Prius Too Complicated For The NY Times?

Actually, the first time I left the car parked with the air conditioning ON was in Grants Pass, Oregon. I wanted to stop at a restaurant, but my dog was with me, and he wasn't welcome in the restaurant. There was no shade available, and it was too hot to leave the dog in the car, even with the windows open. Except if I could leave the air conditioning ON.

The problem is that the Prius smart locking system won't let you lock the doors with the car in Ready mode (normal driving condition). But it will let you use the mechanical key to lock the doors.

The way I leave the air conditioning (or heater) ON, is to set the brake, push the Park button, and set the MFD to Screen Off. The car complains (3 beeps) when I get out with it still in Ready mode, and I lock the door with a mechanical key. Once I neglected to press Park, and the beeper just went into solid beep mode. I think there was also a message on the MFD. Anyway, once I figured out what it was so excited about I pressed Park and it settled back to the 3 beep objection.

Since leaving a pet in a closed up car on a hot day can be dangerous for the pet, people tend to freak out seeing that. So I put a note on the windshield saying "Air Conditioning is ON, Dog OK". I really don't want someone breaking a window to save my dog from the heat when it's really quite comfortable inside. Even better would be a large thermometer displaying the inside temperature.

I calculated the cost at less than a penny a minute for leaving the air conditioning running. This was a while back with the temperature running about 90. Higher temps would obviously be more, but it's certainly within my comfort range.

The engine stays off for about 5 minutes, then cycles on for about 2 minutes. The air conditioning on the Prius is electric, so it operates even when the engine is stopped. And for the "Don't idle your car" proponents, the Prius never "idles". If the engine is running, then it needs to be running. It turns off whenever it doesn't need to run.

 

I tried to use an inverter to run parts of my house (specifically fish tank) off my Prius when PG&E sent a notice about a known power outage to do work. Although I found out the hardware that those cheap inverters you get at target (regardless of the capacity) don't do squat and blew out very easily.. who knew a pump couldn't run off a modified sine wave!

 

I can only assume "the button" you're referring to is the Power button.
But, it has nothing to do with getting out of Park. If you put the car in Park, just step on the brake pedal and put in back into Drive, when you're ready to go. Power button had nothing to do with it, in your example.

 

By G. PASCAL ZACHARY
I learned the need for Prius-style adaptation early this month, when I rented a Prius from Budget Rent A Car in Seattle. Much to my embarrassment, I couldn’t get it to go forward. Once I got going and arrived at my destination, I couldn’t figure out how to put it in reverse.

Geeze, let me see.

How to start and drive a "regular" car
Put your foot on the brake, turn the ignition.
Put your foot on the brake, put it into gear, move the gear shifter down to "D"
Put your foot on the brake, move the shifter to the "R" position, up from drive.

How to start and drive a Prius
Put your foot on the brake, push the ON button
Put your foot on the brake, put it into gear, move the gear shifter down to "D"
Put your foot on teh brake, move the shifter to the "R" position, up from drive.

I don't see the problem. Maybe new tech makes people forget to do what has come naturally all these years. Just because it's new doesn't mean to use it differently.

 

Brake+Power is fine. But there are two other modes you can get lost in.

If you don't press the brake, then pressing Power gets you to Accessory mode. Outside of fiddling with it to see what it does, I don't think I've ever had any use for it. I guess it conserves battery power when all you want to do is to operate the radio. I'd rather not even have to think about it. Ready mode is fine for operating the radio.

If you don't press the brake, then pressing Power twice gets you to Ignition mode. It is sort of like turning the ignition to ON in a conventional car. The dash lights up, the radio works, you can do things like adjust the windows and mirrors. The climate control is partially ON (the fan runs, but it won't heat/cool). I'd prefer that Ignition mode just didn't exist. It makes sense as history, but it's just a source of confusion on a Prius.

The only useful mode is Ready. It is equivalent to having started a conventional car. You can select a gear, and the car moves when you press on the accelerator pedal. The engine doesn't necessarily start, but it will when needed.

