Jump starting from portable jump start units

justifyd · 03-10-2007, 09:51 PM

Just a question that popped into my head...

I've been reading threads about the unique issues with jump starting a Prius. I see a number of people have mentioned using a portable jump start unit to jump the Prius via the hookup under the hood. That led me to wonder if anyone has tried to jump their Prius using one of the portable units that connects to the 12V power outlet inside (cigarette lighter). If so, did it work?

Not that I'd ever want to have to jump it, but it would be pretty cool to be able to do it without having to pop the hood or crawl into the cargo area.

And just in case that is a really stupid question, I should mention my Prius hasn't been delivered yet, so that's my excuse!

Thanks!

- Justifyd

Frank Hudon · 03-10-2007, 11:40 PM

this has been discussed before and as the power sockets are off with the key off there is no way to do it with out the mod to make the socket live when the key is off. Do that and your set.

Bill Merchant · 03-11-2007, 12:36 AM

Welcome to PriusChat, Justifyd!

What Frank means is that the 12V outlets in the car are switched; turn the car off, the outlets are disconnected. Since you need the 12V battery to turn the car on, if it's dead then the outlets can't feed power back to the 12V battery. If you modify one or both outlets to be not switched, that is, directly connected to the battery, you could theoretically jump-start the car in the manner you suggested.

On the other hand, if you leave your cell-phone charger or iPod charger plugged in to the non-switched outlet, it would be a lot easier to run down the 12V battery.

The 12V battery dying is not a problem for most people.

Let us know when you get your Prius!

jayman · 03-12-2007, 08:44 PM

First of all, as it is delivered from the dealer, you cannot use a cigarette lighter jump start gadget to boost the Prius. All the outlets are switched, so when the car is powered down, or completely dead, you cannot use the cigarette lighter plug. Or even pop the hatch, as the release is electric. You must crawl through the rear, take off the trim piece, and manually release the hatch.

However the underhood jump start point works. You really shouldn't try to boost a conventional car or truck with the Prius, there is too much risk of damage, especially if the other driver attempts to crank their half-frozen V8 with your Prius hooked up to it.

I purchased a Canadian Tire 700 cranking amp portable booster, and so far have used it a dozen times. This winter especially was bitterly cold, with many -35 or colder nights. It wasn't unusual to come across a dead car or minivan or pickup at an intersection, the owner frantically trying to get a boost.

My Canadian Tire booster box worked fine, and I was careful to fully recharge it after every use, or at least once a month. Several cars still wouldn't start though, they just cranked, possibly a frozen fuel line.

I'd sooner cook my Canadian Tire booster box, full price around $120, than the Prius.

justifyd · 03-13-2007, 09:50 PM

Wow. Thanks for all the wonderful feedback!

That makes perfect sense to me. I don't think I've ever driven a vehicle with full-time accessory mode -- I think there is an official term for it -- but I know more and more vehicles have that capability. Given the small Pb battery in the Prius, I definitely see the wisdom in not having full-time accessory power.

I love those portable jump start kits. I originally bought one to serve as a power source for field charging battery packs for electric radio-controlled airplanes, but I keep it in the car "just in case."

And since Bill asked... I'm picking up my Prius on Saturday. 2007 Touring package #2, Barcelona Red w/Gray interior, tint, splashguards, rear bumper protector, and cargo net. Man, will that be a change from a '92 Paseo!

- Justifyd

Bill Merchant · 03-13-2007, 10:00 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Justifyd @ Mar 13 2007, 07:50 PM) [snapback]405137[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

And since Bill asked... I'm picking up my Prius on Saturday. 2007 Touring package #2, Barcelona Red w/Gray interior, tint, splashguards, rear bumper protector, and cargo net. Man, will that be a change from a '92 Paseo!

- Justifyd[/b]

Congratulations! You're gonna love it!

