In a non hybrid car I would not leave the engine on all night while I sleep. I have already left the ac on while I take a 30 minute knapp and I have not noticed any problems. My prius is big enough that I can sleep in the back. I require a cpap machine becuase I have sleep apnea. The machine requires less that 80 watts. I have 12V DC to 120V AC adapter and have sleep in the passsanger seat using my cpap machine while my girlfriend drives. I need to sleep in the back with the car on. I will be using my cpap machine and will have the Air Conditioner at about 75. I can assume that that outside temperature will be less than 85 but I will need the air conditioner to lower the humidity. I also hope to sleep with the heat on when the weather is cold. QUESTION Will leaving the on while I sleep void my warranty? Will having the car on while I sleep cause me to have major repairs. If keeping the car on is a reasonable option is there temperature differentials I should avoid. For example it might be ok to use the heat when the overnight low is 45 but a bad idea when the low is 10 below zero. Lets suppose that the lifespan of my prius is 200,000 miles. If sleeping with the car for 6 hours will lower that by 100 miles then the cost of sleeping in the car is between $10 and $15, far cheaper than a motel. But is 100 miles a reasonable estimate?
sleeping in your car will not void warranties...just make sure car is in the ready mode while you sleep , not acc mode...we have had ac on while parked ...the engine will ultimately kick in once the HV battery gets down to the pink bars (40%) and recharge a bar or two on the SOC, then it will repeat itself as long as there is gas...this process will continue until you start moving or the gas runs out...
I have also heard from other Prius campers, it takes approximately 1 US gallon of gas every 10 hours or so to keep it on with minimal power drain. So I would make sure you have a few pips left so you dont get stranded. It will not void your warranty. And there is no adverse effect for it either.
I would suggest setting the parking brake when doing this to lessen or avoid the small movement of the car when the engine starts. I suspect this is easy work for the engine as you're not moving 3000 pounds with the engine but simply charging the battery or creating heat, depending on what the climate control system needs. I've done this while waiting in the car for my daughter while she is in dance class in the winter and I am in the car doing work on my laptop.
I wouldn't worry about cold weather either. I've left the car on for 3-4 hours in -20 C temps (just below 0 F) with no ill effects, other than mileage on that tank. DO ensure your fuel tank is full before you park. DO ensure your exhaust pipe is not buried in snow or other things that might block it. ALWAYS use the parking brake and ALWAYS leave the car in "Ready" and "P" when doing this. Be aware of wind direction. If it blows the exhaust back into an open window or the A/C intake (front of car) it -might- increase the CO in the car. NEVER leave the car in "Ready" in a closed garage or parking lot! Outdoors only!
It would be highly unlikely. Even with wind blowing it into the cabin, there is almost no chance of it becoming so concentrated over such a short period of time.
I have read about people who shut their self in their garage with their car running in an attempt o commit suicide. They usually wake up the next morning with a mild headache. CO levels in modern car exhaust can be lower than the CO levels in the air with congested downtown traffic 40 years ago.
Exactly what I thought when I read the OP. I think paying for a hotel is well worth it, like ohhhhh taking a shower, sleeping in a bed, and not being killed!
I've had a 2010 series 5 since Aug 2009 (now with almost 32000 miles on it) and have done both - AC & heater running at night in the summer and winter while traveling. Is sure is nice to be able to use that advanced features of the Prius to keep warm while resting in a roadside park when the temp is 20-25 deg or while resting with a outside temp of 80 deg with the humidity of 70-80. :car: In doing this the car uses minimal gas. I stopped in lower Indiana on Labor day week-end and took about a 1 hour cat nap - my scan gauge indicated that I had used 0.2 of a gallon of gas during this time to keep the battery voltage up to its needed level. Well worth it . I also kept the drivers window open about 1/2 inch to eliminate any chances.
You should adapt a truck battery in your car. May be possible depending on the model of the your car engine. This way, you can turn off the engine overnight. Let me know your opinion. This help me because I'm thinking of sleeping in an adapted car.
I agree. You would be able to extend the non-run time on the engine by two or three times, perhaps, but there is no way that a normal truck or deep cycle battery will provide enough power for AC over night.
It's worse than that, it won't provide power for the AC for 1 second because the AC doesn't run off the 12 volt system,
It should have no effect on on the warranty, besides that the only way anyone would know is if you tell them. It should not have any adverse effect on the car. Just make sure it doesn't run out of gas because that can cause problems.
