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"In neutral too long" light in car wash

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Paranormal Rob, Aug 10, 2017.

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  1. Paranormal Rob

    Paranormal Rob Active Member

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    20170810_160008.jpg

    Its hard to see but its the big P with an arrow. Research shows its an alert the car has been in neutral for extended amount of time.

    I get this every time I go thru a soft cloth car wash and my battery also drains down to 1 bar. I can have an almost full charge and that 2-3 mins in a car wash it's gone.

    Why is this and is there a workaround?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #1 Paranormal Rob, Aug 10, 2017
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the battery is running the a/c. the only thing you can do is not use a/c, or not use the car wash.
     
    #2 bisco, Aug 10, 2017
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  3. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    And turn off any other accessories in addition to the A/C. That includes headlights.
     
    #3 fuzzy1, Aug 10, 2017
  4. Paranormal Rob

    Paranormal Rob Active Member

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    #4 Paranormal Rob, Aug 10, 2017
  5. Paranormal Rob

    Paranormal Rob Active Member

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    #5 Paranormal Rob, Aug 10, 2017
  6. FuelMiser

    FuelMiser Senior Member

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    The workaround part was mentioned (turn off all electrical consumers when in N), but the why part is the hybrid synergy drive is disconnected in N, and there is no way to recharge the traction battery. In P, for example, your ICE will start and recharge the traction battery when needed.
     
    #6 FuelMiser, Aug 10, 2017
  7. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    That's only part of the story.
    Also the ICE won't run to recharge it either while it is in N.

    I've never had a problem with that and my C's.
    I think I would be slightly concerned if the Hybrid battery went from "full" to "empty" in the space of only 3 minutes.
    But I've probably never gone through a car wash when the A/C was going full blast either.
     
    #7 Sam Spade, Aug 10, 2017
  8. Paranormal Rob

    Paranormal Rob Active Member

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    #8 Paranormal Rob, Aug 10, 2017
  9. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    In that case, you might want to do a couple of controlled tests......without the distraction of all the car wash equipment........where you pull into a parking lot when the battery gauge is near the top and put it in N and actually time it to see how long before the warning comes on.

    Peoples "gut feeling" about the passage of time often is WAY off.
     
    #9 Sam Spade, Aug 10, 2017
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    was it going at all?
     
    #10 bisco, Aug 10, 2017
  11. Paranormal Rob

    Paranormal Rob Active Member

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    Soft cloth car washes only take 2-3 mins.There is no "gut feeling". Cars are in front and behind so its quick.

    AC was on about 75 degrees and it was 83-84 today, cooler than it has been lately.

    I already did a test in my driveway. Parking brake on, foot off brake, in neutral. After 10 mins it dropped 2 bars, similar to when I sit in the Uber airport queue in park.

    I also coasted in neutral on long gradual downhill roads and never saw the battery level drop.

    I expected to drop some, but not from the 2nd-3rd line from the top down to 1 bar and a light popping up just by going from one end of a soft cloth wash to the other.

    I suppose another workaround would be to put it in maintenance mode first.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #11 Paranormal Rob, Aug 10, 2017
  12. Paranormal Rob

    Paranormal Rob Active Member

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    I have an unlimited wash subscription so tomorrow or Saturday I'll video record it and time it to get exact data.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #12 Paranormal Rob, Aug 10, 2017
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i can't imagine what 'magnetic fields' inside a car wash would do to the battery charge. i've never gone through one, but it has been reported here many times over the years.
     
    #13 bisco, Aug 10, 2017
  14. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    Something doesn't add up here.

    3 minutes is 3 minutes.
    The fact that it's going through the car wash should be NO different than your driveway test.
    Sitting in PARK is different though as it will run the ICE to recharge the battery as needed.

    I know that you will reject this idea out of hand but the most likely "cause" of this is that the observer has made a slight mistake in "recording" the details of the event.

    A "work around" should NOT be necessary.
     
    #14 Sam Spade, Aug 11, 2017
  15. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    And most all of those "reports" are from people who don't realize that the battery is not being recharged when in Neutral.
     
    #15 Sam Spade, Aug 11, 2017
  16. Paranormal Rob

    Paranormal Rob Active Member

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    And you don't know that. You're assuming.
     
    #16 Paranormal Rob, Aug 11, 2017
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  17. Paranormal Rob

    Paranormal Rob Active Member

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    I did some more searching and found this as well, although just turning everything off seems just as easy. Either way, I'll turn off anything I can using power and see what happens. I thought the 12v battery controlled all of that anyway, not the hybrid battery.

    "You can actually put the car in IG-ON and in neutral. This would eliminate the HV battery draw, and assuming the blower and other accessories were off, wouldn't tax the 12V battery either."
     
    #17 Paranormal Rob, Aug 11, 2017
  18. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    Give it a rest, Rob.
    Yes I DO know that because I remember a lot of the message threads that resulted.
     
    #18 Sam Spade, Aug 11, 2017
  19. NavyLCDR

    NavyLCDR Active Member

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    Well...if the A/C is on, don't the A/C control sensors also sense humidity? Could the increased humidity in the car wash cause the A/C to run at higher power, increasing the electrical load?
     
    #19 NavyLCDR, Aug 11, 2017
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  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    good thought.(y)

    any draw on the 12v is recharged by the hybrid battery, so that would be a wash.
     
    #20 bisco, Aug 11, 2017
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