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Who Uses Remote AC?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by rstark18, Sep 20, 2009.

  1. rstark18

    rstark18 Member

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    I have remote AC and although it's been hot here I don't find it very practical to use Remote AC. The reason is I usually would need it when loading groceries or something like that. The problem is it turns off as soon as the car is unlocked. It would be nice to have it on as I'm loading stuff in but I guess I'll have to hop in and turn the car on if I want that. If I was going into the store for five minutes or so it would be nice to leave on but it turns off after three minutes. Also, It would be nice if I could turn it on when walking to the car but still far enough away to let it cool down. Unfortunately by the time I'm in range it doesn't cool it very much. So for me it's kind of a novelty. How are others using it?
     
  2. cmalberto

    cmalberto New Member

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    I am sort of in the same boat - But I have the SR package and find that works well enough to not use the remote A/C. Like you said it doesn't usually stay on long enough to make that much of a difference.

    --Mickey
     
  3. bps

    bps Active Member

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    I have the remote engine starter and I'm running into the same situation -- it shuts off as soon as I open the door. It's really annoying. I realize that on the remote engine starter it's a security feature, but they should have set it up differently. It should still run and if you don't have a smart key, then the car should shut off when you touch the brake.

    I have no idea why they set it up this way with the remote air conditioner. It's not like you can steal the car...

    Bryan
     
  4. PRPrius

    PRPrius Active Member

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    This is a time when Toyota could learn something from GM. I really love the way GM has managed to make Remote start an almost standard feature across their entire company. We are doing an auction at work and the grand prize is a Cadillac SRX 2010. My favorite feature is the factory adaptive remote start.

    Here is how it works:
    a) press lock button on Key fob
    b) press and hold start button until hazzard lights flash (hold for about two seconds)
    c) vehicle will start engine
    d) depending on personalized settings the following will occur.
    1) A/C will start in Cooling or Heating mode (depending on outside temperature-for vehicles equiped with automatic climate Control) not sure how it works on the manual A/C cars.
    2) The front seats will have their cooling or heating system engaged.
    e) our SRX is equiped with the full smart entry (We had one a couple of weeks that only had the smart start system- you had to use the fob to open the car, to start it you keep the key in your pocket) if you have full smart entry, just pull the handle and press the start button. (the car remains on all the time and just cycles the instrument cluster and all the lights while engaging the regular climate control settings)
     
  5. cmalberto

    cmalberto New Member

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    Does the A/C run the heat if one were to leave at a high setting? Not that I will need it until November at best. Just wondering.

    --Mickey
     
  6. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    The remote a/c that comes with the solar roof will not run the heat. The remote start that is a port or dealer installed option will run heat or a/c depending on conditions. Another difference is that remote a/c runs a max of 3 minutes, remote start runs 10 minutes. Both turn off when door is opened.
     
  7. bps

    bps Active Member

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    Not to repeat myself, but it's a shame that it shuts off when you open the door. Totally unnecessary...

    Bryan
     
  8. rpeek2

    rpeek2 Dry Ice Juggler

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    Just bought a Gen III, PriusIV with the remote air conditioner. My question is: What is the maximum distance from the vehicle that AC operation will work? Thanks
     
  9. Youarethegovt

    Youarethegovt New Member

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    I read somewhere that is was anywhere between 45-50 feet maximum distance. I'm assuming that is with a fully powered battery.
     
  10. chartquist

    chartquist New Member

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    The distance between the fob and the car to activate the remote A/C is definitely less than I would have expected or hoped. I'd say 30 feet is generous. My ideal would be to be able to activate the remote A/C from the inside of my office building to the car parked down below (maybe 75 feet) and then walk out to the 3-min pre-cooled car. Now, with the 30ish foot distance while walking to the car and the 3-5 sec delay for the system to get spooled up, I'm pretty much opening the car door by the time it starts functioning (which makes me feel like I just burned up battery storage for no purpose whatsoever).
     
  11. Eoin

    Eoin Active Member

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    I see your point, although you can easily turn on the AC from your home in the morning with the car in the driveway. Question: does the remote AC also turn on the heat in the winter? That would be excellent.
     
  12. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    A more useful feature which I miss from my previous car, a Mk4 Ford Mondeo, would be the remote Global opening/closing of the windows. Useful on a hot day for letting the stifling hot air out of the car as you approach and useful on a rainy day to close a window, from in the house or out of the office window, when you've left it open.
     
  13. HI MPG

    HI MPG Active Member

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    I tried it this weekend and didn't know if it even turned on. A bit redundant, but yes, I wish it would stay on until the engine is started.
    Similar to kithmo's Mondeo, my previous Lexus IS had a feature which remotely opened all the windows and sunroof if the unlock button was held down. Wish the Prius had this feature as well.
     
  14. silverfog

    silverfog New Member

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    Remote A/C has a further range than the remote lock- I'm guessing nearer 50 ft. In hot weather it gets the hot air out of the a/c system before you start, and that helps.
    BUT in very hot weather for a short visit, like to a store, I prefer to leave the engine on and lock with manual key. It's good to come back to an ice cold car.
     
  15. GardenWeasel

    GardenWeasel Member

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    Does the remote AC button have to be held in the whole time, or is it an "on" button that needs to be pushed once? The word "hold" beside the button is confusing (not intuitive to me).
     
  16. anonymoususer

    anonymoususer New Member

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    Is the remote A/C on all models II-V?
     
  17. dbldbl

    dbldbl Junior Member

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    I thought the remote AC was rather silly. The Solar powered venting is useful. I would rather the Solar panels could charge the batteries too (or, say something connect to the USB, not that that would be a smart thing to leave in the car.)

    What bugs me - I thought the "AUTO" included full climate control to automatically choose heat or AC and level of fan support based upon the differential of the outside ambient air and internal set temperature. Very disappointed in how Toyota set this up. My 15 year old Volvo has better "AUTO" climate control that the Prius.
     
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  18. rudiger

    rudiger Active Member

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    This is actually what I use remote A/C for. Instead of leaving the engine running, I turn on the remote A/C after exiting and locking the vehicle to keep it cool for an extra three minutes.

    As to using remote A/C from a distance when approaching the vehicle, the limited range renders that feature virtually useless. As others have stated, by the time you're close enough to activate the A/C, you're also close enough to the vehicle that essentually nothing has happened by the time you open the door. Toyota definitely didn't do much in the way of researching the distance a human being can cover walking in three minutes, then making the remote A/C operate anywhere close to that distance.

    The automatic solar powered fan is a much more useful feature (that, unlike the remote A/C, keeps operating after the door is opened and until the vehicle is actually started).
     
  19. macman408

    macman408 Electron Guidance Counselor

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    Nope, it's bundled with the solar roof package.

    Do you mean specific to the remote AC? Because normally, if you press "auto" and set the temperature, it should either heat or cool, as appropriate. It has almost nothing to do with the outside ambient air, though; it depends on whether the interior is too cold or too hot. If it's too cold, you get heat. If it's too hot, you get AC (assuming it's enabled, otherwise you just get the vent). It's my understanding that the remote AC can't do heat though, since the engine isn't running (nor is it necessarily warm).
     
  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Press and hold for 1 sec to activate it and press twice to deactivate it (if, say you changed your mind about entering the car and needed to get something else from the shop/home/office).

    This can be configured (so you can have to turn on with one press or two presses)
     
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