What I learnt from charging my Prius
in [Toyota Prius]
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From: urod on 4 Jan 2010 14:29 0. Some people in the newsgroups write things they don't have a clue about. 1. The Prius batteries are somehow interconnected. When I forgot to switch off the light, *both* were discharged. 2. It is hard to charge the battery. When you connect your Prius to another car's battery, the system thinks that there is enough voltage in the batteries, so it doesn't charge them. When you break the connection, 3. All, or almost all, automobiles are poorly designed. They should switch off the light when the battery is close to be discharged. Imagine a computer which, if you forgot to close the windows before switching it off, requires a maintenance. 4. This has nothing to do with charging, but another problem with all cars is, if you raise the parking brake during movement (in case of Prius, stomp on the parking brake), it is a guaranteed accident. Imagine a calculator which explodes into your face each time you try to divide by zero! A reasonable car would display the word "ERROR". No, I never raised the parking brake, but the thought that if I did, I could die or kill somebody else, is uncomfortable. 5. Manual for Prius is poorly written. I am now going to sell my Prius and never buy any car until car manufacturers start to make cars at least as intelligent as a pocket calculator.
From: Al Falfa on 4 Jan 2010 14:51 "urod" <npisarev(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news:23744dc9-0546-4f41-a16c-3fecdbc35487(a)l30g2000yqb.googlegroups.com... > 0. Some people in the newsgroups write things they don't have a clue > about. > 1. The Prius batteries are somehow interconnected. When I forgot to > switch off the light, *both* were discharged. > 2. It is hard to charge the battery. When you connect your Prius to > another car's battery, the system thinks that there is enough voltage > in the batteries, so it doesn't charge them. When you break the > connection, > 3. All, or almost all, automobiles are poorly designed. They should > switch off the light when the battery is close to be discharged. > Imagine a computer which, if you forgot to close the windows before > switching it off, requires a maintenance. > 4. This has nothing to do with charging, but another problem with all > cars is, if you raise the parking brake during movement (in case of > Prius, stomp on the parking brake), it is a guaranteed accident. > Imagine a calculator which explodes into your face each time you try > to divide by zero! A reasonable car would display the word "ERROR". > No, I never raised the parking brake, but the thought that if I did, I > could die or kill somebody else, is uncomfortable. > 5. Manual for Prius is poorly written. > > I am now going to sell my Prius and never buy any car until car > manufacturers start to make cars at least as intelligent as a pocket > calculator. From page 366 of the 2010 Prius manual: "To prevent 12 volt battery discharge If the interior lights and personal lights [are] on when the door is not full closed or[and?] the interior light switch [is] in [the] door position, the lights will go off automatically after 20 minutes." I can't make sense out of this as written. Bracketed entries are mine, otherwise quote is verbatim. Looks like the 2010 has the feature you want but only if you have the light switch in the door position. In other words, if you manually switch the lights on (not in door position) and leave them on, the battery will be drained. The manual goes on to say the time lapse can be changed by your dealer. You are referred to page 587 where a long list of customizable features begins and runs through page 592.
From: News on 4 Jan 2010 15:00 Al Falfa wrote: > > > "urod" <npisarev(a)gmail.com> wrote in message > news:23744dc9-0546-4f41-a16c-3fecdbc35487(a)l30g2000yqb.googlegroups.com... >> 0. Some people in the newsgroups write things they don't have a clue >> about. >> 1. The Prius batteries are somehow interconnected. When I forgot to >> switch off the light, *both* were discharged. >> 2. It is hard to charge the battery. When you connect your Prius to >> another car's battery, the system thinks that there is enough voltage >> in the batteries, so it doesn't charge them. When you break the >> connection, >> 3. All, or almost all, automobiles are poorly designed. They should >> switch off the light when the battery is close to be discharged. >> Imagine a computer which, if you forgot to close the windows before >> switching it off, requires a maintenance. >> 4. This has nothing to do with charging, but another problem with all >> cars is, if you raise the parking brake during movement (in case of >> Prius, stomp on the parking brake), it is a guaranteed accident. >> Imagine a calculator which explodes into your face each time you try >> to divide by zero! A reasonable car would display the word "ERROR". >> No, I never raised the parking brake, but the thought that if I did, I >> could die or kill somebody else, is uncomfortable. >> 5. Manual for Prius is poorly written. >> >> I am now going to sell my Prius and never buy any car until car >> manufacturers start to make cars at least as intelligent as a pocket >> calculator. > > From page 366 of the 2010 Prius manual: > > "To prevent 12 volt battery discharge > > If the interior lights and personal lights [are] on when the door is not > full closed or[and?] the interior light switch [is] in [the] door > position, the lights will go off automatically after 20 minutes." > > I can't make sense out of this as written. Bracketed entries are mine, > otherwise quote is verbatim. > > Looks like the 2010 has the feature you want but only if you have the > light switch in the door position. In other words, if you manually > switch the lights on (not in door position) and leave them on, the > battery will be drained. > > The manual goes on to say the time lapse can be changed by your dealer. > You are referred to page 587 where a long list of customizable features > begins and runs through page 592. > > > > Unfortunately, it is not possible to customize the intelligence of every buyer.
