Turning off your Prius while refeuling?

Owner's manual says to TURN IT OFF!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Aug 10 2006, 01:10 PM) [snapback]300903[/snapback]</div>

I can't spell I meant Aerated

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Aug 10 2006, 08:24 PM) [snapback]301197[/snapback]</div>

I've owned lots of cell phones. I know people who have owned lots of cell phones. I have yet to hear one person to get a shock from a metal case on a cell phone. Also on the Mythbusters, a simple spark did not ignite the gas.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ekpolk @ Aug 10 2006, 05:40 PM) [snapback]301208[/snapback]</div>

Maybe the RX400h allows air conditioning for the occupants in the "ready to fill" mode.
Now that would be . . . um . . . cool. B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ekpolk @ Aug 10 2006, 04:43 PM) [snapback]301173[/snapback]</div>

Dang! You took away all my thunder in the response I was going to give regarding all the “stay put†you could get.

Marine Pilot? I salute you!

Have you considered a Prius Tailhook? That makes for a good ground and extra “stay put.†:lol:

20 plus years in Naval/Naval Reserve Aviation here. EA-6B, C-9, C-130 as either a Plane Captain, Loadmaster, CDI/QAR or various combinations. I have also fueled more than my share of transient F-14s, A-6s, Harriers, OV-10s, etc. So, I know that “checking the brakes†does not always mean they are set. <_< Chocked – YES!

And in those 20+ years, I have never come across an aircraft which had a parking pawl in a transmission which was connected to the wheels. :lol:

Since I live in the relatively flat Sacramento Valley, setting the parking brake is mostly an exercise in futility. I am more likely to drive away with the parking brake set, than the possibility of the parking pawl breaking loose on flat ground. Stastically, I think the boob in the SUV vs. non-set parking brake is a more likely event, but if they hit the car that hard, I do believe the car would be totaled . . . and if a broke parking pawl helps total THAT car . . . good . . . I don't want it back.

I save my parking brake components for the times when they are truly needed . . . and then, I really think about what I am doing . . . curb tire, brake hard, set parking brake firmly, turn car off, release brake (pedal).

 

its not that hard, just press the damn power button...lol

theres always a chance the engine will start running for no reason...

the other day i was in the car, in P, all of a sudden the engine started, i was like what the..then i realize that i step on the gas pedal a little bit, lol

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AlphaTeam @ Aug 10 2006, 10:32 PM) [snapback]301238[/snapback]</div>

Hi Alpha,

No, you would not feel the shock, as the current would be spread out over the large area of the phone in your hand. The spark would go from the metal of the phone to the metal of the car.

 

Patrick:

Yep, except for my training command time, all EA-6Bs for me (VMAQ-2, Det X). I'm still learning my Prius, but oddly enough, I haven't found the tailhook yet . Now, it's been 15 years since I last "unstrapped", and I seem to have forgotten where the "Park" selector was. I do remember, however, that it was sort of a standing challenge to see if you could convince new guys that it was possible to push start a CH-46. A Frog friend of mine once explained how they'd do it -- shortly after getting the guillible subjects pushing (best done to a group of new guys), the crew would fire up the APU and begin the start sequence. Evil. . . I stayed reserve after I left and went to law school. Served in Motor-T while a student, and became a Judge Advocate after that. One day last year, much to my surprise, and proving that no system is perfect they actually promoted me to Colonel. I got recalled in January 2003, and I'm still on, but should be getting to go home this fall to reopen the law practice. Nice to hear from a shipmate. Oh yeah, my last aviation related duty: Director of Standardization and Safety at the 4th Marine Air Wing (the reserve wing) in 03 and 04 -- so yes, I'm the preachy safety guy -- and I still think you should do everything you can to lock your car in place when you gas up! If you won't do that, leave your hook down for some extra drag. . .

