Prius transport to Hawaii to take six week, battery and other concerns.

Can you have it disconnected for the 4-6 week trip?

If not, at minimum, disable SKS via the switch under the steering column. I'd also use a (slow, below 4 amp) charger top fully charge it before that trip. Otherwise, you could leave the car READY mode for 8 hours to charge it (I don't like doing this).

 

I would recommend changing the battery before the car is shipped, but also charging the new battery to make sure it has a full charge. Disconnecting the battery could be a good idea, but this invites someone to try a jump start.

I would also put a notice on the car dash and under the hood stating under no circumstances should the car be jump started and any damage thus incurred will be billed for.

It only takes a one off reverse connection of the jump cables to do substantial damage as OP B5er found when his car was shipped from Japan and someone tried to jump start it at the docks.

John (Britprius)

 

How about a small solar panel maintenance charger that will sit on top of the car? I would guess that it will be out in the light for some portion of the trip prior to going in the hold of the ship. Although the artificial lighting in the ship may not amount to much, it might do something.

 

You definitely need to replace the 12V battery and make sure it is fully-charged (new does not necessarily mean fully-charged) before the car is shipped.

What port are you shipping from? From Honolulu to Long Beach, CA via Matson typically takes a week or so.

 

I think that if you install a new, fully-charged 12V battery, you will be OK if shipping really takes no more than four to six weeks:

6 weeks x 7 days/week x 24 hours / day x 0.02A quiescent current = 20Ah
If 4 weeks, 2/3 of that amount or 13.5Ah.

A new original-equipment battery will have around mid-30's Ah capacity, so the car will probably start...

How much does it cost to ship the car? I suppose it will travel via the Panama Canal?

Have you looked into the cost of shipping your car via truck to Long Beach or Oakland, then shipping from one of those California ports to Honolulu?

 

All Prii are still manufactured in Japan.
IIRC, OEM Prii are delivered via ship to both west and east coast US
Ports of Entry.
So, All US Prii have successfully made an ocean voyage longer than
from the US west coast to Hawaii.

I wonder who to ask if any special arrangements were made.

The local dealer service departmenr probably wouldn't know as any
special arrangements would most likely have been removed/disabled
as the cars were unloaded at the US Port of Entry and the cars driven
onto trailers or rail cars for distribution

 

At minimum, the DOME fuse is removed to eliminate all quiescent current draw. The crew unloading a new Prius probably reinstall the fuse before moving the vehicle. However the OP cannot expect such special treatment for an one-off situation.

 

Patrick,

Thank you for that. 'Eliminate all quiescent current draw,' a simple, easily
reversible procedure. Brilliant.

Finally, just why the dome light fuse has such an extensive and nonintuitive
effect when it blows is evident to me.

 

I think the biggest problem the OP has is that of someone trying to jump start the car not knowing what they are doing, and that the car has been disabled. As Patrick said this is a one off shipment, and the dock workers although well intentioned could do considerable damage. The reason I suggested notices affixed to the dash, under the hood, and even the battery compartment.

John (Britprius)