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Going to the drive-in

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Chuck A, Jul 12, 2017.

  1. Chuck A

    Chuck A New Member

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    My wife and I were about 15 minutes into a movie at the drive-in (after setting for about 45 min before movie started) when our 2017 Prius 3 said it was shutting the power off to conserve the battery? What could we have done to avoid this? Is not going to drive-in movies something we have to accept as proud owners of a Prius?
     
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  2. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    What was it shutting power to? If the car is still powered up, it shouldn't want to shut down.
     
  3. 'LectroFuel

    'LectroFuel Senior Member

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    Make sure your car was not in accessory mode or just with the ignition on. The car needs to be powered on running off the HV battery. In other words, press the brake and then the power button to start the car. Leave it like this while at the drive in. When the car is only with the ignition on or in accessory mode, the car is running on power off the 12V battery. The car was just trying to keep you from getting a dead 12V battery.
     
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  4. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

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    Leave the car with the ignition on, on Park.
    That will avoid using the small 12V battery and allow the car to use the much bigger High Voltage one.
    On a normal car, BTW you would have probably ended with a dead battery if you left it like this time with the Prius in accessory mode only... ;)
     
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  5. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    They likely had the car in Accessory mode possibly with air conditioning running. The 12 volt battery does not charge in that mode. They should have left the car in Ready mode in Park.

    It was shutting down to save enough charge in the 12 volt battery to reach Ready mode and get recharged. It saved itself from full discharge.
     
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  6. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    That's what I thought - though you can't run the A/C in Accessory mode on models here.
     
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  7. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Perhaps other battery draining accessories.
     
  8. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Possibly the entertainment system - I think I read that you now pick up the movie audio via FM Radio these days, though I don't know how it works - do they still have these, but use BlueTeeth or WiFi instead?

    upload_2017-7-12_19-20-1.png
     
    #8 alanclarkeau, Jul 12, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2017
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  9. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    True in U.S. also, AC will only work in READY mode, although you can run the fan in ON mode.

    I suspect that the OP was in ON mode, which even without the fan running will deplete the 12V much faster than ACCESSORY mode.

    ACCESSORY - you can run the radio.
    ON - you can also run the fan and windows
    READY - you can also run AC (and drive the car if you want).

    When not pressing the brake pedal the power switch sequence is OFF -> ACC -> ON -> OFF

    Pressing the brake pedal while pressing the power switch in any mode takes it directly to READY

    Ready.jpg

    If you are just sitting still in READY mode for any length of time, as the traction battery depletes ICE will come on every once in a while to recharge it. Having AC running while you are sitting still will increase the frequence of ICE coming on.
     
    #9 Since2002, Jul 12, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2017
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome to priuschat! leave her in 'ready', and enjoy the movie. btw, you're lucky they added that message. in the olden days, you would have been stuck with a dead battery.
    you may want to read up on auto car washes as well. all the best!(y)
     
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  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm lost: couldn't you just turn the car off, or is that old school?
     
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  12. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    From Wikipedia:

    "Originally, a (drive-in) movie's sound was provided by speakers on the screen and later by an individual speaker hung from the window of each car, which would be attached by a wire. This system was superseded by the more economical and less damage-prone method of broadcasting the soundtrack at a low output power on AM or FM radio to be picked up by a car radio. This method also allows the soundtrack to be picked up in stereo by the audience on an often high-fidelity stereo installed in the car instead of through a simple speaker."

    I suppose you could also use a portable battery powered radio, but likely that won't sound as good listening to the movie through your car stereo
     
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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I wasn't aware of that. Interesting.
     
  14. CoastRider

    CoastRider Active Member

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    All those years.... Me and my girlfriend sat in a drive-in movie, and had the sound come through the car speakers. (That was like modern technology in 1974!) You had to tune your FM radio to a certain number. Which meant leaving the ignition switch in "Accessory." Which meant running down the battery. Which meant after the movie, you were sure to see at least 2 or 3 cars with their hoods up... dead. :)

    (I thought all the drive-ins were long gone! Is the OP dreaming or something??)
     
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Last time I went to a drive in it was the speaker on a post; wasn't aware of the more recent "progress". Maybe that's partially what killed drive-ins? Who knows.

    They should provide trickle chargers? Don't think that would fly though: too complex.
     
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  16. CoastRider

    CoastRider Active Member

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    Yes, after the speaker-on-a-post days, they just had a wire dangling from that post. If I remember right, you had to clip it onto your vehicle antenna. Then the sound comes through the car speakers. All I had back then was a 1970 VW Bug, but the sound worked pretty well. It must've been an AM radio channel that you tuned in, as my Bug didn't have any FM.

    Man, that was a LONG TIME ago. I enjoyed it. A much simpler time of life.
     
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  17. Chuck A

    Chuck A New Member

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    @
    @alanclarkeau We had it on accessory, should we have had it on full power-up?
     
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  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yes, foot on brake, press power button once. this is 'ready' mode. best to apply your emergency brake.
    your hybrid battery will keep the 12v charged, and the engine will run once in awhile to keep the hybrid battery to a minimum state of charge.
    you can then run your radio, havoc, whatever you want.
     
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  19. Chuck A

    Chuck A New Member

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    Just read all the other helpful comments. I definitely feel educated now, thank so much to all of you. We saw the first 15 minutes of Spiderman before we decided we should leave to avoid a dead battery, now we need to go back and watch the rest of the movie!
     
  20. CoastRider

    CoastRider Active Member

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    In other words Chuck, when you pull into the drive-in and park... just leave it running. :)

    When you stop, don't touch the Power Button. Just depress your foot Parking Brake, and then press the "P" (Park) button and that's it. No need to press the Power button or do anything else. The light on the dashboard will still say "Ready" but ignore it. I've taken a 2-hour nap in my car like that, with the AC on. The gas engine kicks in every so often and vibrates the car. It kind of startled me the first time, but other than that it's fine.

    I never thought I could ever take a nice nap in an air conditioned car, and only use a spoonful of gas! :)

    (Edit: Sorry, I see above that everybody has already answered this.)
     
    #20 CoastRider, Jul 12, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2017
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