Originally Posted by xspirit (Post 251072)

I only turn the key to "on" for about a second and let go of it. That's long enough to initiate the built-in start sequence.

I find that I can turn the key for as short a time as humanly possible (in other words not even 1 full second -- more like an 1/8 of second) and the dash light indicates it's ready to go. I'm reasonably sure turning the key for 1 or 2 seconds is no problem .... but you needn't go that long, the computer got the message in a fraction of a second.
Remember, it's just sending a signal to the computer that you want to "start" the car. The response may well be to turn on the dash light and that's all (at least from the driver's perspective). You are not "Starting the car" as in a non-hybrid vehicle. That is cranking the engine -- we don't do that. We let the computer decide when to use the 'big' (traction) battery to turn the electric motor (94HP) to start the gas engine when it feels like it.

Originally Posted by xspirit (Post 251072)

I only turn the key to "on" for about a second and let go of it. That's long enough to initiate the built-in start sequence.

I find that I can turn the key for as short a time as humanly possible (in other words not even 1 full second -- more like an 1/8 of second) and the dash light indicates it's ready to go. I'm reasonably sure turning the key for 1 or 2 seconds is no problem .... but you needn't go that long, the computer got the message in a fraction of a second.
Remember, it's just sending a signal to the computer that you want to "start" the car. The response may well be to turn on the dash light and that's all (at least from the driver's perspective). You are not "Starting the car" as in a non-hybrid vehicle. That is cranking the engine -- we don't do that. We let the computer decide when to use the 'big' (traction) battery to turn the electric motor (94HP) to start the gas engine when it feels like it.