Can the prius only be run on the gas engine?

[98wrangler]

Down the road figure your car is going to need expensive parts like special batterys and stuff. Is there a way to dump the elec and just run the gas engine all the time?

[Anshu]

most likely, but it would cost more prolly to get it to work like that then to repair it

[Tideland Prius]

1) the warranty is 8 years/100,000 miles (longer in CA) for all hybrid-related components
2) Battery current costs US$1-2k so 8 yrs later, no big deal
3) There is no transmission. The power split device is under the powertrain warranty.

Can't think of any other things you need to replace.

Besides, taxis have gone >200,000miles on these things in the last two years with no hybrid problems and it is a Toyota. How many Toyota were lemons compared to other manufacturers?

[ncc74656m]

Here's the big issue, IMHO. Remember that even though want to replace the battery, say, 10 years from now, the best part is that by that time, there will be better battery technology that will be lighter, cheaper, and better performing, and replacing these will be common place by then, in that it'll be doable by just about any shop.

[wonger]

there is a step you can do that keeps the gas engine running all the time.. if with the hybrid system still hooked up

but you have to do these steps everytime before starting.. it mainly for techs to diag cars with the engine on

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted by wonger

there is a step you can do that keeps the gas engine running all the time.. if with the hybrid system still hooked up

but you have to do these steps everytime before starting.. it mainly for techs to diag cars with the engine on

Be very careful of this advice. If you're talking about the official procedure for forcing the ICE to run (which I won't bother to post), that MUST NOT be used for normal driving, because it renders the traction control inoperative until it is reset. That can lead to destruction of the PSD and MG1 (by overspeeding it) in short order.

Let the car do what it was designed to do. Swapping in a new or reman battery will be less costly in the long run than forcing the car to run is a way it was not intended to.

[Tideland Prius]

Well, leaving it in B lets the engine run although it doesn't charge so really you're just idling like the rest of the cars.