Does anybody have any information regarding heating the cabin of the Prius in an emergency situation? Specifically providing some extra warmth for an extended period of time say if you're stuck in a sudden snowstorm or the like for a few hours. Would the standard heater be enough, considering the car would not be moving for the entire time, and exhaust could build up if exiting the car to remove built up snow from the exhaust pipe is unfeasible. Or would one of the 12V cabin heaters be a better option? This would allow leaving the Prius in IG-ON mode, and switching to READY on occasion to recharge the battery. Or would there even be a significant difference between the two?
During long road trips I have often stopped at a rest area for a multi-hour nap. I simply leave the car "running" with the climate control at a minimally warm setting. The ICE starts every few minutes and runs for a few minutes, so it's probably a lot better than a standard vehicle for this task. Of course you should make sure that the tailpipe is clear of snow so the exhaust gases don't come back into the cabin. I would not attempt to use the IG-ON mode as you might run the risk of emptying the 12v battery and then end up not being able to run the car at all when you need to. I would either leave the car in "Ready" or entirely off. Setting the climate control temp as low as you can will result in the ICE running as little as possible, so if you absolutely can't clear the tailpipe this may be your best bet. The ICE will run much more with the CC set at 75deg than at 65deg. I'm not sure how the longer ICE off time would effect the buildup of snow into/around the tailpipe, but I would imagine that the hot exhaust should be able to melt enough so that at least the ICE could run. Of course the standard procedure is to crack a window for fresh air to enter the cabin, but this will cause more heat to be lost, and thus the ICE to run more, I'm not sure if this still applies to cars like the Prius? The exhaust system in the Prius is far more robust than most cars, and the ICE doesn't run continuously, so I would think there would be less risk of CO2 poisoning, though the risk may still exist...
providing some extra warmth for an extended period of time say if you're stuck in a sudden snowstorm or the like for a few hours. The car would not not be troubled by sitting and idling. It could probably sit and idle for days. Would the standard heater be enough, considering the car would not be moving for the entire time, and exhaust could build up if exiting the car to remove built up snow from the exhaust pipe is unfeasible. The exhaust sounds like the only real problem. They make flexible (well somewhat flexible) metal tubes that are meant for patching old exhaust systems. You could get the longest one that you can store handily in the trunk and adapt it (or have a mechanic do it) so the end fit snugly over the present end of the tail pipe. Now you keep it in the car, you get stuck somewhere you stick it over the pipe, just let it trail back into the snow, bring it in when you're ready to leave.
Thanks for the info. Based on this (and other information), we'll be skipping a separate cabin heater.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jtullos @ Nov 22 2006, 11:54 AM) [snapback]353046[/snapback]</div> Is this some kind of aftermarket add-on? What's it run on? You know, if you think this situation is likely, you could keep a flannel sheet and a down blanket in the trunk, be cozy anytime.
