Even if he left it in neutral I would think he'd have to leave something on that draws a large amount of power (such as the A/C) for this to happen.

On second thought I'd hope that in this circumstance the car would shut off, start running the A/C using the ICE or do something else to keep the battery from discharging. A big deal is made of keeping the battery's SOC within range to maximize battery life.

 

Does anyone know can this car sit when i am overseas for a few months? if not can a person charge the big volt battery and how? The 12volt battery can be keep up with a battery tender (float) charger but what about the killer battery?? If not why didn't they put a trickle charger and a cord on it??

 

Floating the 12V battery should be fine. The hybrid battery should be ok sitting for a few months. I would park it with a high SOC showing as it will loose about half of its SOC sitting for a few months.

The Toyota Camry Hybrid Emergency Response Guide states on page 13:

High Voltage Safety System

Positve and negative high voltage power cables connected to the HV battery pack are controlled by 12 Volt normally open relays. When the vehicle is shut off, the relays stop electrical flow from leaving the HV battery pack.

WARNING:
The high voltage system may remain powered for up to 10 minutes after the vehicle is shut off or disabled.

 

The car was towed wasn't it?
Can you even get the car out of park without at least putting the car into IG-ON mode?
Then you put the car in neutral to tow it.
You can't get the car out of IG-ON mode unless the car is in Park (I believe).
So your car was basically in IG-ON mode while towing and probably a while longer while it sat at the dealership.
If you had the A/C on even in ECO mode you can depleat things in under an hour.
Could this be the scenario?
J

 

thanks Nash

 

Schmidtj! You got it the switch was left on other wise he says they put it into neutral and pushed it out of the garage, how on a dead battery? because car must be in Park to shut off right? I just tried mine and if you leave out of park and shut offpower button the yellow light stays lit on the power switch, when everything shut off it is green. I woyuld say this may have drained the battery.

 

You guys bring up an interesting point. I was not home when the tow truck driver arrived. I had to get to work. My retired mother who lives close by came over to my house to wait for the tow truck - I gave her the keys as I flew out the door on my way to work in another car. It is possible the car was on during the tow to the dealer. However if you try to leave the car in that mode and take the key away it starts beeping and making noise. I'll have to question the service tech when I pick the vehicle up if the system was on when it arrived at the dealership and if the key was inside the car, or with the tow-truck driver in the cab of his truck.



To get the car in neutral I had to have the key on me, foot NOT on the brake, and press the start button twice. That freed up the gear shift to get it in nuetral. I left it that way just long enough (maybe a minute or two) to push the car out of my garage into the drive way. BTW this car is heavy! After moving the vehicle I returned the car to park and turned off the power.



I'm a bit worried about the big battery. I know for optimum life you are not supose to completely charge or discharge it.

skywagon, I'd go thru the manual if I were you. I recall reading that the car should not sit for more than two weeks without being driven or you could risk completely discharging the big battery. I don't have my manual in front of me or I'd look up the page # for you.

 

skywagon, I'd go thru the manual if I were you. I recall reading that the car should not sit for more than two weeks without being driven or you could risk completely discharging the big battery. I don't have my manual in front of me or I'd look up the page # for you.
i cannot find anything in the manuel that states that, may need to buy a service manuel. The dealer must have a way to charge the big battery, there is an orange plugin in front of the battery, I have had this out and it looks like a place to plug in a charger. certainly folks will be leaving these cars sit for a period of time, what if you are confined to a hospital bed? calling a tow truck under such conditions is going to get costly unless a person hooks an auto start on it activated by telephone but you would need a way to shut it off also, this would start the engine and charge big battery. there has to be a failsafe way to do this and I will find out how lol

 

The traction battery can go for months.
You MAY be thinking of the Prius which has an issue with the smartentry beacon draining the 12V battery after two weeks if left enabled. The Prius has an off switch for the smartentry system for just that reason. The TCH is smart enough to disable smartentry if it's unused and well before the 12V battery is depleted.
J

 

Thanks Schmitt, i am talking about the big battery not the 12 volt as i have that covered with a battery tender that hooks up with a quick connector that stays on the battery. Just wait a few months i have a feeling some one will come out with a tender for the big battery.