PSG
=============================================================
AlphaTeam:

Mythbusters is a fun show; I really enjoy it when I get the chance to watch it, but I'd hardly credit them with doing "hard science." To me, this whole thing is a lot like wearing your belts (you do wear them, don't you). We wear them knowing that on any one trip, the chance of a crash is very low, but if it happens, the magnitude of possible harm is great (easily death). Again, perhaps the awful and unforgettable experience of seeing friends being treated for 3rd degree burns alters one's perspective, but I simply can't imagine NOT doing the easy things to avoid the risk of being unexpectedly roasted out front of a convenience store for everyone to see. The chances at any one time of a "light off" are pretty low, but that's not going to be much consolation to the guy (or gal) who loses the bet and finds themselves in a burn ward (if they're lucky...).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jtullos @ Aug 9 2006, 04:02 PM) [snapback]300402[/snapback]</div>

Interesting. I admire your attempt at safety, but with some cars, you are less safe getting in and then back out. If there is a charge difference between the car and the ground, you can become a conductor on the way out and ignite something. Also, consider the source of static electricity -- remember rubbing a balloon on your arm? Think about dragging yourself across the seat -- same thing. I've had plenty of cars that when I stand up getting out and my leg touches the door jamb, I feel a small shock. I've also read that you should not get in and out of your car while refueling, probably for these reasons. Where I live, in fact, by law you cannot leave the pump unattended.

///d@

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusRos @ Aug 10 2006, 12:33 PM) [snapback]300919[/snapback]</div>

That should reduce the odds, but on a bad day the fumes might by chance be blowing to the spot you're going to touch. It's safest not to have anyone getting in or out of the car during fuelling.

 

i would think common sense would say turn off the car when refueling...

 

I would like to see just ONE instance where a cell phone caused a gas pump to ignite. OK it is maybe "possible" but it is possible I could find a winning lottery ticket blowing down the street too.

I would think it would be more dangerous to fuel during a lightning storm. Or what about all those other cars that are coming and going? It is possible that the guy on the other side of the pump is all full of electrons when he touches the metal on the pump and boom you go.

While I know Mythbusters isn't hard science I can tell you they have done tons more testing of these things than some idiot that says..."Well there is electricity in a cell phone so therefore a spark could happen and blow up the whole world"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumbleweed @ Aug 10 2006, 10:06 AM) [snapback]300812[/snapback]</div>

The power really is too small to worry about. The origin of the cell-phones-cause-car-fires myth is this: people start the gas pump, and then get into and out of the car to get their cell phone. In doing this they can create a static spark, and if they're unlucky that spark ignites the gas fumes. Recounting events later, they say, "well, I was using my cell phone and all of a sudden BOOM!". The critical details of getting into and out of the car are forgotten or omitted from the account because they're too routine. Viola.

 

Here's another video for you all.

Basically a real-life example of why you should always ground yourself before removing the fuel nozzle from your car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3x-8tj49ac

Regards,

-- Ian

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ian MacDonald @ Aug 12 2006, 10:00 PM) [snapback]302396[/snapback]</div>

A nice clear example. Thanks!

 

. . . Another one who's (maybe I should say "who was") "too cool for school" and couldn't be bothered by following the instructions and warnings. Good thing she didn't inadvertently give the handle a squeeze while she was trying to figure out what to do with the hose. . .

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AlphaTeam @ Aug 12 2006, 12:03 PM) [snapback]302152[/snapback]</div>

(...snip...)

Sure, no question, both would be very low probability events (though I suspect those who assess probabilities for a living would count the latter as lower...). Just think, though: millions of folks (including me from time to time) modify their behavior in response to even the low probability of winning, that is, they purchase lotto tickets anyway, even knowing that hell will probably freeze over before they actually hit it. For me, while I am occasionally willing to try my luck with the "powerball", I am unwilling to do the same for the fireball. . .

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(archermoo @ Aug 10 2006, 08:15 PM) [snapback]301193[/snapback]</div>

You can also be sure that the ICE won't start if the Prius is in N. The benefit is that then you don't have to go through the warm-up mode again, which happens any time the Prius is turned off.

And my mom, who was almost run over from a driverless car, can tell you that gas pumps are NOT alway on a level surface. The lady getting gas left the car without the parking brake on and the car turned off, the car rolled away from the pump, across a busy road, through a small hedge, just gently touching one person's back bumper, and ramming my mom's car, pushing it into a brand new Cadillac. My mom had just a second earlier walked past the point of impact, and was holding the door handle when the car was hit. The people at the business my mom was at said that was the third car they've seen do that. And it turned out to be a nightmare dealing with the lady's rotten insurance company to try to get the car fixed.

It is a law, at least in Florida, that the parking brake should be on if you are not in the car.