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Winter startup

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Stringer, Dec 18, 2005.

  1. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    It has the head of a goat and the body of a platypus.
     
  2. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Ha!.. I almost said that too but wasn't sure... seems I remembered the reading is based on a certain moisure content in the skin which also retains heat and conducts differently against air than some other objects...
    If I remember right, I learned what I know from some medical book.

    In the link Evan left above it mentions "it is possible to drop below the air temperature by a few degrees.".....
    I would guess thats due to evaporative effects upon any substance with moisture to evaporate.

    So, I think it does affect all objects... just not according to the above definition readings of "wind chill".
    Moving Wind is merely a medium that pulls temp of an object down to its level "faster" (as if it was colder) than no wind at all.

    So do we have "wind flash" when its hotter out than our skin temperature and we are blown upon by desert winds?... I suppose the evaporative effects would offset that.
    sorry to confuse the issue.. :lol:

    good thing we aren't being picky here! :D
     
  3. Panther87

    Panther87 Junior Member

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    Actually, I think hot wind would be called wind burn. Of course I could be wrong.
     
  4. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Sorry Stringer, you're wrong again: All the 12-v battery does is boot the computer. A regular car puts a BIG drain on the battery to run the starter motor. But with the Prius, the current drawn from the 12-v battery to boot up the computer is negligible. Once the computer is booted, it's the 201-v battery that actually starts the engine. MUCH bigger than any other car has, plus it's using MG1 as a starter, MUCH bigger than the starter motor on a regular car.

    And as a poster above noted, you should NOT access the battery for jump starts. The jump-start terminals are up under the hood and easily accessible. Do not blame the Prius for the ignorance of the tow-truck driver.

    You clearly have a problem with your car, and Toyots needs to fix it under warranty. But your problem is NOT what you are supposing. Take it in and let the dealer fix it. And good luck to you!
     
  5. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    :lol: :lol: I think your right!..... I was asking my wife what a good word for the opposite of chill was!... she didn't help much... thanks...
     
  6. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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  7. iluvmacs

    iluvmacs Member

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    Please use the correct word choice: you wanted "effect," not "affect." Sorry, pet peeve :p .
     
  8. KMO

    KMO Senior Member

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    On the note of the fuse box cover, there's a spring-catch at the narrow point at the bottom. Unhook that, and it hinges up. Don't pull it from the top. (Bit late now, though...).
     
  9. Stringer

    Stringer New Member

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    No thermous here. And Webasto is a company which makes pre/addon-heaters that work with gasoline. Mayby you can get the idea from here: Webasto
     
  10. Stringer

    Stringer New Member

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    The fact that it doesn't run the motor, is the reason why I'm so sad it actually failed due poor battery. With a regular car, I would have expected that to happen if the battery ain't in good shape, but with a car that only needs power for electronics? It worked just fine before temperature decrased to the 14F level, and also works after it heats little bit while driving, so it isn't completely dead.

    This morning it failed again. Once I did get it up with little help from my neighbour's old Corolla, I did drive it directly to Toyota's service for them to fix it. When I called to my work to tell them I'm going to be late, I didn't mention a word about the reson. I'm sure they would have had good laugh. I was lucky enough to get another Prius from the rent, so there is a good chance that they probabaly never figure the reason.
     
  11. sailorkid

    sailorkid New Member

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    I commute from Salt Lake City to Park City, Utah daily..at this time of year it is normally below 0 degrees(f).. no problem starting Precious in EV when the temp rises to 10degrees.
    :)
     
  12. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I think "affect" is what I mean't.. http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn/webwn
     
  13. MNPrius

    MNPrius New Member

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    Stinger - sorry to hear you are having continued troubles - please let us know what Toyota has to say.

    As long as we are clarifying - I believe in his original post it was 14F not -14F.
     
  14. Stringer

    Stringer New Member

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    They said that the battery was basicly dead (something like 20% of the capacity remaining). They didn't know why it was like that, but they replaced it under warranty and the another Prius I drove today was free too. Time will tell if the problem is now really solved.
     
  15. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I agree with Iluvmacs: "Effect" is a noun: Cold has a bad effect on gas mileage. "Affect" is a verb: Cold affects gas mileage.

    There is also an obsolete usage from Shakespeare: "I thought the king had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall." Meaning: I thought the king liked the Duke of Albany more than the Duke of Cornwall. (From the opening of King Lear.)
     
