2015 prius solar roof does it drain the battery when the sun is not out and the cooling fan is running, not AC?
This is a new car to us so we are not certain. Is that the case that it will not run unless the sun is out?
NO. And to clarify, that's a NO to either battery: 300v EV battery or the 12v systems battery. If it's reasonably quiet outside, stand between the passenger mirror and front right tire, bend down toward the base of the windshield and hood and listen for the fan motor running. On a sunny day: a gentle purr; at night, nothing. NOTE: there is about a 10 minute delay between powering the car off and the solar fan beginning to run assuming you have this feature turned on (which must be done while the car is "on").
That's correct. The solar panel ventilation system only runs when there's enough solar energy to power the fan. (And of course, if you turn the function on. The button is to the left of the steering wheel). You can turn it off if you park it in a dusty place (e.g. next to a gravel road) or if you're camping and you don't want your interior to smell like charcoal because it sucked in all the smoke from your BBQ pit lol. The Remote A/C function (that A/C button on the fob) is a separate feature and will run only when you press button. That one runs off the hybrid battery for up to 3 minutes or until there's no more battery, whichever is first. When combined with the solar panel ventilation system, it can cool the interior down by up to 35°C.
It's a very good application of solar power: the fan mainly needs to run when there's plenty of sunshine.
As stated above, no, it does not drain the battery. It neither charges or discharges the 12V battery. The solar fan system only runs when the car is off, so the traction battery is totally disconnected from the car. So no effect on it either.
I'm still a little confused about this feature. The button is depressed on the driver side but there's no light or indication that it does anything. Do I have to actively press this button every time I want it to work or will the fan automatically kick in when parked in the sun?
You can see a visible difference between the button being in and out. You do not have to turn the feature on every time the car is started. If there's sun and the function is on it'll operate automatically.
Thanks for the info. In the manual (and video) there's all this stuff about leaving the car on and pressing the button which is not what I expected.
No. Just press once and leave it "on". That's because it's only activated if the button was depressed prior to shutting down the car. If the car is off and you press the button to turn it off, it won't turn on when you depress the button again. You have to turn the car on, ensure the button is in the "on" position, then shut off the car.
I love my solar panel. I live in Ohio, but it makes such a difference. My '14 now has 64k miles, and of course my local shop had me test drive a new '16. Yes, it drove nice, but my I love the techie "creature features" on my '14. I will be keeping my AWESOME '14 with solar panel until the panel becomes a feature on the new model! Plus, I just got 53 mpg yesterday at highway speeds (I usually set my cruise @ 72) with the air on, jamming to enTune with Dave Matthews Band blaring away! It's a good, good life! SM-N910V ?
I live in Mass and the solar panel does make a difference here too on those hot Summer days! No 5 o'clock easy bake oven for me.
I keep a digital thermometer in my car. Used to top out at 150 in my last car, but the hottest it's ever hit with the solar panel is 105! Love that thing... Even though those without it call it a gimmick! Don't know what they are talking about! SM-N910V ?
No not true. That's just according to the manual but in reality is not. Countless times I've turned on that button with my car off and at exactly 10 minutes after the fans start blowing. I should know. I stay in my car every day during lunch hour.
