leaving for a 10 day vacation

kathyb · 12-27-2007, 04:13 PM

Hi,
Wondering if I can just leave my car parked in it's spot for the duration of my 10 day vacation or do I need someone to come and run it every 3 days which is what the dealer told me.....all replies welcom I'm leaving very soon.....

PeteSJCA · 12-27-2007, 04:55 PM

Hey Kathy,

I left mine for 15 days last june/july and had no problems starting it up. I take it that you're in Brooklyn, that might me a little bit different than CA in the summer... but i think the batteries should be fine.

JimN · 12-27-2007, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathyb

Hi,
Wondering if I can just leave my car parked in it's spot for the duration of my 10 day vacation or do I need someone to come and run it every 3 days which is what the dealer told me.....all replies welcom I'm leaving very soon.....

Turn off the SKS to reduce the drain on the battery.

**efusco** · 12-27-2007, 11:28 PM

1)Dealer is an idiot.
2)Should be fine for 10 days.
3)If it will be in the airport parking lot or someplace like that that you don't want to be stranded on the off chance the 12v is drained then get one of the jumper boxes/battery boosters and stick it in the hatch so you can give yourself a quick jump. Get one with an air pump and it'll make it convenient to check and adjust your tire pressures too.

Trackus · 12-27-2007, 11:40 PM

Huh?? There's a lot I don't yet know about the Prius. What's the concern/issue with parking it for a few days? Is there an ongoing battery drain while stationary? This has not been a worry with any of my previous (conventional) cars.
Mark

alanh · 12-28-2007, 12:09 AM

Because the 12v battery on the Prius does not have to crank the engine, it's much smaller than a conventional car's battery. However, this means it can't run accessories as long when the engine is off.

The SKS system has a small drain as it's constantly scanning for any fobs nearby. Thus, turning off the SKS system (button under the steering wheel) is advised if leaving the car parked for more than a few days. The buttons on the fob will still work. You'll have to reenable the SKS system or put the fob into the slot when you go.

Other drains, such as interior lights, will run down the battery quickly. This most often happens when the hatch is not fully shut. The easiest way to check for this is to make sure the doors lock successfully.

Trackus · 12-28-2007, 10:07 AM

alanh -
Thank you! The '08 manual says "If you do not intend to drive your vehicle for a long time, push the cancel switch to deactivate" the SKS; it offers no explanation as to the rational for doing so. Thanks for the info -
Mark

kathyb · 12-28-2007, 11:16 AM

Thanks for all the responses. I feel better now leaving it although I got a battery charger for Christmas which will be finishing charging tonight.
Yes it has the air pump and a flash light on it

Can the SKS suck that much juice out of the battery for 10 days?
I'm not sure I want to disable it.....

richard schumacher · 12-28-2007, 04:21 PM

It should be OK, unless it was previously drained (for example by leaving the headlights or dome light on or a door ajar for hours). On the other hand shutting off the SKS is no big deal.

12-27-2007, 04:13 PM	#1
kathyb Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. Posts: 53 My Car: 2008 Prius Model: Package: #5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	leaving for a 10 day vacation Hi, Wondering if I can just leave my car parked in it's spot for the duration of my 10 day vacation or do I need someone to come and run it every 3 days which is what the dealer told me.....all replies welcom I'm leaving very soon.....

12-27-2007, 04:55 PM	#2
PeteSJCA Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: san jose Posts: 54 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Re: leaving for a 10 day vacation Hey Kathy, I left mine for 15 days last june/july and had no problems starting it up. I take it that you're in Brooklyn, that might me a little bit different than CA in the summer... but i think the batteries should be fine.

12-27-2007, 11:28 PM	#4
efusco Troll Slayer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nixa, MO Posts: 17,242 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #9 Thanks: 49 Thanked 256 Times in 154 Posts Friends: 37	Re: leaving for a 10 day vacation 1)Dealer is an idiot. 2)Should be fine for 10 days. 3)If it will be in the airport parking lot or someplace like that that you don't want to be stranded on the off chance the 12v is drained then get one of the jumper boxes/battery boosters and stick it in the hatch so you can give yourself a quick jump. Get one with an air pump and it'll make it convenient to check and adjust your tire pressures too.

12-27-2007, 11:40 PM	#5
Trackus Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 3 My Car: 2008 Prius Model: Package: #6 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Re: leaving for a 10 day vacation Huh?? There's a lot I don't yet know about the Prius. What's the concern/issue with parking it for a few days? Is there an ongoing battery drain while stationary? This has not been a worry with any of my previous (conventional) cars. Mark

12-28-2007, 12:09 AM	#6
alanh Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,043 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #5 Thanks: 49 Thanked 49 Times in 34 Posts Friends: 0	Re: leaving for a 10 day vacation Because the 12v battery on the Prius does not have to crank the engine, it's much smaller than a conventional car's battery. However, this means it can't run accessories as long when the engine is off. The SKS system has a small drain as it's constantly scanning for any fobs nearby. Thus, turning off the SKS system (button under the steering wheel) is advised if leaving the car parked for more than a few days. The buttons on the fob will still work. You'll have to reenable the SKS system or put the fob into the slot when you go. Other drains, such as interior lights, will run down the battery quickly. This most often happens when the hatch is not fully shut. The easiest way to check for this is to make sure the doors lock successfully.

12-28-2007, 10:07 AM	#7
Trackus Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 3 My Car: 2008 Prius Model: Package: #6 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Re: leaving for a 10 day vacation alanh - Thank you! The '08 manual says "If you do not intend to drive your vehicle for a long time, push the cancel switch to deactivate" the SKS; it offers no explanation as to the rational for doing so. Thanks for the info - Mark

12-28-2007, 11:16 AM	#8
kathyb Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. Posts: 53 My Car: 2008 Prius Model: Package: #5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Re: leaving for a 10 day vacation Thanks for all the responses. I feel better now leaving it although I got a battery charger for Christmas which will be finishing charging tonight. Yes it has the air pump and a flash light on it Can the SKS suck that much juice out of the battery for 10 days? I'm not sure I want to disable it.....

12-28-2007, 04:21 PM	#9
richard schumacher Destination: Eschaton Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: United States Posts: 5,512 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: N/A Package: #6 Thanks: 99 Thanked 93 Times in 66 Posts Friends: 0	Re: leaving for a 10 day vacation It should be OK, unless it was previously drained (for example by leaving the headlights or dome light on or a door ajar for hours). On the other hand shutting off the SKS is no big deal.