Help!! My Prius 2 won't start!!

[MNPrius]

Originally posted by richard schumacher@Dec 28 2005, 10:44 PM
Leaving the rear hatch ajar is an easy way to drain the 12V battery because the hatch light does not shut itself off.  However, if you try to lock the car with the hatch ajar, the car will complain at you and save you from a drained battery.

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That is why I always lock the car, even in my garage. Then I know everything is a-ok. Good tip Richard (I think it may be in the users manual too- the Prius is out at a hockey game right now, so I can't check that).

[priusham]

When I jumped my Prius this week, I THOUGHT the fuse box was going to be difficult to open because the molding for the latches looks really complicated.

Yet, all I did was squeeze the side of the cover and it lifted right off. I mean, I was actually suprized at how simple it was. I'm not sure what problems you others are having with it, but it surely was not at all 'difficult" to remove or replace.

[andyprius]

Originally posted by priusham@Dec 29 2005, 10:15 PM
When I jumped my Prius this week, I THOUGHT the fuse box was going to be difficult to open because the molding for the latches looks really complicated.

Yet, all I did was squeeze the side of the cover and it lifted right off.  I mean, I was actually suprized at how simple it was.  I'm not sure what problems you others are having with it, but it surely was not at all 'difficult" to remove or replace.

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We probably all tried everything but squeezing

[richard schumacher]

It's true: Japanese are smarter than European Americans.

[Charles Edward Walter]

Originally posted by priusham@Dec 29 2005, 10:15 PM
When I jumped my Prius this week, I THOUGHT the fuse box was going to be difficult to open because the molding for the latches looks really complicated.

Yet, all I did was squeeze the side of the cover and it lifted right off.  I mean, I was actually suprized at how simple it was.  I'm not sure what problems you others are having with it, but it surely was not at all 'difficult" to remove or replace.

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After reading your post I went out and squeezed that cover for 10 minutes. All I got was cold hands. Where and how did you squeeze?
Thanks in advance for your reply.

[Oxo]

Originally posted by Charles Edward Walter@Jan 5 2006, 09:47 AM
After reading your post I went out and squeezed that cover for 10 minutes. All I got was cold hands. Where and how did you squeeze?
Thanks in advance for your reply.

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The discussion on this is now partly on today's topic: "How do you get the fuse box cover off, to find jump terminal in a hurry?"

The latest instruction by KMO sounds like the right answer but I'll try it in the morning as it's now dark and 30F outside.

[wnck1]

I have had three occasions over two years when my Prius battery drained and I could not start my car.

The first time, I was waiting in the parking lot for someone, listening to the radio, for about 30 minutes, with the car off otherwise. Apparently that was enough to drain the battery. A jump start worked right away.

The second time, I sat in my car at a beautiful park in the spring to eat lunch. No radio, nothing on at all. However, I had just stopped and turned off everything, but I had not gotten out. An hour or so later, the car battery was dead. Another jump start worked well.

The third time, the car was parked in my garage overnight. Everything was off - even every light. However, I had accidently left the smart key in the car. I have noticed that when the smart key is in the car, and the car is off, the security key light on the dash flashes. So I think the smartkey left in the car drains the battery even when everything else is off.

Has anyone else observed this?

I have never had the battery go dead when I stop the car and get out with the key.

[richard schumacher]

That light also flashes when the key is not present, but after a battery has been drained thrice it will never be the same again. Always lock the car when you park it and you will avoid most of the common drain-the-battery scenarios. If you stop to listen to the radio or use other accessories leave the car ON ("Ready") and in Park.

Check the 12V battery voltage at the jump points under the hood. With the car OFF it should measure 12.6 V to 12.8V. Less than 12.0V means it's near death. If you don't have a voltmeter use the selftest procedure given here:
Checking 12v Battery Health - Hybrid Car Forums

[Joannerice]

Message deleted

[chazman]

My '05 wouldn't start today. Recently had lots of cool, wet weather. However, it did give me some "warning."

I finally started it after reading this forum for 10 minutes, and TURNED OFF BOTH (dim) DOME LAMPS AND THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH/TAIL LAMPS, switched off the SmartKey under the steering column, and closed the doors to lessen drain on the 12V battery. Waited a minute for it to recover.

Powered right up. My cheapo Radio Shack tester showed the battery was OK after that, but I know better than to push my luck. Michigan winter's on its way.

For the last month or so, when I would Power Off, about 50% of the time I got a single beep AFTER everything had shut off. The other half of the time it just shut off normally. The last time I shut it off, I sat listening to the radio for a while.

I had the same results as some others here -- lots of screwy green blinking gages, exclamation point, flashing boxes, wouldn't turn off, Park lamp lit by itself, etc. Those are the kinds of things computers do if they don't have enough supply voltage; they just act totally screwy. The 12V battery supplies the computers/electronics, dome and door lamps, radio, heater fan, tail lamps, locks . . .

Car is now 4+ years old, 75,000 miles. It got a stone-dead battery after a fender bender caused a short a year ago. That's really hard on any battery.

So, after being run dead once, and being nearly 5 years old (which is about as long as ordinary 12V car batteries usually last), it's clear I need a new 12V battery.

Unfortunately, I've learned that the dealer is the only place to get this peculiar little gem.

However, in all fairness, I don't know of any other car that can have a dead battery, then start fine 10 minutes later.