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Bad Timing at the Car Wash...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by JThayer, Sep 4, 2010.

  1. JThayer

    JThayer Cubic Zirconium Member

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    So here's the background: I was in the line at the car wash awaiting my turn. Somebody ahead of me, in a flash of true genius, entered the carwash with their window open. I'm not sure what happened next, but the end result was that the car wash stopped and they had to back up the entire line of cars to extract the problem car. Then they restarted the car wash and all proceeded normally.

    Just before it was my turn to go through, the ICE kicked on, and I realized that all the previous maneuvering had dropped the traction battery down to two bars. Perfectly bad timing because that particular instant is also when I needed to put the car into Neutral for the car wash! :eek:

    I turned off the air conditioner to reduce the load on the battery. Even so, though, as I reached the other end of the car wash, the battery indicator was down to one bar, the Caution triangle lit up, and the HSI screen has the urgent message to switch to Park so that the ICE can charge the battery.

    I shifted to Drive as soon as the car wash released me, moved out of the way of following cars, and then parked long enough to get the traction battery charged up to four bars.

    Question 1: Given that I was able to shift out of Neutral within a few seconds of the warning light coming on, I am hoping that I was still within the realm of the engineering margins and that I did not cause harm to the traction battery. Can anyone confirm this? Or did I, in fact, harm the battery?

    Question 2: Assuming that I had been sufficiently aware of this possibility before entering the car wash, is there any way that I could have forced the ICE to turn on (and thereby start charging the battery) earlier than the normal charging point? (Keeping in mind that I am in a line of cars and can't turn on the ICE by accelerating to a higher speed...)
     
    #1 JThayer, Sep 4, 2010
  2. Erikon

    Erikon Active Member

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    Battery is fine. The one bar doesn't really mean it's that low, so sitting in a car wash for a few minutes won't hurt anything!
     
    #2 Erikon, Sep 4, 2010
  3. PriusRoadWarrior

    PriusRoadWarrior retired

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    Good post. I am also awaiting answers
     
    #3 PriusRoadWarrior, Sep 4, 2010
  4. Ophbalance

    Ophbalance Member

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    I don't believe this has changed across the GenII-GenIII models, but the procedure for the GenII is to put the left foot on the brake, and step into the throttle with the right. I've seen it referenced as "forced charging". There's been a few times in stop and go that I've done this driving on I40 and it works fine on my GenII.
     
    #4 Ophbalance, Sep 4, 2010
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  5. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I seem to remember before the release of The Generation III, some of the automotive press at a get to know the Gen 3 Prius event, admitting to using that technique before a Hybrid Mileage competition to try and gain an advantage. So I'm pretty sure it works in a Gen 3.

    But does it work if you are in neutral? Or do you have to be pressing on the brake but also in drive? Because the key in an automatic carwash is that you must be in neutral. I think most carwash's would severely frown upon a vehicle being in drive, with the driver pressing on the brake, while depressing the accelerator. Even if it "worked"....visions of "Ooops, my foot slipped off the Brake" would be horrific.
     
    #5 The Electric Me, Sep 4, 2010
  6. Ophbalance

    Ophbalance Member

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    I do not know, however, part of the question from the OP was "could I have done anything before entering the wash", and you'd typically be in drive before entering. I'm not really feeling like wasting the gas getting out of warm up at the moment to test it out, but I'm sure someone can chime in ;).
     
    #6 Ophbalance, Sep 4, 2010
  7. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Your right. The OP did say "before" entering the carwash. But the OP also said, they were in a line of cars...I still don't know if I like the idea of being in a tight packed line of non/slow-moving cars, with one foot on the accelerator and one foot on the brake. Sounds like the perfect scenario for an "Accidental Acceleration" story.
     
    #7 The Electric Me, Sep 4, 2010
  8. MattL

    MattL Junior Member

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    I can have my car washed and dried at home faster than it takes to drive to the car wash and wait in line. No dealing with any car wash idiots ;-) I don't have to deal with buffing out scratches caused by the automatic car wash either.

    Try Optimum No Rinse. Awesome stuff. You don't even have to break out the hose. Two buckets and 15 minutes. Done!
     
    #8 MattL, Sep 4, 2010
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  9. JThayer

    JThayer Cubic Zirconium Member

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    Hmmm...seems like that should work. With a foot on the brake, MG2 can't go anywhere so all the output of the ICE would go into MG1 and charge the battery.

    I'll give it a try sometime when it is convenient. You never know when that might be a good thing to have in one's bag of tricks.
     
    #9 JThayer, Sep 5, 2010
  10. chiguy

    chiguy New Member

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    I think you can put it into park and step on the accelerator. I've done it a few times accidentally when I didn't hold the gear shift in D/R long enough to get out of park. I've noticed the ICE engages when I've done that.
     
    #10 chiguy, Sep 5, 2010
  11. adamace1

    adamace1 Senior Member

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    Yea when your waiting to go into the car wash, you can put the car in park, then floor the gas pedal, the ICE will do a force charge. Do not do this in drive by holding down the brake and gas at the same time.
     
    #11 adamace1, Sep 5, 2010
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