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2010 Prius Solar roof questions.....

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by sluday, Apr 24, 2009.

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  1. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    We've tried this on our 2002 Prius. The solar tinting embedded in the glass makes the solar panel all but ineffective. The device spins wonderfully in sunlight, but when placed in the window, all but ceases to operate.

    You also lose the benefit of upward orientation, so (assuming it did work) any solar gain it "removes" for one part of the day would be moot for the other half.
     
    #21 HTMLSpinnr, Apr 25, 2009
  2. ronhowell

    ronhowell Active Member

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    So if I wish to add a comment to a parallel thread, I have to type it out again rather than copying it?

    Could you please direct to me to the thread on forum etiquette where you admonition is highlighted?
     
    #22 ronhowell, Apr 25, 2009
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Comments are fine. Multiple postings are considered bad form. The problem gets bad when people shotgun a posting onto many threads just to make sure someone sees it. When one person does it, it's not a big deal. When many people do it, the forum becomes unusable.

    Tom
     
    #23 qbee42, Apr 25, 2009
  4. ronhowell

    ronhowell Active Member

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    Thanks Tom. Sensible comment as usual. I think this terminates the item.
     
    #24 ronhowell, Apr 25, 2009
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well usually people are even lazier and just copy the link to the post they just made lol. We call that cross-posting.

    As I've said, it's usually an unwritten rule. I haven't seen it on any of the forums I frequent but I have noted moderators on other forums chatising the use of cross-posting or posting the same post in multiple threads.

    Tom explains it well.


    Edit: Oops. Didn't see your reply. Sorry!
     
    #25 Tideland Prius, Apr 25, 2009
  6. shawnb2

    shawnb2 Active Member

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    So tell me, does having the solar package the only way to get the remote A/C? I am starting to talk my way out of the solar for the tech package, but this may be the deal breaker. Any info would be greatly appreciated
     
    #26 shawnb2, Apr 25, 2009
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yes. Remote A/C only comes with the Solar Panel Ventilation System which is part of the Moonroof Package.
     
    #27 Tideland Prius, Apr 25, 2009
  8. Lottamoxie

    Lottamoxie Member

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    yes, it's the only way (from Toyota).
     
    #28 Lottamoxie, Apr 25, 2009
  9. sluday

    sluday New Member

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    Where does the outside air come in from when vented inside the car? Does this system blow out the hot air the same way it came in? Could Toyota have used the same technology to heat the car up a s well?
     
    #29 sluday, May 1, 2009
  10. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    The standard vent fan is used, though solar equipped cars do have a more durable blower motor as it will be in operation much longer over the car's life vs. non-solar equipped cars. Solar car's blower motors are DC Brushless motors w/ heavy duty ball bearings.

    Air is exhausted through vents in the trunk that already exist for regular HVAC operation (fresh air has to go out somewhere).

    [​IMG]

    I'm not sure where you'd get the "heat" to heat the car. The feature will only operate if the outside ambient temp is > 68°F to prevent cooling a car on a cold day (sometimes solar gain is a good thing). There's also a defeat switch should you not want the system to operate on dusty days, etc.
     

    Attached Files:

    #30 HTMLSpinnr, May 1, 2009
    3 people like this.
  11. sluday

    sluday New Member

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    Sweet diagram, thanks. When I meant to heat the car, I think it would be awesome if you could turn the heater on with the key fob from you house or office. Maybe the 2011 with have this ???
     
    #31 sluday, May 1, 2009
  12. eglmainz

    eglmainz New Member

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    The only way to get the “Heat†to heat the car currently is from the engine heat, generated by the burning of fuel. The only other way to get heat into the cabin sooner would be to get the little “Orange Glow Wires†like you see in a hair dryer or electric heaters, but the amount of electricity used to generate that heat would pull a lot from the batteries, and would not be very fuel efficient at all.

    The next best thing is the electric seat heaters, which are included in the leather seating packages.
     
    #32 eglmainz, May 1, 2009
  13. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    There is a remote start function which would accomplish this. This is a separate feature from the Remote A/C feature and probably mutually exclusive.
     
    #33 HTMLSpinnr, May 1, 2009
  14. sluday

    sluday New Member

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    I was told that push button start cars could not be equipped with remote starters because the key needs to be in the car.
     
    #34 sluday, May 1, 2009
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    That doesn't make any sense. With a standard key ignition, the key isn't in the car anyway. Both need the key to start the car (with the SKS being on the person somewhere instead of in the ignition). I'm sure behind the push button and key ignition hole, the wires are identical.
     
    #35 Tideland Prius, May 1, 2009
  16. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Doug Coleman announced remote start as an available option for the 2010 during the Earth Day chat. Surely they get around the need for the keys, and I'm sure the car MUST be locked for it to function.
     
    #36 HTMLSpinnr, May 1, 2009
  17. Mpress

    Mpress Junior Member

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    Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the A/C compressor isn't actually turned on? Just the fans? The solar roof is a nice feature but, isn't it kind of over the top? With my old accord, if you held down the unlock button on the remote all of the windows would go down, which would probably be more effective than the fan.

    I could see a few situations where the solar roof would be a better option though, like if you have valuables in the car or if it was hot out then started raining.

    It would definitely be worth the money however if the A/C compressor actually turned on to really cool down the interior.
     
    #37 Mpress, May 2, 2009
  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The Solar Panel Ventilation System only powers the fan but the Remote Air Conditioning System activates the A/C compressor.

    The benefit is that your interior is cooled to ambient temperature throughout the period it's parked and not aired just at at the time you unlock the car. This means, instead of rolling down the windows in your Accord to air out the car, you're pressing the A/C button on the Prius' fob to turn on the A/C. This pre-cools the cabin, allowing a more comfortable ride and quicker cool-down of the interior.
     
    #38 Tideland Prius, May 2, 2009
  19. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    There are two separate features that come with the sunroof. The first uses solar power to run fans to ventilate the interior and keep it from rising much above outside temp.

    The second is a remote button on your key fob that turns on the air conditioning system. It is intended to be used as you approach the car so you must be close to the prius and it will run for a max of 3 minutes. Although bundled with the solar roof, it runs off the internal battery, not the solar panels.

    Roy
     
    #39 royrose, May 2, 2009
  20. Mpress

    Mpress Junior Member

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    I understand now, thanks for the replies. I was under the impression that the fan only runs when the a/c button is pressed.
     
    #40 Mpress, May 2, 2009
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