Why didnt my Prius shut off?

[MPGsnob]

Hi all,

I drive a 2005 Prius package 4. I forgot to press the power off button as I got out of the car on the way to class. I did try and lock it using the key fob but didnt listen for the beeps as I had headphones on.

3 hours later I walk back to my car and hear the car running. I thought maybe it was the SKS system kicking in- not so. My car had been running the entire time. My MPG went from a 49 mpg ave down to 44.3 and the heater was hot.

Any ideas as to why my car didnt shut off- and yes, I had my key in my pants pocket and my classrooms are several hundred yards away from the parking lot.

Thanks,

Steven.

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by MPGsnob

I drive a 2005 Prius package 4. I forgot to press the power off button as I got out of the car on the way to class...Any ideas as to why my car didnt shut off- and yes, I had my key in my pants pocket and my classrooms are several hundred yards away from the parking lot.

Well, since you didn't press the POWER button to make the car IG-OFF, why would you expect it to turn off by itself?

If the Smart Key is removed while the car is still READY, the amber key icon will come on in the instrument panel to show you there is a problem, and the car will beep at you. However the car will continue to remain READY until you press the POWER button to turn the car IG-OFF.

You are lucky that no one drove away in your car; I'm not sure whether your doors would lock or not.

[Betelgeuse]

Originally Posted by MPGsnob

Any ideas as to why my car didnt shut off- and yes, I had my key in my pants pocket and my classrooms are several hundred yards away from the parking lot.

I think you answered your own question in the first sentence:

Originally Posted by MPGsnob

I forgot to press the power off button as I got out of the car on the way to class.

If you don't turn your car off, it won't turn off. I don't know what more there is to say.

[diamondlarry]

What happened was that the HV battery had run down to the point that the engine needed to fire up to recharge it. If you have SKS, the car won't shut off unless the power button is pushed. I'm pretty sure it operates this way so that the car doesn't die at an inopportune time if the battery in the fob were to go dead.

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

You are lucky that no one drove away in your car; I'm not sure whether your doors would lock or not.

It most likely wasn't locked. I know that if you try to use the black button on the door handle to lock it when the car is in "ready" you'll get beeped at and the doors won't lock.

[MPGsnob]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

Well, since you didn't press the POWER button to make the car IG-OFF, why would you expect it to turn off by itself?

If the Smart Key is removed while the car is still READY, the amber key icon will come on in the instrument panel to show you there is a problem, and the car will beep at you. However the car will continue to remain READY until you press the POWER button to turn the car IG-OFF.

You are lucky that no one drove away in your car; I'm not sure whether your doors would lock or not.

Deeerrr I feel so stupid. Indeed I am lucky- and thanks for the information.

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by MPGsnob

Deeerrr I feel so stupid. Indeed I am lucky- and thanks for the information.

Hi Steven,

No desire to make you feel stupid.

Consider a situation where you are driving along, and the Smart Key fob battery decides to die while your car is in operation. The fob is in constant communication with the Smart ECU, so the ECU will think that the fob has been removed from the car.

If Toyota set up the logic in that situation to turn off the car automatically, you would not be happy. Hence, visual and audible warnings are provided in hopes that you'll notice.

I've attached an excerpt from the 2004 New Car Features Manual that you might find interesting to read.

[qbee42]

There is an auto-shutoff feature. When it runs out of gas, it will automatically shut off.

Tom

[Bob64]

Welp, good thing you had a prius instead of a normal car.... You might have run out of gas if you left a normal car running

[TonyPSchaefer]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

I'm not sure whether your doors would lock or not.

I thought I had tested this before, but went ahead and did it again:

With the car on and in [READY] mode:

• The doors will lock once closed.
• Once open, when you press the door lock button the armrest the doors lock and then immediately unlock. They simply will not stay locked.
• Once the door is closed, the car delivers three beeps.
• Pressing the SKS black button delivers one long beep and the doors do not lock.
• Pressing the "Lock" button on the fob simply does nothing. Doesn't even try.