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I just caught my Prius when it thought nobody was looking

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Skoorbmax, Mar 21, 2011.

  1. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

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    15 min ago I went into the garage. Prius had been parked for hours in a cool garage. I didn't have the key on me, nor was it in the car. I heard a strange sound which I found to be loudest from underneath the car, at the rear. It sounded like an air compressor (a fairly quiet one)--its motor sound, and also hissing gas.

    The sound was not:

    1) The battery's internal air fan by rear right seat
    2) The sound that the brake system makes when it primes after opening the front door (that sound is louder and in any case I opened the front door and it made it as normal)
    3) Anything from engine bay
    4) Anything else from inside the car because I couldn't really hear it when in the car

    I went to grab vid cam and as I was moving it behind the car the sound stopped so I didn't get much of it. No idea how long it had been going on.

    I am sure I've not read of this kind of thing around here. I bet it's normal, but what is it?
     
    #1 Skoorbmax, Mar 21, 2011
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    load levelers?
     
    #2 bisco, Mar 21, 2011
  3. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

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    If you check the Owner's Manual, you will find that there are several notations of sounds that you may hear, at various times, from various parts of the vehicle.

    The Hybrid Battery vent fan will run as needed. Even if the car is off. This is normal.
     
    #3 Rae Vynn, Mar 21, 2011
  4. Gary in NY

    Gary in NY Member

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    Page 22 of your owners manual has the answer:

     
    #4 Gary in NY, Mar 21, 2011
  5. mad-dog-one

    mad-dog-one Prius Enthusiast

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    I think your car has gas.
     
    #5 mad-dog-one, Mar 21, 2011
    3 people like this.
  6. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    FWIW, my 06 came w/a tag that says:
    I posted about it when I was a relative newbie at http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/20869-noise.html.

    I wonder if 2010 and beyond models still come w/such a tag.
     
    #6 cwerdna, Mar 21, 2011
  7. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

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    I don't recall reading this but my wife says she does (now that it's mentioned). Cool, thanks for the find :)
     
    #7 Skoorbmax, Mar 21, 2011
  8. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    :pound:
     
    #8 TonyPSchaefer, Mar 21, 2011
  9. Gary in NY

    Gary in NY Member

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    I haven't noticed any tag. The car does come with a quick reference guide (sort of a mini owners manual), fan-fold plastic coated basic operation guide, and a small tag attached to the wiper lever with very basic starting and operating info. I haven't found any description of this noise in any of these (the car does make several noises all of which I assume are normal, the most obvious is the brakes when you open the door, but there are others too).
     
    #9 Gary in NY, Mar 21, 2011
  10. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

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    It only proves what many of us already know. Your Prius is...... alive.
     
    #10 DavidA, Mar 22, 2011
  11. sbdray

    sbdray Junior Member

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    I heard this noise for the first time last night on my 2011 Prius when I checked to make sure my garage door was closed before going to bed. It was coming from the passenger side of the car at the rear wheel well.

    Based on the location, I thought it might be battery-related. But it had been about 10 hours since driving the car, and it was probably about 75 degrees F in the garage so I doubt it was the battery fan. When I sat inside the car with the doors closed, the noise was barely audible. Then I turned the car on and waited for it to warm up until the engine turned off and powered it back off. The buzzing noise wasn't there anymore, so I went to bed.

    Is this the same sound as the fuel evaporation leakage check? Does the car perform that check at regular intervals when the car is off (not just 5 hours afterwards)?
     
    #11 sbdray, Jun 27, 2011
  12. oldasdust

    oldasdust Member

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    The prius high tech alarm system. I was parked in a lot way out and while walking to my car observed a couple children about 10 ish and their parents checking out and looking in the windows of my prius. The look on their faces was not threatening or like they wanted to break in but more inqusitive. When i reached a few feet from them they jumped back and appeared startled. The young boy said mister your car just hissed at us i hope we did not set the alarm off by getting too close. I said no problem, if she gets mad then she growls like a grizzlie bear, the hiss means she likes you. You should have seen their faces, priceless.
     
    #12 oldasdust, Jun 27, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  13. CarmelPrius

    CarmelPrius At 1 mile.

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    Did you put any prunes in the gas tank?
     
    #13 CarmelPrius, Jun 27, 2011
  14. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

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    Yep, that's where I heard it from.

    Cars these days...

    My other car, during the first acceleration event of a drive, when it hits about 10 mph it "clunks" by the engine compartment, apparently an ABS test.
     
    #14 Skoorbmax, Jun 27, 2011
  15. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    I wonder how many revisions the manuals get when they realize the car makes funky noises.

    Ryoki, did you hear that?

    Uhh....yeah, what should we call this one?

    Hmmm...let's call it a fuel evap test.

    Brilliant!
     
    #15 billnchristy, Jun 27, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  16. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

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    hehe. Writing the manual actually must be an extremely huge PITA. I do wish that when the car was bought there would be a hanger from the mirror with a "STRANGE THINGS THIS CAR DOES" warning list. They could even put the occasional start-up knocking that some of us hear ;)
     
    #16 Skoorbmax, Jun 27, 2011
  17. macphile

    macphile New Member

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    Heh, if I hear a hissing sound in my Civic, I know I left soda bottles in the backseat. (It gets well into the 90s or beyond in the summer here, and the summer lasts for months.)
     
    #17 macphile, Jun 28, 2011
  18. coach81

    coach81 Active Member

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    I get the same reaction after I eat too many beans...
     
    #18 coach81, Jun 28, 2011
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