Sorry, I was an embarrasment to Prius owners today.

OK, I don't know why I am sharing this, but if we all laugh at me together, I guess I will start feeling better.

During my morning break, I went out to play with my new Scan Guage II. Specifically, to do a little set up for Fuel = Hybrid and Tank = 8 gallons. Then, I did the Unthinkable. I forgot to push the Prius' HSD Off button. And, I generally don't turn off the headlights, because I kind of like the idea of daylight running lights, and the car is smart enough to turn off the lights, IF you are smart enough to turn off the HSD.

I am sure it tried to warn me when I left the car with some "Prius Talk" But I cannot remember all the beep codes. I think the manual has about 20 like beep three times when you forget to turn off the HSD or something similar to Morris Code.

Well, six hours later, it would not start. So I enlisted the help of a friend to jump start the car. I knew it has a separate little starting battery, so I ran ahead to open the hood and start setting up for when my friend pulled around. Much to my dismay, there was nothing that looked like a battery you could jump. so I started feaverishly reading the manual so I could be educated by the time my friend arrived a few seconds later. Thanks to a good index, I was able to find page 457, and a diagram showing the special jumping terminal (Not the battery) inside the fuse box.

My friend arrived as I was struggling to open the approximately four clips on the fuse cover and they are tough ones. I tried releasing them with my key, but I was a little nervous I guess, because I was more worried about the impression I was making. Then my friend tried to open the clips, and I said here, you can try my key, and he was able to open the clips and remove the cover.

Well, inside the cover is a little Red Cover, and inside that is a terminal that looks like a battery terminal but much smaller, and surrounded by plastic barriers to the point you really can't get a good grip on it with regular jumper cable clamp. So right next to that is a silver clip like looking thng that you can get a jumper cable clamp on, so my friend and I both thought, that must be the terminal. We had his car connected for five minutes, and nothing was happening, and I felt bad keeping him there so I encouraged him to go and I would call the dealer for some advice, since the manual does say that it is posible to draw the batteries down low enough that you will need a dealer's expertise to get the car started again.

After my friend left, I went inside and called the dealer who said I should still be able to jump start the car even if the lights were left on for six hours, but the terminal to use was definately the bolt terminal, not the silver blade behind it. (The picture on page 458 or 459 of the manual has an arrow pointing to this terminal, but it is as an angle that could be interpreted as pointing to either, or both.) So I solicited the help of another friend to help me.

Actually, both my helpers were quite nervous about helping out saying "Are you sure your car can be jump started? Isn't that a high voltage battery? It won't hurt my Mercedies, will it?

I promised to take responsibiltiy for any damage, and I really appreciated their help. The second friend was good enough to leave his car connected for 10 minutes, but still, no life in my Prius. He went back inside, and I started putting away the cables and such.

Suddenly I realize, I am so used to the Smart Key System, I don't even bother to check to see if I have them with me. Do I? No, they are gone. This means that even if the car had enough power to start, it would not have been able to. I go inside and start retracing all my steps, as I do this, I beging getting a mental picture in my mind. Now remember earlier, I said I asked my first friend if he would like to use my key to release the clips on the fuse cover? Well I should not have done that.

I left him a message, and he called me back and confirmed he had my keys. And thinking back, he would have had them too far away from my car for it to start when I was attempting the first jump from his car.

You see, I have never really practice trying to start the car wihtout the Smart Key around, so I didn't recognize it as any different than trying to start the car with the Key, but a dead battery.

I am so sorry, I left my freinds with the notion that my car is too high tech for my own good. My wife is now on the way over my 30 mile commute to bring me the other key and we will try the jump a third time. My first frend offered to bring my keys back which would only be 10 miles, but I could not face the prospect that I would still not be able to get the car started and I would still end up having to have my wife come, so I just decided to have her come.

OK, now let's all laugh at me together. :blink: :lol: :huh: :blink: <_<

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Mar 26 2007, 09:13 PM) [snapback]412706[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, but it also has "Beep Codes" for when you do things right too. Like successfully locking the doors. Well, time to go outside and meet my wife.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Mar 26 2007, 09:50 PM) [snapback]412718[/snapback]</div>

This will reinforce your #1 package feelings. And if you don't get a huge kick out of all the electronic gizmos, believe me, I wholeheartedly agree, you can save your money for whatever floats your boat.

[Paul Harvey Moded ON]
Here is THE REST OF THE STORY.
My wife came to recue me with the second smart key at around 8:25 PM.

My Prius still would not start, so I connected the jumper cables from my wife's Dodge Caravan to Lighning, and we waited together for about 10 minutes for the Van to transfer some charge to the Prius. It was a great time to talk and sip coffee together.

After 10 minutes, Lightning still would not start. But I got the idea to try putting the Smart Key in the Smart Key receptacle in the dash. Then, he started right up. So I figured that the Smart Key systems must need a full charge, and we drove our cars home the 30 miles of my commute.

I decided to stop and top off the tank to that I can calibrate my Scan Guage II sooner at the next fill up. It only look about 2 gallons. Then when I went to start up again, nothing. I put the Smart Key in the Dash and he fired right up agian. When I got home, I tried to lock the doors by pushing the button on the outside of the door, and that doesn't work either.

My Conclusion = I drained the battery to the point that the Smart Key System got Out of Sync or lost their programming. It is about time for the first Oil Change, so I guess I'll take him in to the dealer tomorrow, and see if they can easily fix the keys. If they want to charge me a bunch, then I think I will search around here first, because I am pretty sure I have seen the instructions for syncing up the keys.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Hudon @ Mar 26 2007, 11:42 PM) [snapback]412769[/snapback]</div>

Thank you Frank. That was it. Wow am I glad that we have Senior Posters around here!

I must have hit that little button when I was feeling around without looking down there to find the OBD II connector to plug in the Scan Guage II. I guess someone with a loaded Prius should think to use something as low tech as a flashlight properly. As a matter of fact, in checking out your advice regarding the SKS Disable button, I again felt around in the dark, and I think I have reset my Tire Pressure indicatior in the process, which was something I have been meaning to do since I increased the tire pressuer to 40 / 42 PSI. So in short, It's all good! And I will sleep beter tonight now.

I was feeling a little dismayed that there wasn't a Prius Emergency Room, or at least an Urgent Care Center I could take Lightning to. I guess Prius Chat fulfills that need very well.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jeneric @ Mar 27 2007, 12:01 AM) [snapback]412779[/snapback]</div>

Good points,
It might be worth it to figure out how this works. I thought if you turn off the HSD, the lights would follow. Have never noticed that being tied to closing the driver's door, but I am not saying that is how it is.

I did walk away with the Smart Key, but I may have already inadvertantly turned that off too.

WOW! I just had a REVELATION!
Perhaps I never left anything on. Maybe I just accedently turned off the SKS like Frank said.

One of the things my helpers and I noticed was that the connecting the Jumper Cables did not seem to pull down the other car's alternator at all. Normally, when you connect a car to jump a discharged battery, you can hear the alternator load down. Didn't happen.

Well, in the end, I guess I learned a bunch today.