[Guest]

I have a 2 week old 2005 Prius. I have noticed the battery bars never go up to the very top. The furthest it has gone is 2 bars from the top. the local Seattle tech says this is normal is it???

Also the steering wheen is always a little bit off to the right. The service says this is also normal. It is never "on center" when driving down a straight flat road. Opinions?

I have been going to the downtown Seattle Toyota dealership.

 

[zinzindorff9]

best I have ever seen in 7 mos and 4,000 miles is one bar from the top and all greento that point. Actually it is all so "automatic" and variable that I believe the display is just for "toy" purposes.

 

[Jim Biggs]

Steering wheel position

Your front end alignment could be off a little or you may desire to have the front end re-aligned with the steering wheel perfectly centered. But make sure that your tilted steering wheel is not caused by you driving on a slanted road.
Jim

 

[frenchie]

I have noticed the battery bars never go up to the very top. The furthest it has gone is 2 bars from the top. the local Seattle tech says this is normal is it???

It is. Remember the Prius is an energy-recovery car. In order to store energy, the battery must be never "full", just like you can't put water in a full bottle of water... The only case you will see a "full" battery is after a long downhill stretch, which depending on where you live is likely to never occur. And even in this case, "full" actually means that the battery won't store any more electricity, but it's not really full in order to protect it and make it last as long as the car itself.
Your steering probably needs checking, though.

 

[Guest]

Alignment

One thing that is oft overlooked by drivers(and sometimes mechanics): Tire pressure. If the pressure is different between each other the car can pull to one side. This will also greatly affect the efficeincy of your vehicle.

Make sure to check it at least once a week (cold tires before driving off)- especially as the weather gets cooler. It's normal for a little air to seep out over time.

Hope it could be as simple as that for ya

 

[Guest]

Alignment

One thing that is oft overlooked by drivers(and sometimes mechanics): Tire pressure. If the pressure is different between each other the car can pull to one side. This will also greatly affect the efficeincy of your vehicle.

Make sure to check it at least once a week (cold tires before driving off)- especially as the weather gets cooler. It's normal for a little air to seep out over time.

Hope it could be as simple as that for ya

 

[kevinkal]

I just purchased my Prius last night, and have about 85 miles on it. Last night I drove it home 60 miles and noticed just what you did.. the batter "charge" indication never went above 2 bars short of the top. Given the responses to this issue, I believe this is normal.