Since 7pm there has been a new Toyota Camry Hybrid idling away in the car park. We don't know who owns it.

It is currently 0130am and it's still going. Head lights and driving lights on, A/C on.

I checked the car out, it is locked. There is a message on the dash display that say's "key not detected", so I guess it has a proximity key.

Why it's still going without the key around is bizzare.

I have also called the rental car company who owns it. They said they would send someone around to look at it. Waiting, waiting.

 

So we're taking bets on how long we think it will last. I'm guessing it will run out of fuel first (full tank), but the pistons and bores will be nicely glazed.

 

Anyone want to take a guess at this?.

Edited March 7, 201115 yr by clubby2084

3am still going. It's getting a bit warm around this car.

at 5am it was still going.

 

At 0530am it had switched off, or been switched off.

 

Wonder if the person who rented it would be liable if the things cooked.

 

Jeez, I've heard of Commodores and Falcons with their "auto off" head lights not turning off and flattening batteries...

haha thats too funny,

 

must be that wet up in Darwizzle they wanted to get out, which rental company was it through, sounds like an hertz job?

 

the funny thing about hybrids is you don't even know they are on, good thing they don't have hydrogen cars as mainstream

This evening I managed to speak to the bloke who rented it.

It has only ever used it's petrol engine since he picked it up (this can be explained by using the A/C on full).

But he said that for the last day and a half the petrol engine will not turn off when the stop button is pressed.

Europcar told him to take the key and walk away, this would stop the engine once the key was out of range. It didn't.

He told me the Camry had been idling away all day at his work as well (he joked that at least the A/C was cold when he got back to the car).

He was going to tell Europcar to shove the petrol bill as well. Since he can't turn the thing off why should he pay for all that wasted fuel. He's got a point but, knowing rental companies - good luck.

 

It is currently in the car park and all is silent, he managed to switch it off.

 

You might be right Nisrola, maybe the electrics got a soaking.

well that sucks, and I did not know they brought in hybid cars for the rental companies in the NT,

 

the Europcar in Alice Springs still has all the luxury models, for what reason i don't know why as they all get red dust on them

 

surprise he did not take it back and swap it, or he might not know how to select the park gear, tricky little shifters