Charles Suitt · 03-14-2007, 11:00 AM

Howdy Justifyd

Previous responses are right on. The likely reason that Toyota made the 12v accessory outlet {"Cigarette Lighter"} off when the Prius is in "Ready" mode, is the potential of depleting the 12v auxiliary battery - it's about the size of a motorcycle battery and a plugged-in accessory could run it down.

If you're curious, you might want to open the hatch and take a look for yourself at the 12v battery, it might surprise you how small it is. It's a little tricky to check it - you can find a diagram in your Owner's Manual - Section 8-2 'DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCE - Checking 12 volt battery exterior' {Pages 414-415 in the 2007 Manual}. Getting the small cover off you need to slide it forward and pull up.

In over 2½ Prius years, I've had no 12v battery problems, even after leaving the Prius parked for over 2 weeks at a time. I do suggest turning the "Smart Key System" off when leaving the Prius parked for extended periods.

anu73 · 12-03-2007, 09:03 PM

Hi All,

Any recommendations for which portable jump start kit to buy so that I can jump my Prius myself.

I saw the Black & Decker with 300
http://www.blackanddecker.com/Produc...roductID=15581

Is it good to have one?

Thanks
Anu

Boo · 12-03-2007, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anu73

Hi All,

Any recommendations for which portable jump start kit to buy so that I can jump my Prius myself.

I saw the Black & Decker with 300
http://www.blackanddecker.com/Produc...roductID=15581

Is it good to have one?

Thanks
Anu

I love them. They allow you to jump your own car, and are a lot easier and more flexible than jumper cables to use to jump another person's car.

I try to keep a fully charged unit in my car at all times.

The Black & Decker one you linked to looks fine. I personally have one made by Vector that's very similar. If I were you I would just get the cheapest one you find with 300 amps or more of starting power. I think that they typically sell for around $40 - $50, but are frequently on sale or discounted for much less or around half their normal selling price.

Bob64 · 12-04-2007, 12:23 AM

I've read that the prius does not require many amps to jump... All it needs is 12 volts... I've read elsewhere that it was possible to "jump" it with a handful of AA batteries...

Also, a word of caution. Do NOT jump the prius backwards. It will be one of the most expensive mistakes of your life. I've read that if you jump it backwards, theres a high chance that the main computer and stuff will get fried.

03-11-2007, 12:36 AM	#3
Bill Merchant absit invidia Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA \| Oregon \| Portland area \| 97004 \| Posts: 4,100 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #5 Thanks: 18 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts Friends: 60	Welcome to PriusChat, Justifyd! What Frank means is that the 12V outlets in the car are switched; turn the car off, the outlets are disconnected. Since you need the 12V battery to turn the car on, if it's dead then the outlets can't feed power back to the 12V battery. If you modify one or both outlets to be not switched, that is, directly connected to the battery, you could theoretically jump-start the car in the manner you suggested. On the other hand, if you leave your cell-phone charger or iPod charger plugged in to the non-switched outlet, it would be a lot easier to run down the 12V battery. The 12V battery dying is not a problem for most people. Let us know when you get your Prius! __________________ Bill Bill.Merchant@PortlandHSD.info 2007 NL 5 Silver Wraith • 2005 BC 6 Silver Cloud Portland Area HSD Meetup Group: PortlandHSD.info Become carbon neutral: Carbonfund.org or TerraPass.com > < Follow me on

03-12-2007, 08:44 PM	#4
jayman Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Posts: 11,560 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: B Thanks: 35 Thanked 184 Times in 167 Posts Friends: 12	First of all, as it is delivered from the dealer, you cannot use a cigarette lighter jump start gadget to boost the Prius. All the outlets are switched, so when the car is powered down, or completely dead, you cannot use the cigarette lighter plug. Or even pop the hatch, as the release is electric. You must crawl through the rear, take off the trim piece, and manually release the hatch. However the underhood jump start point works. You really shouldn't try to boost a conventional car or truck with the Prius, there is too much risk of damage, especially if the other driver attempts to crank their half-frozen V8 with your Prius hooked up to it. I purchased a Canadian Tire 700 cranking amp portable booster, and so far have used it a dozen times. This winter especially was bitterly cold, with many -35 or colder nights. It wasn't unusual to come across a dead car or minivan or pickup at an intersection, the owner frantically trying to get a boost. My Canadian Tire booster box worked fine, and I was careful to fully recharge it after every use, or at least once a month. Several cars still wouldn't start though, they just cranked, possibly a frozen fuel line. I'd sooner cook my Canadian Tire booster box, full price around $120, than the Prius. __________________ 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser 5AT "C", Sun Fusion

