Posted by Chris Shearer Cooper on October 30, 2005, 3:36 pm
The guy who sold us our Prius said we should never use it to jump-start
another vehicle, as the Prius electrical system just wouldn't be able to
handle it. Anybody else heard this? Is this the "official" Toyota line?
Also got us wondering, my wife usually leaves her cell phone plugged into
the car's "power port" (what us old folks call the cigarette lighter), but
now we're wondering if that would be a bad idea ...
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Chris
Posted by Bill on October 30, 2005, 4:27 pm
> The guy who sold us our Prius said we should never use it to jump-start
> another vehicle, as the Prius electrical system just wouldn't be able to
> handle it. Anybody else heard this? Is this the "official" Toyota line?
The Prius has a small 12V battery. It's in the back on the curb side.
Probably not adequate for jumping a big V6 or V8.
> Also got us wondering, my wife usually leaves her cell phone plugged into
> the car's "power port" (what us old folks call the cigarette lighter), but
> now we're wondering if that would be a bad idea ...
> Thoughts?
Won't drain the battery if that is your concern. These outlets are turned
off when the car is shut down.
> Thanks!
> Chris
>
Posted by Michelle Steiner on October 30, 2005, 4:31 pm
> The guy who sold us our Prius said we should never use it to
> jump-start another vehicle, as the Prius electrical system just
> wouldn't be able to handle it. Anybody else heard this? Is this the
> "official" Toyota line?
Pretty much, yes; the 12 volt battery is not as powerful as in a regular
car because it doesn't have to be. For one thing, it doesn't start the
engine.
> Also got us wondering, my wife usually leaves her cell phone plugged
> into the car's "power port" (what us old folks call the cigarette
> lighter), but now we're wondering if that would be a bad idea ...
No problem there; the port is disconnected when the power is off. The
phone doesn't use that much electricity, so there's no problem when the
car is running.
--
Stop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush.
Posted by Mike Rosenberg on October 30, 2005, 4:44 pm
> The guy who sold us our Prius said we should never use it to jump-start
> another vehicle, as the Prius electrical system just wouldn't be able to
> handle it. Anybody else heard this? Is this the "official" Toyota line?
It's true, the Prius uses a 12V battery with a lower capacity than
normal cars since it's not used to crank the engine.
>
> Also got us wondering, my wife usually leaves her cell phone plugged into
> the car's "power port" (what us old folks call the cigarette lighter), but
> now we're wondering if that would be a bad idea ...
Not a problem, since the ports are turned off when the car is turned
off. I also leave my cell phone, as well as an MP3 player, plugged in
all the time.
--
Mike Rosenberg
<http://www.macconsult.com> Macintosh consulting services for NE Florida
<http://bogart-tribute.net> Tribute to Humphrey Bogart
Toyota Prius fans: Check out alt.autos.toyota.prius
Posted by G on October 30, 2005, 11:19 pm
> > The guy who sold us our Prius said we should never use it to jump-start
> > another vehicle, as the Prius electrical system just wouldn't be able to
> > handle it. Anybody else heard this? Is this the "official" Toyota
line?
> It's true, the Prius uses a 12V battery with a lower capacity than
> normal cars since it's not used to crank the engine.
It's not ? Does that mean the big battery cranks the engine?
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> another vehicle, as the Prius electrical system just wouldn't be able to
> handle it. Anybody else heard this? Is this the "official" Toyota line?