how long can I safely run radio with car "off"?

[tombellanca]

Wondering about the car battery span.
How long can I sit in a parking lot and listen to the car radio with the car "off" and not risk draining the battery?

Would it be better to start the car and just "idle"?

[dwreed3rd]

Originally Posted by tombellanca

Wondering about the car battery span.
How long can I sit in a parking lot and listen to the car radio with the car "off" and not risk draining the battery?

Would it be better to start the car and just "idle"?

I'm sure you will have more knowledgable members give you a better answer, but from what I've read on PC, I would just leave it on. The ICE will only run, as needed, to charge the battery. Safest method in my opinion. I don't see a down side to leaving it in ready.

[rigormortis]

leaving it in ready with either the climate control system off or set at a low temperature would be the safest thing

anything over 45 minutes in accessory mode is taking a chance

die hard prius people will say that its not a good idea to leave it in ready like that, because it will impact fuel economy, but
i would rather lose miles per gallon then have to call AAA

as long as the temp is set low, that hybrid battery can run for 30-45 minutes at a time without having to start the engine up
and the engine won't stay on for too long either

[Emblazon]

This is actually something I'm interested in. It appears that there is an "auto-shut off" function that cuts power to the ACC after one hour of continual use. The battery, however, seems just fine and all you have to do is press the power button again to resume ACC functions.

I tend to go to the drive-in frequently, and we spend around 6 hours there. I've done it once with my Prius, and it just got a little annoying having to get up and press the power button half way through each movie because the car kept shutting off.

Does anyone know of a way to disable that function? The battery dying isn't really a concern to me, since I have a portable jumper stowed in my car.

Also, the one time my Prius was at the drive in, aside from having to turn the car on again half way through each movie, the car started up just fine when it was time to leave.

[Tideland Prius]

I've done 2 hours with radio on. (i.e in ACC mode). The car will auto shut off after 1 hour.

[rigormortis]

you would think they would of put an auto shut off on the interior lights too!

heh

[David]

In my 2006 I sat for about 30 minutes in accessory mode with the A/C off but the fan on low talking on my cell phone through the car's bluetooth system. The big flashing warning light came on so I got off the phone and turned the car off. There was not enough power left in the starter battery so I had to jump the car. The only friend around with jumper cables had a hopped up Ford F-350. I'm just sorry I don't have pictures to go with my embarrassment. It's probably time to change the 12v battery.

[rigormortis]

that's the problem with running the toyota prius in accessory mode... all you know is what the voltage of the battery is, and you do not know what the actual battery's capacity is. if its a newer battery it can probably go 45 minutes to a couple hours, if any of the battery's cells are borerline, it can quit in half an hour..

i had my 12v replaced under warranty, left me stranded once, almost left me stranded several times

if you have that extended warranty, at least you got roadside assistance.
if you have pre paid maintenance or standard warranty, they will probably just tow you to the dealer

[TheForce]

I just got back from a car show. I was messing around with my computer and did not have the car in ready mode. I think my battery lasted about 30-45 minutes. I waited until everyone left and I jumped the car with my parents Yaris. My scan gauge told me the voltage was about 9.9-10.1v. After the drive home the battery was sitting around 13v. I hope this wont hurt the battery too bad.