Cancel signal then signals down the next wire to toggle EV Mode.
My recommendation is to simplify this - find a socket map for the Prius II and identify the socket for the "AC/Auto" button on the steering wheel, which for me has never caused anything but trouble. Simply slide that wire out of its socket and into the EV Mode socket. Done - nice convenient EV button right on the steering wheel, done simply, no extra parts purchased. The steps are basically:
* Open bottom glove compartment
* Release catch so it opens farther
* Remove it
* Remove right vent, notice computer
* Swap AC wire into EV mode socket
The 3-second Cruise Control Cancel mod is cute, but it's harder to make happen as you come to a stop, and it's easy to accidentally break that flimsy little lever.
More info:
http://www.eaa-phev.org/wiki/Prius_EV_Mode_Button
The use for the EV mode in getting higher MPG is telling the gas engine to turn off when you know better than it does:
* You have to be driving below 34mph or it just beeps back at you and stays in gas mode (to protect the inner electric motor)
* When you're coming to a stop, you can trigger EV mode early in the stop to kill the gas engine, rather than waiting till you come to a full stop and idle for 3 seconds (or more) and letting the computer figure out you're going to be sitting for a bit.
* When you're about to head down a long downhill, you can trigger EV mode beforehand to waste the battery down to 3 bars and make room for all that downhill EV resistance. This takes a lot of practice to get the timing right, and again during the "waste" segment you can't exceed 34mph.
* When you're just driving a short distance - for example across a parking lot - you can trigger EV mode within the 7 second startup time, before the gas motor tries to warmup. This avoids a lot of wasted gas on warming up an engine that's just going to be left to go cold again.
The simplest mod is one that you order as a small kit online. You wiretap (little gator-mouth shaped clip) the Cruise Control Cancel wire in the computer behind the glovebox. You then plug the other end into the empty EV Mode socket of that same computer. The kit has little timer that waits for 3 seconds of Cruise Control Cancel signal then signals down the next wire to toggle EV Mode.
My recommendation is to simplify this - find a socket map for the Prius II and identify the socket for the "AC/Auto" button on the steering wheel, which for me has never caused anything but trouble. Simply slide that wire out of its socket and into the EV Mode socket. Done - nice convenient EV button right on the steering wheel, done simply, no extra parts purchased. The steps are basically:
* Open bottom glove compartment
* Release catch so it opens farther
* Remove it
* Remove right vent, notice computer
* Swap AC wire into EV mode socket
The 3-second Cruise Control Cancel mod is cute, but it's harder to make happen as you come to a stop, and it's easy to accidentally break that flimsy little lever.
More info:
http://www.eaa-phev.org/wiki/Prius_EV_Mode_Button
