Hibernation mode

[aspman]

Was advised to put car in hybernation mode.Not getting alotta drive time for 4.5 months.In NC law says don't drive for 6 months after seizure...May 15 is my liberation day.... any tips on how to do this.

[One Viper Bite]

Sorry to hear and hope you get better.

Cycle through your main instrument cluster display to the icon that looks like a power button. Then push the right arrow button on your steering wheel. This will begin a countdown to hibernation mode. Then that's really it.

It will remain in hibernation mode until you unlock the vehicle and start it up again.

[aspman]

Thanks was curious how to get out too as we will be going to Cars and Coffee etc...wife is driving....shes actually very good but it does scare the crap outta her...as it should,,,,be careful with Stryker Purple baby!

[aspman]

[QUOTE=aspman;400920]Thanks was curious how to get out too as we will be going to Cars and Coffee etc...wife is driving....shes actually very good but it does scare the crap outta her...as it should,,,,be careful with Stryker Purple baby!

[aspman]

sorry...posted twice.

[TA Two Oh]

I'll add one thing just in case anyone else out there is as stupid as I am. The first time that I used hibernation mode, my battery was dead the next time I tried to start it.

Obviously, the car has to be on - not running, but powered up- to call up hibernation. I incorrectly had assumed that after the countdown, it would hibernate. Turns out that after the countdown, you have to then shut off the power; it doesn't automatically do it on its own. Lesson learned.

And while I'm sharing my dead battery mistakes, I might as well add one more. I have some battery maintainers that just plug into the power receptacle in the cabin. They're convenient, because you needn't open the hood or hatch, you don't need to find a ground or remove a panel to get at the battery etc. Well, it turns out that the power receptacle that I chose the first time isn't energized unless the car is "on." So my maintainer wasn't able to do its thing. (It showed a green light, which indicates "fully charged" but of course what that really means is that it's not actually charging.) There may be one power outlet that's energized all the time as well, I don't recall. But now I either connect the maintainer to the battery or just disconnect the negative terminal.

A couple of final points:

With a dead or disconnected battery, you need to use the key inside your fob to open the hatch to gain access to your car. And in hibernation mode, I believe that the proximity feature for unlocking is disabled so you have to actually press the unlock button on your fob to gain access.

[swexlin]

I use hibernation mode, every time, in addition to battery tender. Hibernation mode will help for a couple weeks, but keep it on a tender as well. My car sits for weeks at a time.

"Turns out that after the countdown, you have to then shut off the power; it doesn't automatically do it on its own."

Correct, you need to power the Start switch back to Off. A message will then come up on the dash when you open the door to get out, that Hibernation Mode is engaged.

[aspman]

thanks for the tips?...Who has a good tender?

[swexlin]

I use Battery Tender Plus. Simple and reliable.

[uvbnbit]

Good info. I wondered what I was doing wrong, sometimes the Hib mode would show up, sometimes it wouldn't. And I also assumed after the countdown, the mode would start.

[Bryan Savage]

I've never tried Hibernation Mode. I just use a 12V, 750mA Battery Tender if it's going to be more than a few weeks. Got mine on Amazon for about $30.

[ViperNC]

I'll have to admit I feel somewhat unintelligent when it comes to the hibernation mode. I've used that mode a couple of times and frankly never certain if I have set it correctly after the countdown. You have to cycle past the "ON" mode for the car back to "OFF" and it makes me think I took the car out of hibernation mode. It would be more intuitive if the car automatically shut completely off after the countdown rather than staying in AC mode. I forgot to put the Viper in Hibernation after my last drive about 10 days ago and we have had so much rain that I finally was able to take the car out today and the battery barely had enough juice to turn over the 9.0L, but luckily it fired and then charged right back up. Guess we'll see if I have to go buy a batter tender in the near future.

[512BB]

Made a spare key for the trunk and a quick battery disconnect doohikey from Amazon and I am all set! On a side note, you cannot lock your doors when the car is in hibernation mode, which sux for me as I don't have a private garage :-)

[pMak26]

You can hook up your tender to the battery terminal on the fuse block under the hood, and chassis ground the ground (2nd pic below).

Easy hookup. (3rd pic below)

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[swexlin]

You have to cycle past the "ON" mode for the car back to "OFF" and it makes me think I took the car out of hibernation mode. It would be more intuitive if the car automatically shut completely off after the countdown rather than staying in AC mode.

Yep, gotta cycle the button. As I said above, you'll know if it worked, because when you open the door to get out, the message will appear in the dash. But I always use a tender as well.

[BLUVENM]

In a couple of weeks or so, I will take procession of a '13 Launch Edition GTS and it will immediately go into storage as I expect there to be a few feet of snow on the ground here in upstate NY. I located an online manual and it looks like I should engage hibernation mode, disconnect the battery and attach a battery tender. She is going to be in storage until April/May, but I do anticipate dropping by every other week or so to start her up and move her around so the tires don't get flat spots. Does that sound about right?

[Lost me beer]

I just use a tender, always. Mine gets out about once a month maybe. Any reason to use hibernation mode and a tender? What does the hib mode actually help with that the tender lacks?
Troy

[swexlin]

I just use a tender, always. Mine gets out about once a month maybe. Any reason to use hibernation mode and a tender? What does the hib mode actually help with that the tender lacks?
Troy

Probably nothing, but I'm super careful. LOL! Hib mode helps for no tender usage for a couple weeks - but if real cold, and weeks on end in no hib mode - car will be difficult to start...I found that out a few years ago.

[BLUVENM]

Probably nothing, but I'm super careful. LOL! Hib mode helps for no tender usage for a couple weeks - but if real cold, and weeks on end in no hib mode - car will be difficult to start...I found that out a few years ago.

Thank you swexlin. I was just going by what I read in the manual. I have never had the need to put a car in storage until now and don't want to screw it up.

[swexlin]

You're welcome. My car can sit for weeks at a time - even in summer, I use tender+hibernation mode every time I park it - unless I know it's only going to be for an overnight, which is rare.