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

[davaguco]

I left my Prius 2, which only has 12 months, and 4000 miles, in the parking lot for 12 hours.

When I came back, the fob wouldn't work. The remote opening wouldn't work either. I had to open the door with the emergency key.

When I pressed the power on button, nothing would happen. No lights, no sound, no response... the car was absolutely dead.

What can I do? Is it a problem of the 12v battery? or the 400v? Can a Prius 2 be started with jumper cables on the 12v battery? Or should I just call the Toyota official dealer?

Please help, I really don't know what to do. Thank you very much,

David.

[Jack 06]

1. You can jump-start it (look in manual).

2. If something were REALLY wrong with it, you have free Roadside Assistance. Do you have that documentation (phone #) in the glove box?

Let us know. You may have just left a ceiling light on.

[GreenMachine]

Sorry to hear that. It must be very frustrating especially since the Prius is a bit more complicated to jump start and unfamiliar to most emergency service drivers.

I'm beginning to wonder how many PCers have had the same experience? I've even thought of having a jump start drill as one of the first things I do when I get my new Prius. A Poll perhaps?

I would use the free roadside assistance as Jack suggests.

[DanMan32]

Although it is unlikely that it would have helped, did you put the fob in the slot in the dash when you tried to power up? Did the dome lights light when you opened the door?

Without putting the fob in the slot, the fob's battery is needed to operate SKS. Putting the fob in the slot eliminates the fob's battery as a possible problem since it is not needed in this case.
If the dome light does not light and it is not set to off, and the map/personal lights do not light, that confirms a discharged 12V aux battery. A jump should recify that situation.

If the lights do light, and you put the fob in the slot, an the car still will not power up, you have bigger problems, and the dealer will need to get involved.

[Jack 06]

Originally posted by GreenMachine@Dec 23 2005, 05:11 AM

I'm beginning to wonder how many PCers have had the same experience?  I've even thought of having a jump start drill as one of the first things I do when I get my new Prius. 

I would use the free roadside assistance as Jack suggests.

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Everyone should at least look for the contact point on their new Prius, in daylight.

We must admit that run-down 12V batteries is, in terms of the number of people it happens to, one of the worst Prius features.

Funny thing---here's this dead, dinky little battery, two ft. away from a live, much more powerful battery. Isn't there a way Toyota could engineer an emergency self-jump start between the two?

[richard schumacher]

Originally posted by Jack 06@Dec 23 2005, 02:37 PM
Funny thing---here's this dead, dinky little battery, two ft. away from a live, much more powerful battery.  Isn't there a way Toyota could engineer an emergency self-jump start between the two?

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Yes, but it would not have been safe and cheap, because such a system would have to bypass the relay which isolates the traction battery when the car is off. Every user would bear the cost and risk of a system which would benefit a small number of users infrequently.

[Anitacy]

Our Prius did not start on 4 different occasions this month. I took it to the dealer, who kept insisiting there was nothing wrong with the battery. Would recharge it and send us on our way. On the fourth time, I called the Toyota Corp, and explained the situation. They called the dealership. I don't know if the battery was good or not, the dealer now stated that it had lost some of its charge overnight and gave us a new battery. We are hoping this was the problem. Since we just had the new battery installed on the 23rd, we will have to wait a week to see what happens. The irony is that on Nov 30, we took it for its 10,000 mile maintenace and the first time it didnt' start was Dec. 5th. The dealer insists there is no relationship, but every 4-5 days since then, the engine would not start. Of course, they tried saying we left things on. I can remember when we left the radio on, the heater on in our previous Toyota and it never affected anything, but we made sure to turn everything off. The service manager asked if we left a directional signal on? Has anyone else had a problems with their battery.

We had excellent service from the road service provided by Toyota for the Prius, and AAA gave us mixed messages, first restarting it once and then saying they didn't jump hybrids.

[IMHYBRID]

I wonder why the service people always point the finger at the customer? I thought we were always right!!!

[tumbleweed]

Originally posted by Anitacy@Dec 25 2005, 10:41 AM
Our Prius did not start on 4 different occasions this month.  I took it to the dealer, who kept insisiting there was nothing wrong with the battery.  Would recharge it and send us on our way.  On the fourth time, I called the Toyota Corp, and explained the situation.  They called the dealership.  I don't know if the battery was good or not, the dealer now stated that it had lost some of its charge overnight and gave us a new battery.  We are hoping this was the problem.  Since we just had the new battery installed on the 23rd, we will have to wait a week to see what happens.  The irony is that on Nov 30, we took it for its 10,000 mile maintenace and the first time it didnt' start was Dec. 5th.  The dealer insists there is no relationship, but every 4-5 days since then, the engine would not start.  Of course, they tried saying we left things on.  I can remember when we left the radio on, the heater on in our previous Toyota and it never affected anything, but we made sure to turn everything off.  The service manager asked if we left a directional signal on?  Has anyone else had a problems with their battery.

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If you had it in four times for this simple problem and they still didn't realize something was bad I would suggest you find another dealer to service your Prius. Now that they have finally replaced your battery that will most likely fix the problem. If it still does the same thing it must be: 1. something is drawing the 12V battery down, or 2. it is not being charged. Both of these things should be easy to check and they should have checked them the first time you had it in.

[castlecain]

Originally posted by tumbleweed@Dec 25 2005, 01:03 PM
If you had it in four times for this simple problem and they still didn't realize something was bad I would suggest you find another dealer to service your Prius.  Now that they have finally replaced your battery that will most likely fix the problem.  If it still does the same thing it must be: 1. something is drawing the 12V battery down, or 2. it is not being charged.  Both of these things should be easy to check and they should have checked them the first time you had it in.

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When I bought my Honda Insight, it had been in pipeline and on the lot for 11
months with hardly any test drives. This put a year on the factory 12v battery at the time I bought the car. It looked like a motorcycle battery.
I had a vhf ham radio in the car a year later, while working with a friend
P.I., and we were on a steakout. I had a hand held radio also in the car communicating with him while I was hidden behind some high bushes on
a suburban street watching the subject. I was listening to my XM radio while
I watched and videotaped. After about 15 minutes, I heard my cassette adaptor for the XM eject itself. I tried to start the car; my 12v Honda battery had run down. Wow. What to do?
I was supposed to follow this subject as he left the business he was in.
I let the car roll back down a long hill, and parked it near a guy walking his dog.
I asked where the nearest service station was and he told me two blocks down and
around. I jogged down there, rented a booster box for a 20 dollar deposit, and
jogged back and started the car. Didn't miss the subject we were following when
he left, and completed the job.
The next day, I went to Autozone, purchased the largest battery with the longest
warranty, and the higest amps, which would fit in the tray. After that, I could
sit for a day or two and listen to XM or forget to turn of my ham receiver.
I have never had much luck with original equipment batteries.
When my 2005 Prius ownership is entering the spring, I probably will be looking for a high amp battery for it. I certainly will replace it before a years time, just
as an upgrade. In addition, I want to install my 750 amp inverter in the rear
and I don't think that's a good idea with a factory battery. They just don't last
that long.
Rod