Prius on a low battery

Reply to: "GaryS"
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 01:16:31
Subj: Prius on a Low Battery

I just read your article about running out of gas in the Prius. Last weekend I had an experience that produced a similar result, probably with a higher stupid factor than your story. we were doing yard work and listening to the Prius radio. I had thought I put it on the first level of accessories power that runs the radio (pushing the "Start" button once without pushing on the brake) but I had put it on the second level, the one that runs the power windows (pushing the button twice). After a while I realized that the music had stopped, and went to see what had happened. Like yours, my Prius did not want to shut off, and the whole instrument display lit up like Christmas. It also would not restart. i left it alone for fifteen minutes, and it did restart, but the gas gauge light was down to one flashing light block. I knew I had three "blocks" of gas when I parked the car earlier that day. When I backed out onto the street, the three blocks came back, so that was a function of parking on a sloped driveway, but as I drove to the gas station, I noticed that the speedometer was registering speeds much higher than I knew I was going. I thought, "Oh, great! I've toasted the computer that controls the speedometer!" It was still doing the same thing on my way to work the next morning, although otherwise it was behaving normally. When I got to work, I Googled for various keywords that might relate to the speedometer, and found the comment on your Cheers and Jeers page about the MPH \ KmPH toggle button, and I knew what the problem was. I don't know if I hit the button, or if the low power caused it to flip to a default or what. In any case, when I got back to the car at lunchtime, sure enough, one push of the button and my problem was solved! Thanks for that particular "Jeer". It was just the clue I needed.

Like you, in spite of the idiosyncrasies, I love the car. Even if it didn't get the mileage, I just like the car.

Thank you for the laugh -- and for writing to me about your outta-gas experience. And, glad my Cheers & Jeers page proved useful. [snip]

I often have the other problem: Thinking I'm starting the car and finding out that I didn't press the brake hard or long enough, and winding up smack-dab in that first level.