Sitting Idle - GreenHybrid

backupguy · #1 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 09:10 AM

This may seem like a silly question, but what happens if I am parked with the TCH in "ready" mode (turned on) for a long period of time.

I was sitting in my car in Ready Mode playing around in the car, talking on the phone and the battery just kept getting lower and lower. The ICE never really kicked in to charge things.

What happens if I sit like this too long? Will the battery die? Will the ICE keep things charged?

As an example, my wife goes into a store to shop and I want to sit in the car (with the AC on) until she returns to the car. Am I hurting the car or risking a dead battery?

haroldo · #2 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 09:15 AM

eventually the ICE will turn on...and, if you are a mileage fanatic, you will turn the car off

the battery has a self protection mode, so that if it runs down too low, the ICE turns on

sitting with the AC on wont kill the car

mikieboyblue · #3 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 09:16 AM

If you wait long enough, the ICE will start and charge the battery. In your example using the AC, it will run for about 15 minutes, then the ICE will start (this assumes full or near full battery starting out).

jbollt · #4 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by backupguy

This may seem like a silly question, but what happens if I am parked with the TCH in "ready" mode (turned on) for a long period of time.

I was sitting in my car in Ready Mode playing around in the car, talking on the phone and the battery just kept getting lower and lower. The ICE never really kicked in to charge things.

What happens if I sit like this too long? Will the battery die? Will the ICE keep things charged?

As an example, my wife goes into a store to shop and I want to sit in the car (with the AC on) until she returns to the car. Am I hurting the car or risking a dead battery?

The ICE will eventually come on, usually as the battery guage gets to 2 bars (green) on the NAV display. Once it gets a few bars up in the blue, it will then shut off, continuing to cycle this way.

mikieboyblue · #5 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 12:53 PM

Haha, we're good...one post per minute -- from 8:15 - 8:17 AM (whatever timezone that is).

duanerw · #6 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 08:35 PM

I was driving on us 75 and hit a construction zone and it took me 45
min. to go 8 miles.most of the time the ice was off and when the battery got low the engine would re charge the battery. I really enjoyed sitting there using only a little gas.I felt bad for the others sitting there using one heck of a lot of gas.