Okay, is there really no beeper that warns you when you have left your headlights on when you get out of the car? If so, it's just a matter of time before I leave my lights on. Peace --
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(marjflowers @ Apr 16 2006, 01:56 PM) [snapback]240532[/snapback]</div> Go ahead and try it - you will find out that the lights turn off when you open the driver's door to get out. I normally turn mine off with the switch, but last week at 5 AM I mistakenly only switched them to parking lights. The door open-lights off turned them off for me and I didn't notice it until I returned to the car in the afternoon and was wondering why my instrument panel lights were so dim (night mode). That saved my 12V battery from running down if I had managed to walk off and not notice the parking lights. - Tom
Why? it automatically turns off when you open the door. The beep for "lights on" is only on cars without auto headlights (Light Control System in Toyota speak) or auto-off headlight function (Automatic Headlamp Cancel Function in Toyota speak)
NOT QUITE: Opening the door turns off the headlights, ONLY if you shut off the car BEFORE opening the door. If you open the door while the car is still on, and then shut the car off, it will not shut off the lights. You could then run down your 12-v battery. However, it takes very little current to "jump-start" it because all the 12-v battery does is boot the computer, After that, the 12-v battery is recharged from the HV battery, which also is what actually starts the engine. So just about anything capable of delivering 12 volts ought to be able to get the car going again. Try to make a habit of shutting off the car before opening the door. That's better anyway, so that you don't leave the car while it's still on.
This information doesn't seem right to me. I'm one of those folks who leaves the full blown head & foglights on ALL THE TIME. I know there have been instances where I have opened the door before pressing the OFF button. But I have never come out to a dead 12V??? How can that be?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Apr 17 2006, 09:12 AM) [snapback]240841[/snapback]</div> Another NOT QUITE: When you try to boot the computers, the electric brake pressurization pump often tries to run at the same time (you are pressing on the brake pedal). That requires 12V at some significant amperage. The Yahoo Prius tecnical group reported current spikes of up to 30 amps. A stack of AA batteries might not make it. I keep a small 4 AH 12V lead acid cell in the little compartment on the driver's side of the trunk with a "jumper cable" made from lamp cord and small jumper cable type clips from Radio Shack. I recharge that battery about every three months. I expect (but have not tested) that it will be enough to get the car booted if I am able to crawl back to the trunk area and retrieve that battery. - Tom
