Help: Dead battery?

kaufmans5 · 07-28-2007, 09:45 PM

We returned from a one week vacation today and my husband's 2006 Prius will not start. Actually nothing lights up on the dash at all. Neither key fob gets a reaction from the car. I'm not very mechanically inclined, but after reading through the manual and everything I could find on this forum about the 12v battery, I'm guessing he has a dead battery? Does that sound right? Any other ideas?
If his battery is dead, can we use the 12v battery on my Prius to jump his Prius? The manual says only use a 12v battery to jump start. The only other vehicle ready at hand is a 99 Sienna.
Thanks.

qbee42 · 07-29-2007, 11:21 AM

Most likely you have a dead 12V battery, and yes, you can jump one Prius from another. The procedure is well documented in the manual. There is a jump point in the fuse box under the hood, so there is no need to get into the hatch and reach the physical battery location.

Most likely a light was left on or a door or hatch was left ajar. I always lock my Prius, just to make sure all the doors are properly shut. It beeps to complain if they are not.

Tom

richard schumacher · 07-29-2007, 11:27 AM

Ditto the always-lock-it advice.

12V batteries are standard. You can use any car to jump start a Prius (well, maybe not a Trabant or a 40-year-old Citroen, but most cars). Come to think, it might be especially easy to jump it with another Prius because then you can be very sure that you have the polarity correct, because the connections for each cable will be identical at both ends.

And not to scare you unduly but be *very careful* to get the polarity correct! Getting it backwards can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to any modern car, especially a Prius as it has more computers than most. Follow the procedure in the owner's manual.

kaufmans5 · 07-29-2007, 10:01 PM

Thanks for the help. We successfully jump started the car (using the Sienna). We also discovered that our son had left the dome light on, which would explain the drained battery. We used the car to run a bunch of errands after we started it, so hopefully the 12v is recharged and the car will start again in the morning. I appreciate the advice. Son has been chewed out re the dome light!!!

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07-28-2007, 09:45 PM	#1
kaufmans5 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	We returned from a one week vacation today and my husband's 2006 Prius will not start. Actually nothing lights up on the dash at all. Neither key fob gets a reaction from the car. I'm not very mechanically inclined, but after reading through the manual and everything I could find on this forum about the 12v battery, I'm guessing he has a dead battery? Does that sound right? Any other ideas? If his battery is dead, can we use the 12v battery on my Prius to jump his Prius? The manual says only use a 12v battery to jump start. The only other vehicle ready at hand is a 99 Sienna. Thanks.

07-29-2007, 11:21 AM	#2
qbee42 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 5,642 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 6	Most likely you have a dead 12V battery, and yes, you can jump one Prius from another. The procedure is well documented in the manual. There is a jump point in the fuse box under the hood, so there is no need to get into the hatch and reach the physical battery location. Most likely a light was left on or a door or hatch was left ajar. I always lock my Prius, just to make sure all the doors are properly shut. It beeps to complain if they are not. Tom

07-29-2007, 11:27 AM	#3
richard schumacher nacreous lacquer Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,126 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Ditto the always-lock-it advice. 12V batteries are standard. You can use any car to jump start a Prius (well, maybe not a Trabant or a 40-year-old Citroen, but most cars). Come to think, it might be especially easy to jump it with another Prius because then you can be very sure that you have the polarity correct, because the connections for each cable will be identical at both ends. And not to scare you unduly but be very careful to get the polarity correct! Getting it backwards can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to any modern car, especially a Prius as it has more computers than most. Follow the procedure in the owner's manual.

07-29-2007, 10:01 PM	#4
kaufmans5 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Thanks for the help. We successfully jump started the car (using the Sienna). We also discovered that our son had left the dome light on, which would explain the drained battery. We used the car to run a bunch of errands after we started it, so hopefully the 12v is recharged and the car will start again in the morning. I appreciate the advice. Son has been chewed out re the dome light!!!