I just bought a 2010 Model IV (btw it is blue ... GO BLUE!!!) After 2 days my wife noticed that the Security Indicator Light (pg 108 in owners manual) was blinking after she exited the car ... now, this may have happened all along, but I never noticed it. I called my local service department manager and explained the situation. He said that this light always blinks after the engine is off. He said that it shows that the security feature is armed. I asked him if this would put a drain on the battery. He said - "Don't worry. It is on another circuit". Another from what?? Can anyone confirm his explanation ... or give another one? Thanks
Yes the light will blink after you leave your car. My 2010 Prius as well as my 2005 Tacoma do the exact same thing, nothing to worry about.
I award extra BS style points for his explanation - this guy is a professional, after all. I will give a different explanation - the power to flash the light indeed comes from the 12v battery - if left long enough without the possibility of recharging the 12v battery it would eventually discharge the battery - however the current is very low and shouldn't run down a battery in good condition for a long time (on the order of months). You should put the car in "Ready" for 30 min every couple of weeks to allow the HV and 12v batteries to recharge if you aren't using the car regularly, otherwise don't worry about it.
All lights in the Prius dash are LED - I wouldn't worry about the amount of power unless it were weeks on end w/o driving it.
