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Mod Edit This topic has been cleaned up as it went too far away from the original query

You were right :) A new high today 78.6mpg over my 20mile commute. Today i just drove without trying to provoke it back into EV. I simply used EV when conditions allowed, i used pulse and glide as always, i also only used cruise control on more flat ground and also accelerated before hills and allowed speed to bleed off. But like you said, the biggest change i made was to try and not use the EV forcefully. The most remarkable thing is i did not drive slowly or annoy anyone behind, still used the red "pwr" zone occasionally but on the flat i did favour using 3/4 on the HSI indicator for acceleration up to 40mph on the flat.

Ancient Nerd - like that, but older!

It is much louder than it should be for a car of that size. I think it's a "they all do that, sir" issue, rather than a bearing problem.

MTEC discs and Mintex pads seem to be the most common preference. Could also send Parts King a personal message, giving details of your car, and stating what parts you want (for Parts King, go to the Community page, scroll down to Sponsors Corner, and then Lindop Toyota)

Read the 'sticky' about oil in the gen3 on the main page of this site. The 'correct oil' is a real stumbling block. Many dealers were unaware in the early days that the oil makes such a difference. There have been a number of reports of them using 5w30 but charging 0w20 on the invoice thinking that "oil's oil", but the owner then noticing a significant drop in mpg's. The gen3 1.8 engine is made with very tight tolerances and the manual states that 0w20 is recommended, but that 5w30 can be used but must be changed out sooner than later. Many lease cars which had service items included (mainly owned by companies) tried to cut corners and insisted that the significantly cheaper 5w30 oil is used. Will it do any damage? Hmmm, probably not. But the idea of a Prius is its super economy. If that can't be achieved because £30 is saved using thicker oil, then what's the point. An analogy is that you wouldn't put remoulds on a BMW M3 to save £50 would you? My dealers have inadvertently used 5w30 more times that perhaps they should!?! I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and they have been quick to swap it back to 0w20 when it was realised, but how many owners have just noticed a drop in economy, shrugged their shoulders and grumbled? Oh, one other issue I noticed with 5w30 oil is that it is much quieter on a cold start (a positive) but that it also caused the car to be lumpy or slightly hesitant when transitioning from electric to petrol in town. The transition should be totally smooth and seamless (other than when flooring it). If there's a slight 'stumble' then it's probably 5w30. The car was also more sluggish on 5w30 when accelerating up hills etc. I also noticed that 0w20 is almost impossible to see on the dipstick, even with 80k hard miles. It's almost like water! The 5w30 was ever so slightly darker and more oil coloured.

Hi Andy, I am about a mile from box hill. I dont mind meeting up to discuss. I and Konrad met up around box hill quite sometime ago. I have tried the 97RON before and it does make a difference but trust me, with the difference in fuel prices in some areas for 95/97, I wouldnt be happy putting 97 in when it should run perfectly fine on 95. Anyways, like you I must also get to the bottom of this. I would be very interested in the strip down and clean of intake myself. PM me please if you would like to discuss a meet. cc Konrad. Regards, Waqar

Double check the Michelins are actual low rolling resistance tyres and not just a Michelin Energy Saver. The Energy Saver range goes from mpg ratings at B to E! E is not very energy efficient. If you have those on they could affect economy. Please just assume Energy Savers are all the same. They're not. Also, was your car previously owned by a company or fleet? If so, it's likely it has 5w30 oil in it. If it has, that will seriously affect your mpg's on the top end. As previously reported on here, when my car was inadvertently filled with 5w30 I just couldn't get a trip average above 59 mpg however hard I tried. As soon as 0w20 (much more expensive than 5w30) was put in as is required with the gen3, I could get trip averages back upto the mid 70's, or mid 60's without much trying. Depends on how anal you are about such things. I am, and would drop the oil and fill it with 0w20 regardless just to see. But it isn't cheap and is quite hard to find. Even if you go to Halfords, they don't have it and even have the gen3 as requiring 5w30. Now you can see how confusion reigns.

Reminded by Kithmo referring to spare wheel in above post - a 'proper' spare for 2015 please, or, at worst a 'space-saver'. None of this tube of gunge stuff thanks.

Have a look at the options offered by Xcarlink and Connects2. www.xcarlink.co.uk www.connects2.co.uk

Think it is back to the dealer, say to them what steps you have taken, and that you need the issue sorted. Could be that your work as a driving instructor doesn't suit the dpf - short journeys, under 30mph, etc.

Nerd or geek - someone who is insatiably curious, an obsessive learner and passionate about improving something in the world around them. There are worse personality traits to be lumbered with. Sent from my iPhone

Tyres. The gen3 isn't as good as some cars, but I've found that when the stock Bridgestones get low (3 mm or so) that they get much noisier. When they're new they're lovely and the contrast when new tyres are fitted is lovely. If you have some cheap YunSungMoon tyres on, then they're probably going to be horrid and picked up by the slightly thinner sound proofing on the Prius.

Yup, I had the 2010 Gen 3 from new and SWMBO bought a 4 year old Gen 2 at the same time and the difference in road noise between the two was very noticable, the Gen 2 is far quieter, I even considered selling the Gen 3 and buying a late Gen 2 T-spirit. After 3 years I could bear it no longer and traded it in for the Prius+.

So the consensus on improvements we would like to see in the IV Gen Prius so far is... - Improved Interior with more personalisation options Higher quality plastic that don't creak or rattle Better seats with more adjustments for taller people - Improved NVH Quieter cabin with less road/wind/engine noise - Improved EV range Larger capacity battery Maybe plug-in capability as standard - Alternative fuel for ICE Run on Elderberry wine :) - Anything I've missed out? ...oh, and I would still like to be able to tow with it. But maybe that's just me.

The output for vss (vehicle speed sensor) is located under the dashboard on the left hand side, close to the left front speaker. To get access to it you have to take out the left ventilation outlet, take down and remove the A-post side panel (remember to pull it out from the top and use a plier to take out the plastic fixing to the post) Then loosen the 10mm screw by the speaker and pull the dashboard up appr. 15 cm at the left side (it's easier if you take out the radio frame because the dashboard is connected to it) You will find a 22 pin contact in front of the speaker and on terminal 18 is the violet wire you need to get the signal.

The most important part is getting a wheel that is suitable for the stud fixing and the correct offset and wheel nuts. You can go up or down in wheel diameter and then add tyres of the correct profile to keep the overall diameter the same so that the speedometer remains accurate. There are several online sites that give calculators to work out the permutations available to you. Below is a link to just one such site. http://www.etyres.co.uk/tyre-size-calculator.htm To be safe and get the right information I would start with advice from reputable wheel/tyre suppliers.