Twice today, and a couple other times since I've owned the car, I've reached for and opened the door and immediately had the alarm go off. Totally blows one's Cool Dood image. It seems it only happens when I'm in a hurry. Also, I THINK the clock is resetting to 1:00 when it happens (will re-check when and if it happens again). Any ideas? Am I doing something wrong, or is this a malfunction?
This implies that you have a problem with the 12V battery. I suggest that you measure battery voltage after the car has been resting overnight.
Ditto that. It's both the most likely cause and the cheapest to fix. See here for the easy self-test procedure: http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/73400-weird-stuff-happening-mpgs-dropping-test-battery.html
I'll have a look this morning Patrick -- pretty odd though, as I just installed a new Optima a few months back in an effort to forestall any 12V battery problems! Perhaps the clamps are loose or corroded . . . or the brounding strap. I'll let you all know what I find.
After sitting overnight, "Vehicle Signal Check" showed the 12V (an Optima, approximately six months old) battery at 12.4 Volts. When I placed a load on the battery it indicated 12.1 Volts, and when I placed the car in "Ready" mode it was charging at 13.9 Volts. All that seems to be within the normal range, correct? Later, when the sun is up, I'll have a look at the terminals and at the end of the negative lead where it attaches to the battery. Any other ideas on the OP?
The battery voltages seem OK although a bit low. The battery might benefit from an overnight charge. Yes, it would be good to check the tightness of the electrical connections at the battery as well as the negative cable where it bolts to the body. Hopefully you'll find a problem.
That was exactly the problem. I must have under-torqued the positive cable clamp when I installed the new Optima kit, and it had loosened significantly. Tightened it up, all appears well, will do cold voltage check again tomorrow morning.
