Hello everyone, I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to the amount of info and experty you guys shared with other. I am beginning to learn a lot about the driving techniques. My question is as the following: I will be out of town for a month. I have heard that the auxillary battery will discharge completely on the gen II for this length of time. Other people have suggested using battery tender or disconnecting the battery. I am wondering if I can get someone to put the car in ready mode without driving, will the car automatically charge the battery as required?
If your 12 volt auxillary battery is in good condition (ie near new) and you turn off the smart key system with the button under the steering wheel, you should have no problem leaving the car unattended for this length of time. If the 12 volt battery is marginal then you do need some sort of battery tender to keep it charged. On your second question, yes the 12 volt battery would be recharged by the high voltage battery if the car is placed in ready mode for a short time. Driving it is not necessary. Probably half an hour would do it, again depending on the condition of your 12 volt battery. Don't do this in a closed space since the engine may run depending on the charge condition of the high voltage battery. If you go this way make sure the person knows that it must be in ready mode, other modes will kill the 12 volt battery if left on too long.
I have a 2010 IV Prius. I have only had it almost a month. I don't believe the Gen III vehicles have a button under the steering column to shut down the SKS. It seems that I read somewhere in the manual that the SKS will deactivate itself after a number of days with no use.
Just my own experience, with a 2004. I have left the Prius parked for more than two weeks, even without shutting off the SKS system. I have had no problems, still the original 12 V battery. I am thinking of replacing it just to be safe, but it still seems to be in good condition.
I will be leaving my 2010 IV w/ Solar in the driveway for ~10 days (solar enabled). I'll report on this on or after 8/8 when I return from an extended business trip. I seriously doubt it'll be an issue though
