I don't understand the solar ventilation

You can call it a gimmick, but when it is 110 outside and a closed car can heat to 125 or more it does help, esp if you turn on the A/C before you you are ready to get in the car.

 

It does keep the car from super heating plus you can run the A/C for 4 minutes before getting in

 

I just bought a black 2012 Prius 3 with the solar package. It gets hot here in Houston Texas and to my surprise when I get into it at 5pm to go home the interior is much cooler than not turning it on. It works well for me. If I forget to turn it on it get so hot I can hardly touch the steering wheel. Works as advertised for me, just saying.

 

I leave the button ON all summer don't turn it off till fall

 

According to tintlaws.com, in NH, you're allowed to put tint as dark as 35% on your back and rear windows and a 6" strip along the top of the windshield.

As far as stick-on tint/mesh things, the nice thing is that they're removable, so if you ever run into problems, you can just pop em off.

 

I have the solar package as well, and here in the Seattle area, we've had some really hot days (well, hot for seattle...mid to upper 80s) and it does seem to cool the car fairly well.

SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 ? 2

 

I notice that it works, sometimes well and sometimes not so well. If it's 110* out, don't expect 80* in the cabin. It's still gonna feel 110* or slightly higher. It just wont feel 125-135*. It's really situational. Also don't forget to use the remote AC if you have to.

 

I have the 4 with solar roof also. If its working right it runs when car is off, but you can hear it once you get in the car. I hope yours works. Read the manual and keep in mind its not an AC unit its just a small fan, circulates outside air into car. I love my car! Hope you enjoy yours! I use shade screens with suction cups on side windows for my baby. No tint on my windows. I drove my last car for 6 years with no AC dark interior and a dark colored car. I baked, and burnt my hands on steering wheel many times. So the Prius is an ice cube compared to the old car.

 

I put 2 shade screens on the rear window.......... it helps

 

Just leave the button depressed all the time. The car does all the work. However, the fan will only cool the car to make the interior temperature the SAME as the outside temperature. If it's hot out, it's still gonna be hot inside. The difference is that it won't be an oven. The fan is quiet, you should just feel the air blowing. And it will come on when it detects a certain difference in internal and external temperature and kick off when it's finished the cooling, or when the battery becomes too low. I have really liked mine.

 

Venting is never going to bring the interior temperature lower than the ambient temperature. It should keep it from being quite so superheated.

 

I live in Phoenix and it works very well to keep the interior temperature down while I am away. When I return to the vehicle the fan is running and I don't need to put on oven mitts to touch the steering wheel. ; ) The car is a good 20 to 50% cooler than not having a solar package. This also helps reduce the initial loading for the air conditioner and allows the car to cool very quickly with AC.

 

do you have to slide open the "sunroof shade" in order for the air to get out?

 

No, the air can get out through various vents, the same as when using normal non-recirculating ventilation with the sunroof closed.

 

From a conceptual standpoint, I'm not sure I understand the point of the fan?

If the car is in the shade, the interior plastic stays cooler as it's not in direct contact with sunlight. The car will still heat as the outside temp will heat the exterior of the car which heats the interior. The fan keeps the ambient air in circulation. But wouldn't opening your window and driving 1 block push all the air out anyways? So basically, Toyota is providing you with 10 seconds of comfort time when first getting into the car? Because otherwise, the net position you're in 10-30 seconds later is the exact same for the sunroof/non-sunroof?

And if the car is in the sun (with no window tint), you are hosed either way. The interior will super heat, so although you are pushing hot air out of the car it is instantly being replaced by hot air from the heated interior. Seems like the minute you start the car and get your things together, you are sitting in an equally heated car vs. a non-sunroof.

Am I off-base here? IMO, they should have offered cooled seats (+ heated)

 

The interior materials that got hot along with all that hot air doesn't cool nearly as quickly.

 

No, it's not the same. With the fan running the interior doesn't get as hot. The air is exhausted in the rear through "one way" vents (they have flapper valves). If the car is parked in the shade the fan probably won't run, as there might not be enough light on the solar panel. In that case, it would be the same.

 

I have this feature and absolutely love it. It really does work to keep the inside from getting burning hot when you have to park in the sun. (Sometimes shade is just not available!)

I've heard that when you have this feature, you also have an upgraded fan assembly in the dash that is rated for a longer runtime, but I am not entirely certain about that.