Balancing ActA Sojourner's Thoughts

A year ago today, I drove my 2012 Toyota Prius Four home. In a year, I've clocked exactly 15,000 miles, gassed up 36 times and spent a collective $1,241.22 in gas. That's a savings of $1,559.00 vs. the 2005 Acura RSX Type S. Of the 15,000 miles driven, 65% of it were spent on road [...]

If you have installed a set of JDM power folding side mirrors following my DIY guide on a 2012+ 3rd gen Prius, then you are fully aware that one of the trade off is losing your illuminated mirror switch. 2010-2011 owners do not have to worry since the mirror switch isn't illuminated to begin with. [...]

Here is a step-by-step DIY guide on how to install JDM power folding side mirrors onto your 2010+ 3rd gen USDM Toyota Prius or Plug-in Prius (PiP). As an added bonus, this guide includes instruction on how to wire up a set of 3-in-1 combo welcome winker LED lights. Since I've wired up JDM power [...]

There are times when you need to access the door frame. Replacing your OEM speaker is usually the primary reason, but you may also need to remove the glass, replace the actuators, remove your side rearview mirrors or install JDM power folding side mirrors. This guide will show you how to remove the door panel [...]

Update: DIY guide is now up, DIY: How to install JDM Prius power folding side mirrors I am making decent progress in sketching the wiring diagrams to help assist in the installation and wiring up a set of JDM Prius power folding side mirrors on your USDM 3rd gen Prius. More work needs to be done [...]

Update: DIY guide is now up, DIY: How to install JDM Prius power folding side mirrors I generally do not have time on a weekday to entertain Prius projects. Heck, I rarely have time on the weekend and it looks like I'll have this weekend booked ahead of me. Today, I received my JDM Prius power [...]

Update: DIY guide is now up, DIY: How to install JDM Prius power folding side mirrors I've been able to source out a 3rd gen Prius JDM power side folding mirrors kit for $500 + $83 shipping and have placed an order. It is complete with JDM mirror covers with integrated turn signals, keyless entry automatic [...]

My next weekend project for the Prius is to convert the high-beams into daytime running lights (DRL), like older Toyotas and certain models, such as the Corolla. The idea is to install a module with built-in resistor to reduce the high-beam output by 24%, i.e. operating the high-beams at 76% of its full power. This [...]

I last gassed up on April 1st, 2013 - making this my 3rd gas-up in 2013. So after nearly 2 months since I started the grille blocking strategy research, I think I have viable data to share. For one, I've gained an average of 4.5 mpg increase in my 4.7 mile commute. This is significant [...]

This do-it-yourself guide illustrate how to install the Prius PLUS Performance rear sway bar onto your 3rd generation Prius. The installation is easier than it seems and can be performed without jacking up the car, if you're slim enough. While the installation was performed on a 2012 model, the same instruction applies to 2010-2011 and [...]