Sitting with A/C on.

dculpepper · 06-26-2006, 06:42 PM

Had a bit of a wait at a drive thru recently, the IC cut off and just sitting there with the A/C on my batteries started down, down , down, until the lines turned purple and I assumed the batteries were getting too low so I cut the power and sweltered until I got my order. Should the IC have come back on and didn't or did I panic and kill everything before the IC restarted? Alittle help from experienced drivers appreciated.

grasshopper · 06-26-2006, 07:07 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dculpepper @ Jun 26 2006, 06:42 PM) [snapback]277019[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Had a bit of a wait at a drive thru recently, the IC cut off and just sitting there with the A/C on my batteries started down, down , down, until the lines turned purple and I assumed the batteries were getting too low so I cut the power and sweltered until I got my order. Should the IC have come back on and didn't or did I panic and kill everything before the IC restarted? Alittle help from experienced drivers appreciated.
[/b]

I sit with my A/C on full blast all the time. Sometimes I sleep for a couple of hours. The answer to your question is: Not to worry, your prius will not let your batteries get to low. I have a feeling that if you would have waited another minute or two the ICE sould have come on. Mine gets down to two purple bars and after a while the ICE comes on. I don't know if it will go to one purple bar or not, since I'm probibly asleep.

Brian K · 06-26-2006, 07:08 PM

Yah, you paniced too soon.

If you'd have just let it be it'd handled things all on it's own. The ICE would have started to charge the battery and when you moved the vehicle the battery would have come up pretty quick.

The car's fairly foolproof, just leave it to do it's own thing and it'll be OK.

**Tideland Prius** · 06-26-2006, 07:16 PM

Yep. The engine will come on just before it drops to 1 bar (so you don't actually see it drop) and it'll stay on til it charges to either the top of 2 bars or it'll actually change to 3 bars.

daniel · 06-26-2006, 07:22 PM

As above: The car will not let the battery go below the level the car allows. Eventually the ICE will turn on and recharge the battery for a while, and then will shut off again. If you are after record-setting mpg, you might want to shut down to save gas. But that's all it is: burn a bit of gas to stay cool, or conserve gas and swelter. It's all the same to the car.

FWIW, the car will allow the battery to go lower if it is standing still than if it is moving. But either way, the car's computer knows what it's doing and will protect its systems.

aaf709 · 06-26-2006, 07:29 PM

Very true, think about it, your situation (ie stopped for a bit) could easily happen while sitting in traffic. You shouldn't be expected to turn your Prius off then. There's been discussion of leaving it on when at a drive-in, if you wanted to make sure you had power for the radio.

dculpepper · 06-26-2006, 07:33 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dculpepper @ Jun 26 2006, 06:42 PM) [snapback]277019[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Had a bit of a wait at a drive thru recently, the IC cut off and just sitting there with the A/C on my batteries started down, down , down, until the lines turned purple and I assumed the batteries were getting too low so I cut the power and sweltered until I got my order. Should the IC have come back on and didn't or did I panic and kill everything before the IC restarted? Alittle help from experienced drivers appreciated.
[/b]

Does it matter wheather the car is in Park, Neutral or Drive?

galaxee · 06-26-2006, 07:35 PM

the battery won't charge in neutral. either of the remaining options is fine.

rufaro · 06-27-2006, 01:14 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Brian K @ Jun 26 2006, 04:08 PM) [snapback]277035[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

The car's fairly foolproof, just leave it to do it's own thing and it'll be OK.[/b]

But they keep building better fools...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 26 2006, 04:22 PM) [snapback]277047[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

the car's computer knows what it's doing and will protect its systems.[/b]

"I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you do that"

mcbrunnhilde · 06-27-2006, 01:16 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Jun 26 2006, 10:14 PM) [snapback]277226[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

"I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you do that"

[/b]

Ooooooh, I should have named my Prius Hallie instead of Gracie!!! :P

06-26-2006, 07:22 PM	#5
daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 9,124 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	As above: The car will not let the battery go below the level the car allows. Eventually the ICE will turn on and recharge the battery for a while, and then will shut off again. If you are after record-setting mpg, you might want to shut down to save gas. But that's all it is: burn a bit of gas to stay cool, or conserve gas and swelter. It's all the same to the car. FWIW, the car will allow the battery to go lower if it is standing still than if it is moving. But either way, the car's computer knows what it's doing and will protect its systems. __________________ Daniel ---------------------- Primary car: Zap Xebra SD: 100% electric car. 1.9 cents per mile, using electrons generated from water power. (The Prius is my gas guzzler, used when I have to travel farther than 35 miles in a day.) "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." -- Emma Goldman "Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think long and hard before starting a war." -- Otto von Bismarck

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06-26-2006, 06:42 PM	#1
dculpepper Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Had a bit of a wait at a drive thru recently, the IC cut off and just sitting there with the A/C on my batteries started down, down , down, until the lines turned purple and I assumed the batteries were getting too low so I cut the power and sweltered until I got my order. Should the IC have come back on and didn't or did I panic and kill everything before the IC restarted? Alittle help from experienced drivers appreciated.

06-26-2006, 07:08 PM	#3
Brian K Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 152 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Yah, you paniced too soon. If you'd have just let it be it'd handled things all on it's own. The ICE would have started to charge the battery and when you moved the vehicle the battery would have come up pretty quick. The car's fairly foolproof, just leave it to do it's own thing and it'll be OK.

06-26-2006, 07:16 PM	#4
Tideland Prius Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 13,769 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: B Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 11	Yep. The engine will come on just before it drops to 1 bar (so you don't actually see it drop) and it'll stay on til it charges to either the top of 2 bars or it'll actually change to 3 bars.

06-26-2006, 07:29 PM	#6
aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 3,838 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Very true, think about it, your situation (ie stopped for a bit) could easily happen while sitting in traffic. You shouldn't be expected to turn your Prius off then. There's been discussion of leaving it on when at a drive-in, if you wanted to make sure you had power for the radio.

06-26-2006, 07:35 PM	#8
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,030 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 20	the battery won't charge in neutral. either of the remaining options is fine.