Daox's Grey 2004 Prius

[Cobb]

Sounds like another +1 for the prius in cold climates. I have a vacant service road near where I live, so once I idle out of my community after having my block heater plugged in I have luke warm heat as my water is 132 degrees. I go for a 4700 rpm romp to 60 on this service road and after several seconds I can feel hot heat vs room temperature air come rushing out of the heater.

It seems once you get the water to 180 it holds its temperature better, but I think humidity pays more of a role in how auto stop behaves than anything else in the vehicle.

[MetroMPG]

Tim!

I don't think you ever posted about your sway bar. That counts as an ecomod in my books (more confidence in keeping momentum through some turns).

Someone was just asking about g2 Prius suspension mods: http://ecomodder.com/forum/406911-post1.html

[Cobb]

Lets hear it Tim!!! Dont leave me hanging as to be the only fool to spend thousands in suspension parts and cross drilled slotted rotors for his hybrid.

[Daox]

I had the same bar on my last Prius too (and my Matrix before that), thats probably why I didn't bother mentioning it. Its made by Progress for the 03-08 Corolla or Matrix. It just tightens up the rear end and gets rid of a good amount of tail wag which I really don't like.

Installation is easier than easy, jack the rear of the car up, remove two bolts, pull the old bar out, put the new bar in and put the bolts back in. An impact helps because they're not tiny bolts, but its not absolutely necessary.

Here is an image for the sway bar. Mine is grey though.

[Cobb]

Thats it? What about that little bar that crosses the exhaust near the center?

My Insight has the tanabe df210 lowering springs, progressive rear sway bar for an 09 fit, ultra racing rear strut bar, front strut bar, B pillar brace, under side b pillar brace and just recently new front sway bar links. 85 thousand miles and the passenger side is shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=DUxlnFUFNm4

[Daox]

Nope, I don't need/want anymore than that. I'm not autocrossing the Prius, I just wanted it stabilized a bit more. Stiffer springs are IMO out of the question considering the roads here in Wisconsin get horrible every spring. I've had stiffer springs on a few cars and its just nice to have a normaler ride. I still run my tires at 50 psi.

[RedDevil]

50! That's way beyond the MTP on my winter tires. I'm already beyond that at 43 PSI, which cures about all my handling issues.
Thought it did not work out well as bad handling and side wind sensitivity were apparent the last month of so. Did a routine check and saw I was down to about 35 PSI all round ???
Upped it to 43 and problem gone. I'm convinced.

But I never felt the need of a sway bar. I have been driving cars hard, even did some amateur kart racing both indoor and outdoor. The Insight is the best cornering car I've ever owned, with no added suspension kits of any kind.
There is that corner leaving the highway, if the lights are green... I coast towards that, harvesting energy in the battery. Cars move up to my tail. Porsches, Audis, Priuses, you name it. I lose them all in that corner. I mean all. Nobody has yet kept up with me through that corner.
50 yards past on the straight they come blazing past to shed the humiliation or show their IQ or God knows what. Chill guys, just being green here

[Cobb]

Yes, watching other cars get smaller in your mirrors is nice.

I dont think the roads here in America are designed or banked as they should be and you may have better roads in your country.

[Daox]

Minor update, but it might be of interest to oil nerds out there. I just changed the oil on the Prius last night. I filled up with Valvoline's NextGen recycled synthetic 5W-30 oil. Yep, recycled oil. I've heard its junk from a couple people, so I decided to try it out. The plan is to do an oil analysis in about 5k miles.

[Cobb]

5w30 for your part of the country? I went with that weight as that was all I could find and my area typically hovers around the freezing point of water. Ive seen your part of the country get 32 past zero.