[Drifter]

In theory if you're pulse & gliding the EGR delete shouldn't really cost you mpg since you're accelerating at relatively high load where EGR wouldn't help pumping losses. It largely helps at low loads where the throttle plate is a major pumping restriction.

Yeah now I mainly use electric when moving my car out of the neighborhood & past its frequent stop signs when the engine is cool. If the engine starts right away, mpg plummets as it runs the entire time trying to warm up the cat. If I gingerly drive the ~1/2 mile out of the neighborhood and onto the 45mph boulevard before letting the engine kick on, the engine will warm up as I gently accelerate to 45 without dinging my overall mpg too much. My new battery has a 5 year unlimited mile warranty so I'm not too concerned with maximizing its lifespan.

Other than that, I only use electric in places where I can't exceed ~15mph (crowded parking lots, dusty dirt roads, etc). Otherwise in low-speed environments I'll just pulse to 25 and coast to 10...

I have (or had) a scangauge, but a friend borrowed it to clear some codes a while ago and I've yet to get it back. I have only used it on my base model Tundra (no tach or oil pressure gauges), so I'm not sure what gauges are available with the Prius. I assume coolant temp, but is their oil temp too? I'd like to experiment with grill blocking without putting extra stress on the head gasket...

As soon as we stop getting sporadic snow storms I can probably take out ~100 lbs of winter travel/survival gear. But seeing as how I-80 was just closed yesterday due to snow, we're not quite there yet...

I'd have no problems changing my own oil (I'd prefer it), but it just isn't allowed at my apartment complex. I already push it with 3 cars and I even got a warning for working on my car in the 30-45 minutes it took me to replace my HVAC blower motor/fan! So for now if it can't be done at a gas station or auto parts store parking lot, I just let the shop do it. It costs more, but they're fair and there is a running trail nearby so I can be productive while they service it. And if I have them do all the PMs, they'll also clean my EGR every ~50-60K at no extra charge...