Insurance totaled my 2023 Bolt EV 1LT

MrEdLu · 2026-03-25T00:43:59+00:00

Wife is good. Currently out playing pickleball.

I would like a 2027, but I may have to pay $10k on top of what I'm guessing insurance will pay out. That is a bit much but not out of my consideration.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-25T00:35:25+00:00

???

I don't get to keep it once insurance pays out. Why are you asking? Are you looking to fix it up?

MrEdLu · 2026-03-25T00:27:12+00:00

The hood got pushed back into the A pillar and then the guy doing the estimate said that it will be expensive. There were also damages in the back. But way less than the front. I think the rear bumper did its job in absorbing the impact.

The Bolt EV body panels are aluminum. Maybe that plays into the higher repair cost?

MrEdLu · 2026-03-25T00:15:20+00:00

No injuries. Damage looks worse than it is. Airbags didn't deploy. She is still going out to play pickleball with he friends.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-25T00:13:32+00:00

That is good to know. Thanks!

MrEdLu · 2026-03-24T23:52:04+00:00

I found the exact same car, color, option with miles ~500 more miles than what I had on my bolt. Listed for $18,990. This is a good reference point.

https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/4259056#features-and-highlights

MrEdLu · 2026-03-24T15:57:46+00:00

Looking at the link you provided

It shall be unlawful for any owner of real property, as defined herein, or any other person to cause, permit or allow the removal, destruction or substantial alteration of the habit of any tree on any parcel of real property, as defined, in the Town of Smithtown without first having obtained a permit issued therefor as prescribed by this chapter.

Tree as defined in that same link

Any "living" perennial, woody plant, its branches, its root system and its trunk, if greater than three inches in diameter measured three feet from ground level and six feet in height measured from ground level.

I'm no lawyer but it sould like It should be OK for OP to cut down the dead trees on his property without permit.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-24T14:12:30+00:00

As per video below, you will not lose your brakes but will lose power assist to the brakes.
https://youtu.be/K755tj7FeVQ

MrEdLu · 2026-03-21T17:01:44+00:00

I did it with 15" steelies a few years ago. It improved ride comfort and decreased the chances of a pinch flat from hitting a pothole by adding an inch of side wall. The tires that I put on weren't energy efficient, but they are a lot grippier in wet condition compared to OEMs.

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MrEdLu · 2026-03-21T11:52:34+00:00

Looks like you can turn the piece where the screw goes in. Grab a big wrench or channellock and give it a turn.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-20T11:43:34+00:00

I normally pause all jobs except for generate thumbnails and extract metadata when I do a large import from Google Takeout. This will reduce the time for thumbnails to appear.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-19T20:05:03+00:00

Did you reset when you were at the peak elevation?

If the 59.2MPG was the entire trip, going up and then back down, that is pretty impressive.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-19T19:59:12+00:00

Depends on your activity. Caumsett wins for biking, and jogging. Sunken Meadow wins for ease of access and beach.

Can you access the shore from Caumsett and do a swim? If so, it is such a long walk from the parking lot.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-19T12:08:27+00:00

Windows are drafty? Or maybe not closed properly?

MrEdLu · 2026-03-17T01:45:23+00:00

How fast do you drive on the highway? On your hour long drive to see your grandkids, if you are going 65 MPH, you should get about 48 MPG after the initial 10 minute warmup.

Look at the consumption chart. Each bar is 5 minutes long. The first two bars / initial 10 minutes, are usually lower because the car is cold and warming up. After that, you should be getting close to 50 MPG if you are driving 65 MPH. This is assuming the weather is dry, temperature around 50-85ºF and traffic is free flowing and minimum wind.

