Data Head Plus Two Way Radio Help

[offashead]

Hi folks, I'm new. However, I have been lurking for sometime.

I have bought a Auris hybrid sporting tourer, 14 plate with only 5,000 miles on clock. This car is to be used on the PH circuit as a taxi. Now, I know there is numerous posts about the 12 volt Battery and it's limitations, I also know that to keep the thing from going flat I need to keep the vehicle in ready mode.

The problem if there is a problem is connecting the radio/ data head/ meter to the power. My theory is, I may be able to use the cig lighter in the boot to run some of this gear, as when I am in the car sitting about the car will be in ready mode and the socket will be live- If you get my drift. When I am finished or go for a walk round town the lighter socket will go off and the radio/data head will go off too?

I know Grumpy has had this work done on his ex Prius but alas he's gone to the Leaf. Another way is to run the equipment straight off the 12 volt Battery, but , will it work or will it go flat? On another note the meter will have to draw power from somewhere too. At this point I will point out that I am not doing this work myself but trying to help the tech who is. He has fitted a meter to a Prius before but not a radio/data head. Great forum by the way and has really helped me with my decision to buy a hybrid.

Thanks.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Grumpy Cabbie may have swapped his Prius for a Leaf, but as far as I'm aware they still have an IQ and he has also been a frequent poster in the IQ forum - so he may still be around ..........

[Smiling Taxi]

Got my head unit and sat nav wired in via a std double usb adapter to a permanent live feed fitted to the left and below of the steering column by an auto electrician in about 15 mins, no problems at all - btw good choice of car, great for our work !!

[offashead]

Got my head unit and sat nav wired in via a std double usb adapter to a permanent live feed fitted to the left and below of the steering column by an auto electrician in about 15 mins, no problems at all - btw good choice of car, great for our work !!

Thanks for the replies. I have discussed the issue with the tech and he should be able to run both the meter and radio/head off the Battery. Once the equipment is turned off there should be no trickle so no discharge of the Battery. As I have pointed out he has experience with the Prius and has installed five meters to the hybrid before.

The Toyota dealers were of little use in this department but luckily for me I have a friend who used to be a tech for Toyota who knows hybrids inside out. I will keep updating this topic as it may come in useful in the future. I will also no doubt get involved in further discussions on the merits or otherwise of the Auris hybrid as a working taxi/ car.

There doesn't seem to be much info on the net about the Auris as regards to long term use as a taxi, this may help that.

Regards Oh.

[offashead]

We have now completed the task and the equipment is working fine, the power for the data head has been taken from the Battery, the meter from somewhere under the dash. The car seems fine at the moment. However, I need some info on the touch and go sat nav though.

It seems impossible to enter a house number. I can input address but no house number of the street, road etc. Is this normal?

The Auris Hybrid itself is very nice, very comfortable and the easiest car I have ever driven. My fuel consumption after two days of non taxi work incorporating mixed A roads, B roads and some urban driving is 64.5 mpg, quite astonishing. I have been through the various modes and eco seems ok to me, also I have used the B mode to good effect going down steep-ish hills. These drives have been mainly me and occasionally the other half, she likes it too.

The speedo which I know comes up for some stick on here seems fine and quite easy to read and judge, I do understand that some people may not see it very well, but I'm fine. In summary and after two days of ownership, I'm hooked. To be continued.

[Joseph D]

... I have used the B mode to good effect going down steep-ish hills. ..

Just a note on B mode (at the risk of sounding like a broken record) ...

The idea with B mode is to reduce the amperage load into the Battery so it takes longer to fill it. Generally there is not anywhere in the UK (although there are few) where you would really need to use it, but if you think of the alps in Europe, where you are going down hill for 15-20 minutes or more, that is for what the designers envisaged B mode.

My rule of thumb is that, after completing a long descent (a long descent would be descending 1500 ft or more), if the Battery is not full, then you don't need to use B mode. You are better to apply more regen by riding the brake pedal (as there is no risk of overheating your brakes, as in a non-hybrid, due to using regen rather than the disk brakes) so that you capture more energy and charge up the Battery more. The thing to remember with B mode is that it does give a better braking effect, but it does this by reducing regen and increases engine braking.

[offashead]

Hi Joseph. Thanks for the info. I did notice there was no charge when using B mode which I though quite odd at the time but after your explanation I can now see why, still very interesting though. Very similar to using the breaking system in LGV vehicles when descending steep hills.

[PeteB]

... I have used the B mode to good effect going down steep-ish hills. ..

...The idea with B mode is to reduce the amperage load into the Battery so it takes longer to fill it...

there may be an element of that but I always understood from the days of my 2000 X-reg Mk 1 Prius was the main purpose was to give a method of controlling the vehicle on steep descents.

Despite this, the original brochure described it as giving "more aggressive" regenerative braking, which many misunderstood to mean 'better' from the point of view of capturing extra energy. I was misled too until some teccy pioneers hooked up an ammeter and proved less energy flowed to the Battery in B mode.

A couple of trips to Scotland and one to Isle of Man in my second Mk 1 Prius gave lots of opportunity to use B mode - indeed my Battery never maxed out in over 60,000 miles until my first Scottish trip.

The other two circumstances where I found it useful was to give extra control on snow and ice, and to help cruise control stay close to the set speed on some undulating hills on the A10 in Hertfordshire on the journey to work I had at the time (only on the Mk1 was CC available whilst in B mode). Gen 3 Hybrids (like the current Prius, Auris and Yaris versions) have much more powerful deceleration when in CC, which feels much like the Mk 1 did in CC+B.

[Joseph D]

... was the main purpose was to give a method of controlling the vehicle on steep descents. ...

I just reread my post and I can't believe that I left out this info. Of course you are 100% correct. That is it's no 1 purpose.

[johalareewi]

... the original brochure described it as giving "more aggressive" regenerative braking, which many misunderstood to mean 'better' from the point of view of capturing extra energy.

Interestingly, when we were looking at the hybrid Yaris, the MrT salesperson told us that B mode boosts the Battery. When I said "er. no it doesn't" I was told that that is what they are taught on their salesperson training at head office so it must be corrrect.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

... the original brochure described it as giving "more aggressive" regenerative braking, which many misunderstood to mean 'better' from the point of view of capturing extra energy.

Interestingly, when we were looking at the hybrid Yaris, the MrT salesperson told us that B mode boosts the Battery. When I said "er. no it doesn't" I was told that that is what they are taught on their salesperson training at head office so it must be corrrect.

Palmface.

[offashead]

Took the Auris hybrid to Matlock Bath yesterday ( non work) with the wife. I really like the car, it's comfortable, very forgiving over dodgy roads and seems powerful enough for my needs. There were lots of hills, up and down, loads of minor roads and I mean minor, plus plenty of duel carriage ways most notably the A38. The car produced an average mpg of 64.5 with my eco level at 72 mpg.

Which brings me to my next question. The average and the eco readings. Not sure what these mean?

I will point out that before I drove taxis I was a fleet trainer, driving instructor, driving instructor trainer. I worked with the I.A.M, Aldi, Ocado, BT, Eon and numerous other big companies training, assessing company drivers including van drivers of various nationalities. executives and salesman etc. One of my duties was to instil eco driving techniques into their driving habits. Therefore driving something like a hybrid comes very natural to me as this sort of driving is what I preached. So, the hybrid system is something that comes very close to my ideal form of transport involving a car. I sold the business years ago to chill out, play more guitar and live a more relaxed way of life, I am now considering a Narrow boat as my next change of lifestyle as I need to get out the rat race for good.