03-14-2007, 11:00 AM	#7
Charles Suitt Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 1,624 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #6 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Friends: 0	Howdy Justifyd Previous responses are right on. The likely reason that Toyota made the 12v accessory outlet {"Cigarette Lighter"} off when the Prius is in "Ready" mode, is the potential of depleting the 12v auxiliary battery - it's about the size of a motorcycle battery and a plugged-in accessory could run it down. If you're curious, you might want to open the hatch and take a look for yourself at the 12v battery, it might surprise you how small it is. It's a little tricky to check it - you can find a diagram in your Owner's Manual - Section 8-2 'DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCE - Checking 12 volt battery exterior' {Pages 414-415 in the 2007 Manual}. Getting the small cover off you need to slide it forward and pull up. In over 2½ Prius years, I've had no 12v battery problems, even after leaving the Prius parked for over 2 weeks at a time. I do suggest turning the "Smart Key System" off when leaving the Prius parked for extended periods. __________________ Charles Suitt Dallas Texas 2007 Touring Edition (Former Prius: 2004)

12-03-2007, 09:03 PM	#8
anu73 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Black & Decker 300 Instant Starting Amps? Hi All, Any recommendations for which portable jump start kit to buy so that I can jump my Prius myself. I saw the Black & Decker with 300 http://www.blackanddecker.com/Produc...roductID=15581 Is it good to have one? Thanks Anu

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03-10-2007, 09:51 PM	#1
justifyd Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 61 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Just a question that popped into my head... I've been reading threads about the unique issues with jump starting a Prius. I see a number of people have mentioned using a portable jump start unit to jump the Prius via the hookup under the hood. That led me to wonder if anyone has tried to jump their Prius using one of the portable units that connects to the 12V power outlet inside (cigarette lighter). If so, did it work? Not that I'd ever want to have to jump it, but it would be pretty cool to be able to do it without having to pop the hood or crawl into the cargo area. And just in case that is a really stupid question, I should mention my Prius hasn't been delivered yet, so that's my excuse! Thanks! - Justifyd

03-10-2007, 11:40 PM	#2
Frank Hudon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 4,144 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	this has been discussed before and as the power sockets are off with the key off there is no way to do it with out the mod to make the socket live when the key is off. Do that and your set.

03-13-2007, 09:50 PM	#5
justifyd Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 61 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Wow. Thanks for all the wonderful feedback! That makes perfect sense to me. I don't think I've ever driven a vehicle with full-time accessory mode -- I think there is an official term for it -- but I know more and more vehicles have that capability. Given the small Pb battery in the Prius, I definitely see the wisdom in not having full-time accessory power. I love those portable jump start kits. I originally bought one to serve as a power source for field charging battery packs for electric radio-controlled airplanes, but I keep it in the car "just in case." And since Bill asked... I'm picking up my Prius on Saturday. 2007 Touring package #2, Barcelona Red w/Gray interior, tint, splashguards, rear bumper protector, and cargo net. Man, will that be a change from a '92 Paseo! - Justifyd

12-04-2007, 12:23 AM	#10
Bob64 Sapphire of the Blue Sky Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,132 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: N/A Package: #2 Thanks: 3 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts Friends: 0	I've read that the prius does not require many amps to jump... All it needs is 12 volts... I've read elsewhere that it was possible to "jump" it with a handful of AA batteries... Also, a word of caution. Do NOT jump the prius backwards. It will be one of the most expensive mistakes of your life. I've read that if you jump it backwards, theres a high chance that the main computer and stuff will get fried.