Indicator Light Question

[scottw07071961]

O.K....so my wife and I aren't very 'high tech' people. We've never had a car with so many standard electronic features, and the manual was a bit unclear on this one:
Our indicator light for the theft deterrent system stays on ALL the time when the car is shut down, whether the doors are locked or not. I think this is a way to scare off would-be thieves whenever the car is unattended, so it flashes constantly. My wife thinks the indicator light should go off after a time period (30 minutes...an hour...) and that the flashing could take its toll on the battery charge.

(by the way...first 'joy ride' on day one yielded almost 50mpg! Awesome!)

[rick57]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scottw07071961\";p=\"81072) </div>

O.K....so my wife and I aren't very 'high tech' people.  We've never had a car with so many standard electronic features, and the manual was a bit unclear on this one:
    Our indicator light for the theft deterrent system stays on ALL the time when the car is shut down, whether the doors are locked or not.  I think this is a way to scare off would-be thieves whenever the car is unattended, so it flashes constantly.  My wife thinks the indicator light should go off after a time period (30 minutes...an hour...) and that the flashing could take its toll on the battery charge.  

(by the way...first 'joy ride' on day one yielded almost 50mpg!  Awesome!)[/b]

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Prius. The indicator is nothing to worry about. It doesn't draw much from the battery. In fact I did a check of the battery drain on a 1st gen and 2nd gen Prius. The 2nd gen ( 04> ) only draws about 12-18ma. This is the lowest reading I have ever seen on any Toyota in the years I have been here. So don't worry about the light draining the battery, :wink:

[Tideland Prius]

It stays on for 30 seconds then flashes to tell you it's armed. A flashing light such as that won't drain the battery.

[DanMan32]

Actually, most theft deterrent systems have flashing lights once armed. Lets the thief know he better not mess with your car, though these days, many cars have blinking light dummies.

[scottw07071961]

Thanks Dan, Rick and Tideland. I'm sure I'll have more questions over the next few days and I appreciate the feedback. I got 54.7 mpg on the way to work this morning (9 miles) and it was 37 degrees (F) out here in Waukesha County, WI. WOW! And I haven't even gotten 200 miles on the car yet!
I'm really happy in my new Pri!

[mikepaul]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanMan32\";p=\"81494)</div>

Actually, most theft deterrent systems have flashing lights once armed.  Lets the thief know he better not mess with your car, though these days, many cars have blinking light dummies.[/b]

This is why I want Rattler to put out a SS/SE-compatible alarm, so when someone taps the car it'd let them know there *is* an alarm, and I wouldn't have to go through broken window replacement when someone decided the current light is a fake. SS/SE-compatible, since it'd suck to have another fob to carry around.

Maybe it's time to try again to get someone to build one. Can't recall if I ever heard back from them last time I tried...

[Tideland Prius]

Yeah, it would be nice if car alarms (stock) nowadays come with a beeper to tell you someone tapped the window or sth. It's also works if someone wants your car to move and can tap the window to get your attention.

[rick57]

I don't usually have good luck with aftermarket alarms. When I have them in the shop,some of them just go off for know reason,echoing thru the shop. I would stick to factory alarms any day, . This is just my opinion tho.