I have an '09 Prius and I have a question for Prius owners.?

S T E B O R K O L A · 04 Jul 2010, 03:20 pm

If I try to get more gas economy by shifting out of drive aned into neutral, then when I re-engage back into drive does this cause any harm to the Prius transmission? I have been able to get 75 mpg going home from work doing this but now I realize that I should find out if I am doing any harm. I have only done it a few times. What do you know or think about this and do you do it?

yahoo · 04 Jul 2010, 03:31 pm

No, it will not harm your trans.

ssss · 04 Jul 2010, 03:34 pm

Don't think you would do any harm, if you wait to stop before shifting into Drive again from neutral. I don't know if you are doing harm if you shift at like 30mph into drive. Did it in a 4 speed automatic Subaru, for over a year, and I see no changes at all. Prius has a CVT, so it might be different.

JerryJ · 04 Jul 2010, 03:37 pm

It is likey to harm the transmission if you go over 65 mph in neutral because it will cause the smaller MG (motor/generator) to overspin. It may be possible to harm it at slower speeds, there isn't enough long term data. There doesn't seem to be any short term harm though. Neutral in the Prius isn't like neutral in an old fashioned car because the Prius is always "in gear". There are no clutches or fluid couplings in the Prius and no gear changing is ever done. And it's totally unnecessary anyway because you can get the exact same or better mpg results by "gliding".

To glide, remove your foot from the accelerator and then press it back down slightly. Although this works at all speeds, you can tell if your doing it right when your speed is under 40 mph and you see no arrows going anywhere on the energy screen. Over 41 mph and the engine will be spinning so you will see yellow arrows only, but the amount of foot pressure is the same. Practice a bit and it will become second nature and much easier and safer than fiddling with the shift level.

Note that when the Prius is in neutral there is no control over the Hybrid system by the computers. Neutral is there mainly for running some diagnostic tests and should really never be used for driving.

I have an '09 Prius and I have a question for Prius owners.?

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