says put in park! I just pulled into town after a 50 mile drive and stepped out of car to look at the lake and left A/C on. Usually this car chooses to drop the battery SOC after a long drive down to 2 bars and then charges back up to 60%SOC as I drive into town and get off the ICE. Today, after 5-10 minutes I was ready to leave the lake and as I closed door, the warning light pops up warning " low battery charge and to put into park". I turned off a/c and put in D and drove off... the battery went back up to 60%SOC as usual.. the battery SOC was approaching 12% and I did not want to be stranded...I wanted for ICE to turn on but I figured if I drive off the ICE would have to come on... I got lucky. time new battery?
Did I though? Leave it on that is! If I did, then I was indeed lucky it didnt roll into the lake! But I think I didnt... It always beeps three times when the FOB leaves the car and I shut the door in READY and park. In addition, The doorlocks unlock to let me out. Rather noisly I may add. That beeping always occurs when I open and shut any door with FOB in my pocket.
I'm pretty sure it was in park. But I'm more concerned with the HV BATTERY draining or rather the timing of the drain! Coincidence? How farther would battery have gone? I saw it below 20%SOC! Has anyone seen that "LOW HYBRID BATTERY CHARGE..PUT IN PARK" warning? Bad timming? Maybe I wasnt thinking! Maybe I should've waited until the battery went through its dropping (6 bars to 2 bars and back to 6 again) cycle after being at 60%SOC drive for the previous hour.
that's what happens when you go through a car wash in neutral. try it at home in park and watch the meter, see if it goes below 2 bars before the engine starts. or better yet, at the dealer, so you won't have to have it towed if it won't start.
You guys can sell ice to eskimos! Im guessing ya'll are right. In that case I really did git lucky! Thanks
I recall soon after we got our Prius, walking through a parking lot on the way to my morning train, puzzled by Prius cabs parked, engines running, bit of steam coming out of the tail pipe. I really had a hard time getting my head around this: how the heck could someone get one of the world's most efficient vehicles, and then park and leave it running? I'm starting to get it, but I still don't get it, lol. (Sorry for clucking, just my feeling.)
okay I"m a believer! I repeated incident and yes I did leave it in neutral... Guess I was in hurry. It was a beautiful sunset across the water though . I"m glad it all worked out...theres a first for everything...thanks again guys!
How do you even accidentally put it into neutral?.... I believe I've never, ever put our Prius into neutral. Maybe the car wash has done it without me knowing, but I haven't done it.
I use Neutral maybe once or twice per year, when rolling an angled tire into curb, parallel parking on steep hills. Just a little more control than if you're in Drive. That's about it.