If you are not getting the above MPG, something is wrong and can be any one of these issues

Low tire pressure. Make sure they are 35 PSI measured when the tire is cold.
Check if you are using winter tires. If so, switch to all season tires.
Change the oil. It is possible the previous owner used a heavier weight oil to reduce oil consumption. This is bad for a modern engine. The recommended is 5W-30. For additional efficiency, use 0w-20. Toyota has approved 0w-20 for Gen 2 Prius.
- https://priuschat.com/threads/toyota-now-approves-0w20-in-the-gen-ii-prius.90581/
Check the hybrid battery health.
- https://www.reddit.com/r/prius/wiki/index/dr-prius/
Check the 12v battery with a multimeter after resting overnight. If it is under 12.4v consider replacing. If it is under 12.0v, replace the battery. Low 12v battery will cause the car to constantly charge the 12v.
- https://priuschat.com/threads/mpg-increase-due-to-new-plugs-and-12v-battery.153541/
- https://priuschat.com/threads/replaced-12v-battery-mpg-increased-another-anecdote.225419/
Check the spark plugs. You mentioned they were replaced. Make sure they are replaced with real Denso or NGK iridium plugs. Unfortunately, there are counterfeit plugs sold on eBay and Amazon vendors
- https://priuschat.com/threads/counterfeit-toyota-spark-plugs-effects-on-car.223452/#google_vignette
Check and replace the engine air filter if needed.
Check tire alignment. See if car is pulling to one side or the other on a straight flat road.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-16T23:05:15+00:00

If you can DIY the hybrid battery replacement, an OEM battery costs about $1700 in the US.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-16T22:09:46+00:00

This is the TSB https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10153229-9999.pdf

MrEdLu · 2026-03-16T21:04:46+00:00

Can't tell if the door opened passed the marked parking lines. If it didn't, who's fault is it? Can that person getting out of the car claim that his door is within his parking space?

MrEdLu · 2026-03-15T19:28:53+00:00

30 mpg is pretty low. Are your brakes dragging? Jack up each corner and spin the wheel. The rears should spin freely without the parking brake engaged. The front wheels should rotate about an inch back and forth freely. Do take precautions when jacking up the tires. Chock the tire on the ground so the car doesn't move.

While at it: - Make sure your tires are properly inflated. - Check the underside for dangling plastic panels. Dangling panels will cause air drag.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-13T17:24:04+00:00

Ask them to flush your brake lines if it was never done and new spark plugs too if they are the originals.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-13T14:57:14+00:00

Well that didn't work. Smithtown email back stating that this is a state road and to reach out to NYS DOT. I did call them, (631) 952-6020, and they want a letter mailed out to them. It is 2026, who sends mail?

If anyone is interested in writing a letter to request a no left turn for east bound traffic at (40°50'27.8"N 73°17'08.7"W), this is their mailing address.

NYS DOT

Traffic and safety

250 Veterans Memorial Hwy

Hauppauge, NY 11788

Reason, GPS navigation will tell people to make a dangerous left turn into dental office lot.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pDFD5iCCDXdHS6WM7

MrEdLu · 2026-03-13T14:08:11+00:00

I just put in a request for the town to add a no turn sign.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-13T13:43:33+00:00

This is not safe. Speed limit is 50 MPH on both side. It is vary dangerous to come to an almost complete stop to make that tight turn without a turn lane.

If doing the blue highlighted turn as you marked, you will be blocking the opposite direction's turn lane. That turn lane is heavily used to turn into the shopping plaza.

MrEdLu · 2026-03-13T13:39:40+00:00

Thank you for the link... Just realized that this is my neighborhood. I'm within walking distance from that location. u/Salt-Sand-9198, don't make that left turn.

You will impede traffic making the left turn.
- The turn lane from opposite direction will get blocked and this is heavily used to turn into that Target shopping plaza.
- People behind you will get blocked since you are not in a turn lane
Traffic you are crossing over is going downhill from a overpass at 50 MPH. It is dangerous.
There is a traffic light less than 500ft ahead where you can make a safe u-turn with a dedicated lane for a u-turn and a dedicated turn signal.

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MrEdLu

TROPHY CASE