There is actually another mode. If you select Neutral gear while in Ready mode, then the engine will not start. If you get out of the car, it gets most upset. The outside beeper goes to solid ON, and the MFD shows a message that the engine will not start, and thus the battery will not be recharged. I actually use this mode when pumping gas. The engine is guaranteed OFF, but everything will immediately go back to operating mode by selecting another gear. Now if that beeper would just shut up. Actually, the mode I'd like is Park with the engine disabled.

One mode that doesn't exist is Neutral with the power OFF. The problem is commonly encountered at the car wash. You're stuck with using Ready mode.

Once the car is in Park, you have to be in Ready to get out of it. If there is an electrical fault, tough luck. The car must be put on rollers or skidded to be moved. There really needs to be a mechanical way of getting out of Park. I'm sure the tow truck people would find it useful.

 

I haven't tried it yet, but I thought you could also get to Neutral when the car is in Ignition mode. Can anyone here confirm this?

Obviously not useful if there is an electrical fault, but if there is an engine problem, or the car won't go to Ready mode for some reason, it allows the car to still be moved.

 

You're right. I forgot to press the brake...

 

This would be more of an issue if it wasn't a Toyota.

I think you can unbolt a gear selector motor and rotate it to get it out of park but it isn't all that easy.

 

Prominent publication???

You're actually quoting Consumer Affairs here? You are aware that Consumer Affairs is in absolutely no way related to Consumer Reports, right? These guys have been spreading false information about the Prius for quite a while now.

If "None of the computer-savvy staff members" recognized the power button for what it was and they weren't aware that in most modern cars your foot needs to be on the brake to start it, that explains a lot about the quality and intelligence level of their staff. I mean, I can understand if it took them a minute to figure it out, or if they made a few mistakes when they first tried. I can even understand if a few of them were incapable of starting it on their own without the manual or help. But "ALL" of their "computer-savvy" staff? Really??

 

Sorry about that, I missed the sarcasm/humor. Must be an off day for me.

 

We should just be glad he didn't try to drive off with the driver's door not closed all the way. With all the blinking red lights and alarms going off he would have jumped out and run away yelling "LOOK OUT, IT'S GONNA BLOW!

 

Wow. I had skipped the NY Times article and this thread when they first came out. It was so surprising to me that the author is a journalism professor at Stanford who writes about technology and economic development. Most surprising was his not knowing about the need to step on the brake when pressing the Power button. As people have noted already, having to step on the brake when turning on the ignition has been common since at least the early nineties. It's because of electronic fuel injection.

 

I am disturbed too but I'm confused about your last point. Of ALL the cars I've ever rented, driven or owned which were model year 1990 or newer which didn't have keyless start, NONE have EVER required me to step on the brake to start the car. I'm confused about how this is "common".

The oldest fuel injected car I've had was an 86 Olds Cutlass Ciera, it also never required one to step on the brakes to start it.

Maybe you and the other folks are confusing this w/holding down the clutch to start manual transmission cars or pressing the brake to shift out of park?

 

I had a 1992 Mazda 626 which requires the brake pedal be held down to start the engine and to get the transmission out of park.

It isn't in every car but it isn't unheard of. It also makes sense.

 

Several have mentioned this in the, "what would you like to change" thread, as well as yours truley. For some weird reason, you mention that desire, and it gets some prius owners pissy, as though such a request is absurd. I'm still trying to figure that mind set out. Anyway, such a build IS possible, as our Lexus SUV hybrid CAN be put in neutral w/o starting the ICE.

 

As Danny pointed out, you can shift to Neutral while in Ignition mode.

I'd still like a way to get out of Park with a dead battery or other malfunction.

 

Hi Cwerdna,

When electronic fuel injection (not keyless start) first came out, I both read and was told that you never press the gas pedel, but instead have to press the brakes, while turning the ignition on. And because every new car with electronic fuel injection that I or my family have owned has expressly (in the owner's manual) required you to press the brakes while turning the ignition, I had assumed that what I had heard about electronic fuel injection was true. But as you and Pat have pointed out, not all cars with electronic fuel injection require you to step on the brakes when turning the ignition. Some do, some don't. So I stand corrected.