Turtle Light

Dia · 07-30-2006, 10:22 PM

Hello,

I'm new on this forum. I drive a Classic Prius 2001 and my turtle light came on. I've never encountered this problem before and had to look up what it meant. In the manual it says the battery temperature is either too low or too high or the battery is drained.

I live in California today's temperature is about 78 degrees cloudy and i was parked for over an hour outdoors. The battery indicator says it's full, though my battery does feel hot. (some websites say the battery temperature must reach over 105-110 degrees for the turtle light to turn on) It didn't feel ~that~ hot.

Is this a temporary problem? The manual tells me if this light comes on the course of action is to "Drive without hard acceleration" but it does not tell me whether i should go to the dealer or go and get this looked at. Will driving without hard acceleration fix the problem? I should imagine for any battery to reach 105ish degrees (so some websites say the turtle light means) would be dangerous. Is it really true it must reach to such an extreme temperature for the light to turn on? Is my vehicle safe to drive? Should i get it checked out? Any suggestions?

Thanks for your attention

**Tideland Prius** · 07-30-2006, 11:17 PM

The turtle, to my understanding, just means that you won't have full acceleration available (i.e. the battery won't be able to assist in acceleration) so it's telling you to keep that in mind when passing or requiring extra power.

It should be okay to drive.

Bill Merchant · 07-30-2006, 11:18 PM

Hi Dia, welcome to PriusChat. I'm sorry your first post has to be about a problem.

I have a 2005, so I can't speak from experience, but I know the interior of a car can get very hot very fast sitting in the sun, even at 78° F. Since the cabin air is used to cool the battery (sucked out of the cabin, over the battery, and blown out the side vent) you could actually heat your battery at first. That's why driving without hard accelleration, which would use lots of battery charge and heat the battery more, is good. If you are comfortable in your car, your battery will be too.

If the problem persists, go see the Toyota dealer, of course. Don't panic, Prii know how to take care of themselves.

john1701a · 07-30-2006, 11:41 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill Merchant @ Jul 30 2006, 10:18 PM) [snapback]294866[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I'm sorry your first post has to be about a problem.[/b]

Why? To have a 5 year old hybrid and never needing any advice until now deserves a "congrats" instead.

The turtle is nothing but a less-power-available indicator, as previously stated. There is absolutely no reason to worry unless seeing it becomes routine. Rare sightings are perfectly normal, like in the winter when it is extraordinarily cold and the Prius hasn't been driven for awhile.

Dia · 07-30-2006, 11:52 PM

Thank you for your quick responses, i do feel better ^-^

yeah i love my car, it's rare that anything goes wrong with it. One computer error in 5 years and one accident where the people who repaired my car didn't properly plug my battery in, but it was quickly righted by the dealership.

Again thanks so much for the replies

07-30-2006, 11:18 PM	#3
Bill Merchant absit invidia Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA \| Oregon \| Portland area \| 97004 \| Posts: 4,100 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #5 Thanks: 18 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts Friends: 60	Hi Dia, welcome to PriusChat. I'm sorry your first post has to be about a problem. I have a 2005, so I can't speak from experience, but I know the interior of a car can get very hot very fast sitting in the sun, even at 78° F. Since the cabin air is used to cool the battery (sucked out of the cabin, over the battery, and blown out the side vent) you could actually heat your battery at first. That's why driving without hard accelleration, which would use lots of battery charge and heat the battery more, is good. If you are comfortable in your car, your battery will be too. If the problem persists, go see the Toyota dealer, of course. Don't panic, Prii know how to take care of themselves. __________________ Bill Bill.Merchant@PortlandHSD.info 2007 NL 5 Silver Wraith • 2005 BC 6 Silver Cloud Portland Area HSD Meetup Group: PortlandHSD.info Become carbon neutral: Carbonfund.org or TerraPass.com > < Follow me on

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07-30-2006, 10:22 PM	#1
Dia Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Hello, I'm new on this forum. I drive a Classic Prius 2001 and my turtle light came on. I've never encountered this problem before and had to look up what it meant. In the manual it says the battery temperature is either too low or too high or the battery is drained. I live in California today's temperature is about 78 degrees cloudy and i was parked for over an hour outdoors. The battery indicator says it's full, though my battery does feel hot. (some websites say the battery temperature must reach over 105-110 degrees for the turtle light to turn on) It didn't feel ~that~ hot. Is this a temporary problem? The manual tells me if this light comes on the course of action is to "Drive without hard acceleration" but it does not tell me whether i should go to the dealer or go and get this looked at. Will driving without hard acceleration fix the problem? I should imagine for any battery to reach 105ish degrees (so some websites say the turtle light means) would be dangerous. Is it really true it must reach to such an extreme temperature for the light to turn on? Is my vehicle safe to drive? Should i get it checked out? Any suggestions? Thanks for your attention

07-30-2006, 11:17 PM	#2
Tideland Prius Moderator of the North Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 19,620 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: N/A Package: Technology Package (Canada) Thanks: 229 Thanked 345 Times in 244 Posts Friends: 23	The turtle, to my understanding, just means that you won't have full acceleration available (i.e. the battery won't be able to assist in acceleration) so it's telling you to keep that in mind when passing or requiring extra power. It should be okay to drive.

07-30-2006, 11:52 PM	#5
Dia Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Thank you for your quick responses, i do feel better ^-^ yeah i love my car, it's rare that anything goes wrong with it. One computer error in 5 years and one accident where the people who repaired my car didn't properly plug my battery in, but it was quickly righted by the dealership. Again thanks so much for the replies