Najichanga nataka vuta Toyota Prius gen 3....
Toyota Prius is one of the very serious and reliable car Toyota ever made..... Prius watu wanaziogopa tu but ni gari zenye garama nafuu sana kwenye kuishi nayo..mfano oil change interval yake si kama traditional car kwakua engine yake hifanyi kazi muda wote hasa kwenye city driving, brake pads hazitumiki muda mrefu because of regenerative braking mechanism inayochukua deceleration energy (ambayo ni mechanical energy) inayokua picked up na MG 2 motor na kutengeneza umeme ambao utacharge betri so hii ina serve brakes...kuhusu mafuta kwakua engine inakua off for sometime basi inaserve fuel..kumbuka accessories zote za gari zinaendeshwa na umeme including ac compressor so no increased fuel consumption because of ac usage.
Kuhusu transmission..hii gari ipo na less moving parts kwenye gearbox..yaani ni planetary gears na mota mbili za umeme (MG 1 na MG 2 ambapo MG1 inafanya kazi kama starter, pia inacharge betri pale injini inavowaka, MG 2 ina drive matairi na pia ina charge betri during braking or deceleration-through regenerative mechanisms.(huu mfumo mzima unaitwa synergy hybrid system)
Kumbuka with regards to transmission system ya hii gari ina separate transmission fluid ambayo mara nyingi haitaji kubadilishwa under normal driving conditions ila for preventive maintenance unaweza change after km 200,000 kwakua gear mechanism ya gari ni tofauti kabisa na gari automatic za kawaida..humu hakuna clutches packs nyingi kama automatic yakawaida ni chache kwa ajili ya ku tight (kubana ) planetary gear ili kupata reverse na forward movement through planetary and sun gear mechanism.
Changamoto..
Hii gari inakuja na betri mbili..moja ni battery ya hybrid yenye kutengeneza volts 200+ kwa ajili ya ku power the entire hybrid system..na betri nyingine ni ni betri ya kawaida ambayo ni normal 12v battery ambaYo kazi yake ni ku activate components zinazofanya system ya hybrid kuanza kufanya kazi mfano relays, ECU, pamoja na ku run system zote zinazohitaji volts 12 kama taa na radio.
Sasa kama unavojua joto na baridi ni adui wakubwa wa battery life, sasa kutatua tazo hili Toyota imeweka mechanisms zinazo tatua hii kitu hasa joto..Betri inapotumika na hasa kukiwa na excessive draw of power (amperage draw) betri itachemka (mfano tu hata simu ukitumia excessively betri inachemka) sasa kama hakuna proper cooling mechanism basi betri life itashuka...but Toyota Prius kwenye kiti cha nyuma utakuta kuna matundu, hayo matundu ndani yake kuna feni ambayo inachukua hewa ndani ya cabin na kwenda kupoza betri..na huwa inakua na air-filter..sasa wenye hizi gari huwa hawajui kua wanapofanya service hii filter pia inatakiwa kufanyiwa service either ya kupulizwa vumbi au kubadili kabisa..so matokea yake inafika wakati inajaa vumbi mpaka ventilation inakosekana na kuanza kusababisha betri ku over heat..apa ndo shida ilipo..na betri ikifa inachukua mpaka hata 1.8m ku replace kama wataka replace the entire battery pack..but pia ni possible kubadili individual cell ambayo inakua imekufa na kuweka cell nyingine then unafanya power Balancing mambo yanakua poa ingawa mafundi wengi bongo hawafanyi power Balancing wakisha fanya replacement ya cells.
Changamoto nyingine kwa Toyota Prius gen 3 ni kwamba engine ya hii gari inakuja na water pump ya umeme ambayo incase ikiharibika na wewe ujataka kufatilia kama imekufa au lah basi utafanya engine i over heat na kuua head-gasket..(hili tatizo halipo kwenye prius gen 2 kwakua Prius Generation 2 yenyewe ilitengenezwa na mechanical pump ambayo inazungunshwa na fen belt kupita crankshaft...but prius gen 3 na kuendelea zote zinakuja na water pump ya umeme kwakua engine zake hazina kabisa fen belts.. but in case water pump ikiharibika immediately gari itakuwashia triangle sign kwenye dash board hivo itabidi usimame upaki sehemu utatute tatizo then maisha yaendelee or else you may blow your motor head-gasket.
Kingine ambacho kikizingua kinakua expensive kidogo japo ni kawaida ni brake system yake.kumbuka brake boosting mechanism yake si kama regular car kwakua hii gari si muda wote engine inakua on hivo si muda wote engine vacuum inakuwepo kwa ajili ya brake boosting..hivo hii gari inakua na mvumo kama we Brevis au haya ma land cruiser makubwa japo wake kidogo unautofauti (yaan booster ipo pamoja na ABS system as one unit so ikifanya replacement una change the entire unit )..yaan inakua na brake system ambayo vacuum ya brake booster inatengenezwa electric motor..so with time (japo ni very durable system and rarely kuharibika) ikitokea kuharibika kidogo inachangamsha akili kwenye ku repair na fundi pia anatakiwa awe na proper tools za kufanya kazi(hasa advanced scanner ambayo ni bi-directional kwa ajili ya ku activate commands manuals ya brake booster motor ili kutoa upepo kwenye brake system.
But all in all ni very durable, dependable na reliable kuliko gari zote ndogo za Toyota. Zingatia kupata prius yenye miliage ndogo tu be on safe side, pia hakikisha unafanya service ya filter ya hybrid battery.
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