  16. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Makes sense: There was nothing wrong with your car or the hybrid system. Just a bad 12-v battery. Unfortunate, but batteries do sometimes go bad. That really has nothing to do with the car itself, or any comparison between hybrid and conventional cars. No car can start with a dead battery. But the Prius does start instantaneously in temperatures so cold that any other car will struggle.

    The Webasto looks like a great invention, though, regardless of your car. Pre-heating the engine will improve gas mileage during Stage 1, and pre-heating the cab will keep fingers and toes cozy. Looks like you better not use it in a closed garage, though, since it burns gas.
     
  17. Stringer

    Stringer New Member

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    Yea, it is great. Especially if you don't have the garage. How very unfortunate that Toyota doesn't offer it for Prius. Even if someone could adapt it to the Prius, we must remeber that it actually uses 12V battery for certain things and smallest possible battery might not be very good partner with it. It also costs some money, I think reference price is more than $1500 for the device itself and another $400 for the remote control (which is a must of course).
     
  18. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Failure to completely close the rear hatch is an easy way to kill the 12V battery. The hatch light does not shut itself off.

    I always lock the car, even in the garage, because then if anything is left open or turned on, it warns with three beeps.
     
  19. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Ha!.. thats funny..
    This isnt' one of my pet peeves, I'm just peeved!

    To all the self appointed English Gestapo moderators!

    After a hard day of saving lives and stamping out crime, I'm not much in the mood for an english class. I never saw much use in learning how to speak like King Charles.

    I mean't it as a verb not a noun. As an action word. The cold did something.
    But it may be easier on you to just realize I"m a rebellious student and so go ahead and just give me an F on my english test and lets get on with talking.

    Fortunatly we are not in England, nor do we use the Kings English.
    And when I sit down to eat, I don't care if my fork is on the right or left side of my plate, you know why?.. because I don't live in France either!

    In America we are diverse from many parts of the world and languages.
    Even though we use English, we communicate differently in different parts of the States, Harlem, Alabama, Texas, Boston all use different lingo.

    And dats fo cown shukin show!!!

    Since this forum is not based in any one location, Its amazing how its hard to have grace for differences in each other and we want to conform everyone into our own comfort zone to make it easier on "us" to understand?

    Who has the limited intelligence? The one you can't change and is rigid unable to conform to the environment.. (Sounds like an old person), or the one who can adapt to his environment and understand many languages?
    I only learn what I deem important.... English class never got my attention.

    You don't actually think there are not different "dialects" of english do you?
    If so, take a look at this: http://www.ku.edu/~idea/dialectmap.htm
    And http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/1906/dialects.html

    Do you really want to make it to where the only people who feel comfortable talking out here on the forum without being scolded for the way they talk are the ones who use proper english?

    Are you guys a bunce of prudes or something?
    No wonder prius gets a bad reputation?

    Because even when you follow all the rules according to the English textbook, you will no longer be accurate to the lingo of the day....
    And lets not even get into conversation about grammar!

    And for the purist out there who freak out at the thought of the English language getting perverted to something else, your too late!... you need to remember where English came from in the first place... I'm pretty sure it wasn't used in the Garden of Eden.

    You cannot stop evolution.... so unless it confuses you too much and you can't grasp the meaning of my conversation, It only slows the flow of communication down to be correcting every one every other reply.

    Feel free to correct each other on facts and issues about the prius.. but not on thier english! Your not their mommy, nor thier teacher!.. unless they are using terminology that "affects" or "effects" the meaning of the word!

    If you need me to reword it for you I will, but I will not conform to Proper English in the pure sense, its a waste of my time to try and remember how to talk the way I was taught 40 years ago.

    I type the way I talk....and I'm willing to bet you don't talk the way you type either, nor does any one else in this country! If you do, pull the corn cob out of your shute and carry an umbrella so you don't drown!

    I realize proper english is supposed to be the common denominator that makes all us come together to the standby tradition. But unfortunately it has gotten out of hand and the schools to not teach it well enough.

    Proper English can split us apart more than draw us together!

    But if it makes you feel superior to correct someone on thier english, go right ahead, and someone else can correct you on your manners.
     
  20. MNPrius

    MNPrius New Member

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    Good news tht it was under warranty. Just out your time, which is not insignificant. Best of luck with the replacement! :p