From: Al Falfa on 4 Jan 2010 15:16 "News" <News(a)Group.Name> wrote in message news:aNOdnVo5Zt1b1d_WnZ2dnUVZ_hli4p2d(a)speakeasy.net... > Al Falfa wrote: >> >> >> "urod" <npisarev(a)gmail.com> wrote in message >> news:23744dc9-0546-4f41-a16c-3fecdbc35487(a)l30g2000yqb.googlegroups.com... >>> 0. Some people in the newsgroups write things they don't have a clue >>> about. >>> 1. The Prius batteries are somehow interconnected. When I forgot to >>> switch off the light, *both* were discharged. >>> 2. It is hard to charge the battery. When you connect your Prius to >>> another car's battery, the system thinks that there is enough voltage >>> in the batteries, so it doesn't charge them. When you break the >>> connection, >>> 3. All, or almost all, automobiles are poorly designed. They should >>> switch off the light when the battery is close to be discharged. >>> Imagine a computer which, if you forgot to close the windows before >>> switching it off, requires a maintenance. >>> 4. This has nothing to do with charging, but another problem with all >>> cars is, if you raise the parking brake during movement (in case of >>> Prius, stomp on the parking brake), it is a guaranteed accident. >>> Imagine a calculator which explodes into your face each time you try >>> to divide by zero! A reasonable car would display the word "ERROR". >>> No, I never raised the parking brake, but the thought that if I did, I >>> could die or kill somebody else, is uncomfortable. >>> 5. Manual for Prius is poorly written. >>> >>> I am now going to sell my Prius and never buy any car until car >>> manufacturers start to make cars at least as intelligent as a pocket >>> calculator. >> >> From page 366 of the 2010 Prius manual: >> >> "To prevent 12 volt battery discharge >> >> If the interior lights and personal lights [are] on when the door is not >> full closed or[and?] the interior light switch [is] in [the] door >> position, the lights will go off automatically after 20 minutes." >> >> I can't make sense out of this as written. Bracketed entries are mine, >> otherwise quote is verbatim. >> >> Looks like the 2010 has the feature you want but only if you have the >> light switch in the door position. In other words, if you manually >> switch the lights on (not in door position) and leave them on, the >> battery will be drained. >> >> The manual goes on to say the time lapse can be changed by your dealer. >> You are referred to page 587 where a long list of customizable features >> begins and runs through page 592. >> >> >> >> > > > Unfortunately, it is not possible to customize the intelligence of every > buyer. So true. The battery in my 2005 was fully discharged twice, once when my sig-o left the overhead light on after digging in her purse and once when I left the hatch door ajar. The first time we just jumped the 2005 to her car, started it, and let it charge the battery itself. The second time I simply put my charger on the handy little post in the fuse box for a couple of hours. It just doesn't seem to be all that hard, but then I have jumper cables and a charger, both being necessities where I live.
From: Hachiroku ハチロク on 4 Jan 2010 10:36
On Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:30:20 -0500, Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote: > In article > <23744dc9-0546-4f41-a16c-3fecdbc35487(a)l30g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, > urod <npisarev(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> 0. Some people in the newsgroups write things they don't have a clue >> about. >> 1. The Prius batteries are somehow interconnected. When I forgot to >> switch off the light, *both* were discharged. > > The ONLY way they're connected is that the car needs the 12v battery to > turn on the car, which means engaging the drive system (and its integrated > electrical component). If the 12v battery goes dead, the relays that turn > on the drive system don't open. The drive system is isolated and drains > no energy, either from its gasoline component or its electrical storage > component. He's right about item 0. The batteries are not interconnected, and there's no way they could be. The batteries running the drive system are 280V at very high current. Every bulb in the car would probably explode at that voltage, and so would the 12V battery if exposed to this voltage. Hopefully, this person won't go running out to his Prius to try to conect one system to the other. If he does, I hope his insurance is paid up... AAMOF, there is an exact procedure for disconnecting the drive-line batteries from the system, and has to be done in the proper order or the batteries will explode, the person will be fried, the driveline ruined or all three. |