The Prius

Remember how the car got dinged back in '08? The picture above shows how it got hit on the rear three quarter panel and bumper, however the door was not damaged and this is where reality diverge from logic. Ever since we got the car repaired (back in '08) there has been this annoying hissing wind sound when we drive above 100kph (60mph). Really annoying when you learn to notice it. 

The body shop has been amazing to deal with. Really stellar service apart from the fact that it took three visits to figure out. They stood by their work and was super helpful each time we went back to try figure out the problem regardless of how long it was since the initial repair. Finally last week, riding in the back seat with the body shop tech driving/speeding I nailed down the problem area: rear end of the rear window where theres a small black triangular plastic cover. You can see it the picture below:. Covering it with my hand the noise went away.

The body shop removed it and found a gasket missing which brings me back to where the logic ends. As the photo shows the door was not dinged, so why was the gasket missing after being repaired? We will never know but we are happy to once again ride in a quieter car.

Out of gas - electric only

I managed to run the Prius out of fuel on my way to pick up Lucia from daycare. I had about 1 mile left and had been going up a pretty long hill when it happened just about 300ft from the top. I made it there and coasted down the other side, regenerating as much as I could but as I merged with the freeway it was jammed so I had to slow down to a crawl. Ironically the Prius looses energy standing still so that was less than ideal, but it was downhill. I knew there was a gas station past the Daycare and decided to give it a try. This gas station is located at the bottom of a long steep hill so I knew if I could make it to the crest of this hill I would be saved. As the exit neared, traffic sped up and I gained momentum and confidence. Unfortunately there was an intersection with a stop sign I had to go through, I had to break but there was no cars so I decided to sail through and started the last 500m/1500ft slightly uphill section before the big downhill with only one (1) bar left on the battery indicator. It wasnt enough. With only 200m(600ft) left the electric motor gave out and I came to a stop. I called the daycare and Nick showed up minutes later with a can of gas. I am so thankful for his assistance and with a few drops in the tank I made it:

It was a great learning experience though. The Prius actually has a lot less electric energy available than I imagined. It functions a lot like the KERS system known in Formula 1 and is designed to give you a boost, but not run the car over longer distances. I believe there was a lot more energy in the batteries but perhaps the electronic systems kept me from accessing these. That said I'm super happy I was able to go as far as I did, with a regular car I would have had no few options than to stop the car where it ran out, with the Prius the extra battery presented a lot of options as where to eventually stop the car. 

Wheres my seat?

Lucia shows with obvious disapproval that her seat is missing from what is otherwise an accurate representation of mom's car.

Heather's version of the story: We bought this car as a potty training reward in a multi pack; because she's been sick and stir crazy and wanting to watch TV all the livelong day (GAH), we broke out the package in desperation. We showed it to her and said, look it's Cia's bil! (Lucia's car). She carefully inspected it through the miniature windows and asked: "Where's my car seat?" So clever of her. She didn't notice that the steering wheel is on the wrong side, but I did. Guess it's from the UK.

Heathers car window - smashed!

New rubber, more fruit

Went to Costco yesterday to install the new tires we got from Heathers parents for Christmas. What a difference! We haven't had rain yet, but they make the car feel very different, much smoother and quieter. Tusen takk!
I also picked up more fruit. Lucia will eat this $9 tray in a 2-3 days:

Puncture - again!

This is the second puncture on the Prius. The first one happened because we drove over a screw (phillps head) but this one is more of a mystery.