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A/C while in Park ... is it OK?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by damack1, Jul 3, 2009.

  1. damack1

    damack1 Member

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    Newbie question here: I picked up my 2010 on Tuesday, and this is my first hybrid, so please bear with me.

    Today I took my mother out shopping. After making several stops at various stores, she told me she'd rather wait in the car with the A/C on while I ran in for one more errand. I was stumped. Was it okay to run the A/C while parked, or not? I finally decided not to risk it, and she came in with me.

    Probably silly, right? Would it have been okay?
     
    #1 damack1, Jul 3, 2009
  2. IraS

    IraS Member

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    Questions like this are far from silly. Don't be afraid to ask.

    I don't have my 2010 Prius yet, but, I believe the answer is the same as for my 2004 Prius. The air conditioner is electric, and runs from the hybrid battery. If the battery runs low, the gas engine will automatically start to recharge the battery. There is no problem running the A/C when the Prius is in Park.

    However, you should probably turn the A/C off when the Prius is in neutral (like when going through a car wash) since the gas engine will not start if the Prius is in neutral.

    Enjoy your new car.
     
    #2 IraS, Jul 3, 2009
  3. mdeguzman0916

    mdeguzman0916 New Member

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    I have been wondering about that for so long. I have a 2005 and i literally have my ac on everyday. i go through drive throughs a lot specially starbucks drive through and i leave my ac on while im on the drive through and when that batt starts to drain, the engine starts to kick in to charge it. so i dont think its very bad. although it drains out your gas tank because of the engine running and it is bad for the environment to have your ac all the time. but what do i know, im a noob as well......hahahaha
     
    #3 mdeguzman0916, Jul 3, 2009
  4. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    We do drive in movies which can be a 3-5 hour affair sitting in a parked car. We sit in the car w/ AC running and sound system on for the movie sound. Can't run audio in accessory mode only - the 12V aux battery just isn't big enough, so we keep the car running in "READY" mode. For 6-7+ months out of the year, it's too warm in AZ to not run the AC anyway. During the movie, the engine will cycle every 5-20 minutes (depending how hot outside vs. AC setting) to charge the HV battery somewhat. We keep the air set to fresh to prevent any exhaust fumes (what little there may be w/ the Prius) from entering the cabin.
     
    #4 HTMLSpinnr, Jul 3, 2009
  5. damack1

    damack1 Member

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    Thanks, all. I appreciate the information.
     
    #5 damack1, Jul 3, 2009
  6. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    BINGO! I take Priapus to car shows with other Prii. Some of the guys have their cars "ON" the entire time. Their A/C is running, they are jamming the stereos and all that. From time to time, the ICE kicks in but for the most part, it just sits there.

    There is a danger with this, though. If the car is "ON" please be very careful under the hood. It should go without warning, but since the ICE can engage without warning, you should keep your precious fingers away.
     
    #6 TonyPSchaefer, Jul 3, 2009
  7. paulemus

    paulemus New Member

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    With no belts on the 2010 engine, your fingers may not be a problem. But here's a little trick if you want to leave your dog in the car while shopping: Leave power on, air conditioning running mostly on battery. Turn off lights and set parking brake. Roll down driver's window. Get out and reach in and lock all doors. Activate window up while quickly removing arm. The car is locked. You get in with hard key slipped out of key fob. You can leave a note. But a cop told me they don't break in unless the dog looks distressed. And my dog looks quite comfortable!
     
    #7 paulemus, Jan 15, 2010
  8. DeadPhish

    DeadPhish Senior Member

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    It's even easier ....

    101 deg outside, 75 deg in your Prius. You want to go shopping for an hour or two but can't take your puppy inside.

    Put the Prius in PARK, lock the doors except the driver's ( it won't lock if it's open while the engine is running ) and exit the car.
    Close the door and lock the driver's side with the AUX key.
    Leave a sign in the window, 'Puppy is safe'
    Have fun shopping.

    The electric AC runs for 3-5 min keeping the temp at 75 deg but it draws down the battery, then the ICE turns on for 30 sec's in order to give the battery a boost, then the ICE turns off for 3-5 min, then it turns on for 30 sec, then it turns off for 3-5 min, etc etc etc etc.
     
    #8 DeadPhish, Jan 15, 2010
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