AC quits when parked with motor running

Did you have it fully on, that is, could you have flipped it into drive and driven off? If yes, then I can't help - mine keeps cycling the gasoline engine as needed to keep the batteries happy. I've sat (twice now) in 100+ degree weather for more than a half hour waiting for my ex-wife to get to bring our daughter to our meeting place at the end of her weekend, and it's kept me nice and cool with no problems.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Roger3125 @ Sep 6 2006, 11:16 AM) [snapback]314924[/snapback]</div>

Which motor are you talking about?
Are you in READY mode or IG-ON mode?
Where was the shift position? (P, N, D, B, which one?)

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Sep 5 2006, 08:38 PM) [snapback]314978[/snapback]</div>

Set the system and it will do what is necessary. If it is too hot, and it may be sitting in the parking lot stopped, decrese the temp request the car will take care of the rest. It will turn the ICE on or off as needed and run the AC as needed. All of this cooling will cost you but you will be good.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Roger3125 @ Sep 5 2006, 09:16 PM) [snapback]314924[/snapback]</div>

Hi Roger, your explanation appears to be a bit vague and that may explain why the replies haven't been as clear as you might like. Let me tell you how my 06 prius works. When waiting - put the car in park and leave everything alone. Period. As the batt. discharges the ice will start up to recharge as necessary and then stop. That will continue to repeat itself over and over as long as your just sitting there. The air cond. will continue to work just fine in either the recir. mode or outside air mode. If your car is not reacting in this manor - take it to a dealer. Toyota made this thing for the weakest link - so let their expertise work for you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Roger3125 @ Sep 5 2006, 09:16 PM) [snapback]314924[/snapback]</div>

sounds like you weren't in READY mode. the engine will automatically kick in when SOC goes down to 2 bars. likewise, when not in READY mode the A/C won't work, the fan will, but it won't cool.

 

did you have it on auto with a temp above 75? maybe the a/c was on auto and started blowing at max, then when it got near the temp set on the mfd it started turning itself down.

 

I also recently found that the A/C will cause the ICE to automatically start, recharge the HV battery and continue to cycle through charging the battery. Ran it this way for about 1/2 hour. Seeing the purple bars does make me nervous but it cycled this way without problem.

I also noticed that if you press the accelerator while it is in ready mode and Park but the ICE is not running that the ICE will start and accelerate but does not appear to charge the battery in this mode. Can anyone explain why the engine starts when pressing the accelerator in Park but does not Charge the HV battery.

What makes this different from the computer telling the ICE to start and charge the battery?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eak354 @ Sep 6 2006, 04:48 AM) [snapback]315068[/snapback]</div>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WAIT A MOMENT!...
Are you saying that, "...the A/C won't work, the fan will, but it won't cool." I thought the A/C was operated by an electric motor - - which means that it is NOT dependent on the ICE!

Think about this way. Get the battery well charged (like after descending a long hill). Shut down the car. Go back a few hours later (or the next day), get the car in the "Ready" mode, & leave it in "Park". Operate the A/C. I contend that you will get cold air in a moment or two, & the ICE will have not started!

Correct me, if I'm wrong -

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Roger3125 @ Sep 5 2006, 09:16 PM) [snapback]314924[/snapback]</div>

Were you in PARK? The A/C is electric and draws power from the batteries. If you you selected NEUTRAL instead of PARK, the ICE will not charge the batteries and I would assume the A/C will shut down wheh the batteries "turn purple". The fan will probably keep running off the 12V system with the ICE running.

 

Evan, the A/C compressor actually runs off the high voltage system - the only thing to do so other than the main motors. That's a more fundamental reason for it not working in IG-ON than just not wanting to run down the 12V battery.

Nevertheless, the point about power is true. The power requirements of the A/C compressor are huge - something like 3kW - that'd be 250 amps from the 12V system, which is why you don't see normal cars using electric A/C! The 12V battery would last 5-10 minutes at full blast.

In contrast, 3kW is fairly minor compared to the 25kW the HV battery can supply, or the 50kW overall rating of the main drive motor. Still doesn't last long before needing to start the engine to recharge though - the HV battery actually only has about 4 times the capacity of the 12V battery, interestingly, and it only uses under half that. You'd be lucky to get 15 minutes of full-blast A/C without starting the engine.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KMO @ Sep 12 2006, 04:27 AM) [snapback]318215[/snapback]</div>

 

The power steering is purely 12V, through the 50A EPS fuse. It's activated at IG-ON.

And the HID headlights - I'm pretty certain they'd be off the 12V too, just like any other car. I can't say for certain, not having US wiring diagrams, but if they weren't 12V you wouldn't be able light them in ACC or IG-ON.

 

I have had the A/C problem myself on my 2004 Prius. I do not recall when it happened. My wife was driving and stopped at a drug store. She parked and left the motor running with A/C on and cooling fine, she just pushed the park button and said I'll be right back. I was setting in the passenger seat with our granddaughter in the back seat. The A/C was fine for a few minutes but stopped cooling. I kept thinking she would just be another minute or so. We got pretty warm. I pushed some buttons (maximum, etc.). It was not cooling anymore. Nothing I changed worked. I did not turn the car off. I assumed it was a hybrid problem.

My wife finally came out and after resuming driving a few blocks it began to cool again. I have advoided parking with the motor running to keep cool. I turn the car off and go inside.

 

When the car is not moving there's little air moving through the engine compartment (where the A/C heat exchanger is) so it gets very hot in there. This makes it difficult for the A/C to remove heat from the cabin.

On the other hand I've parked in Dallas for a half hour and the A/C kept working just fine, so perhaps yours does have a problem, or perhaps the A/C was somehow turned off in a way that was not obvious at the time.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrg @ Sep 15 2006, 12:08 PM) [snapback]319891[/snapback]</div>

Where was the shift position, P or N?
What was the battery level then?

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Sep 15 2006, 11:15 PM) [snapback]320047[/snapback]</div>

When the car is not moving and AC compressors is on, the cooling fan runs in high speed condition to do enough cooling.

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