What to do if your Prius is possessed

Mar 11, 2010 12:32

Hi guys--I finally found some semi-useful information about how to get control of an out-of-control Prius ( Read more... )

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Comments 11

kn0tme March 11 2010, 20:44:08 UTC
certainly make sure that floormat is resecured! I often wonder what would happen if you threw the key out the window. Would the car shut itself off (which might not be the best situation, for sure!).

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twirlgrrl March 11 2010, 20:46:53 UTC
No, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't. My husband once drove off without the key (which was in my pocket) when he dropped me off for work. 20 minutes later and 5 miles away, he called when he realized he'd shut off the car and couldn't lock it nor restart it. But it drove fine until then, with no key inside.

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kn0tme March 11 2010, 20:49:47 UTC
What year do you have? I thought I had read something in the owner's manual (2009) about it, but I could be wrong. Maybe it was just that it couldn't be started with the key outside of the car (ie sitting on my counter, and someone breaks into my garage).

Hey, at least it wasn't 100 miles!

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twirlgrrl March 11 2010, 20:51:40 UTC
2005. Mine definitely cannot be started without the key inside the vehicle, at least. :)

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coprock March 11 2010, 20:46:12 UTC
I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that the car doesn't immediately shift into Neutral and the engine doesn't immediately shut off. You need to hold the shifter on neutral for a few seconds, or hold in the power button for a few seconds before the car will shift or shut down.

That guy in San Diego apparently refused to shut the car off or shift to neutral for quite a while for no good reason.

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twirlgrrl March 11 2010, 20:49:02 UTC
Yeah, that's what I'm gathering. I sure would like to know if there have been cases in which it was determined that the car WOULDN'T go into neutral or shut off despite repeated and prolonged efforts.

Also, I think a lot depends on where you are if this happens to you; on the freeway you might have some time to figure it out, but if you're on a busy road with stoplights you might not have more than a few seconds during which you'd be busy avoiding traffic.

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dawntreader90 March 11 2010, 21:18:17 UTC
why would he "refuse" to put the car in neutral? that's been my question. did he try moving the knob? the dispatch apparently asked him during one of the 9-1-1 calls if he had tried to put it in neutral and he said he had to go... that seems very odd to me ( ... )

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twirlgrrl March 11 2010, 21:20:53 UTC
I hope you're right. I have been blissfully unconcerned about this until now.

Confession: My car has started to rev while I'm stopped sometimes--putting it in neutral at stoplights does not seem to help--and I'm afraid it is a related problem. But my warranty has expired and I'm too broke to have it looked at right now. :(

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dawntreader90 March 11 2010, 21:34:24 UTC
i have a 2008. have you checked your battery lights? i've noticed an occasional high 'rev' sound when my battery is run low and needing a longer drive to charge up all the way.

i freaked when it happened the first time. i had made a dozen itty bitty small trips and hauled a TON of boxes and stuff from our old place to our new place when we were moving. each trip was less than a few blocks and the car was on less than 2-3 minutes each time.

i thought i killed my car. :)

but it will shut off and rev back on if you sit awhile. i've noticed it when i'm running the heater, too. mine's always done that.

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a little video on youtube ossie March 28 2010, 13:26:53 UTC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ4PtafRB9c

there are swearwords and it sounds rough, but it really shows how the Prius fuel cut off works

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Re: a little video on youtube ossie March 28 2010, 13:33:58 UTC
and another showing that pressing the accelerator down completly and then stepping on the brakes will shut the engine off

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiSQeaeWxGU

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