No Power & Bad Tow

lisamarie05 · 03-31-2007, 03:48 PM

The facts:
2007 Prius
Bought used from dealership rental department w 7k miles.
Certified Used Toyota
Owned since Aug. 2005
Current milage @ 47k
Was Just in for 45k servicing.
Drove car yesterday. No problems

Today keyless entry would not work as I went to enter car.
I first thought I forgot to lock car then noticed all doors locked.
I always use keyless, until today.
Opened Manually, placed key fob(sp?) in slot pushed power and nothing.
Completely dead.
Called Toyota Roadside Assistance , they sent tow truck.
Driver first asks me to put car in Neutral, told him I could not since no power.
He look befuddled and admitted when asked he had never towed a Prius.
He turned wheel to straighten wheels and said let me try and push it.
He started and car did not move, I thought.
I stopped him explaining, the park button.
I also said I feared park being engaged and pushing car may cause damage. He got down behind car looking to hook chains up.
He asked if I was going to dealership. When I responded "no" he had paperwork for me to sign and said I owed $20.
I asked him not to move car.
Called Toyota RSA back they canceled driver.
They are arranging for Tow Monday.
Trying to find info on no power and tow, I found the front wheels should be on dolly and I may have avoided problems by not letting the guy tow car.
However, I noted the car has been dragged @12" or so.
Called TRSA and registered the issued and made sure note was with call order about wheel dolly needed.

The QUESTIONS:

1) Anyone have their car just dead in parking space? Any clues.

2) What kind of damage should I have the dealership looking for due to tow truck driver pushing/puling it?

Thanks in advance for the info.

Magnus1 · 03-31-2007, 04:01 PM

its fairly obvious that the 12 v battery has died, mostlikly due to a light being left on. there have been MANY threads on this subject. have you tried a jumpstart?!

Godiva · 03-31-2007, 04:07 PM

There's also a tow hook that goes in the hole in the front bumper.

I'd look at just replacing the 12 volt or even seeing if a jump would at least get me to a place to buy and install a battery. Look in the manual for where the 12 volt is and how to jump.

donee · 03-31-2007, 05:14 PM

Hi All,

This story reminds me of a new guy at work. He bought his first car, a new Honda Civic (standard model, not a hybrid). He left something on (or hooked in) and ran down the battery the second week of owning it. They tried to jump it for him in the parking lot at work without success. Apparently there is a lockout in the Civic's that once the battery has been depowered for some time, the car is imoblilized. Stick the key in the lock, and it pops on for a second and then everything goes off. Some kind of security feature (er bug). After a tow to the dealership, where they reinitialized the computer its worked fine for him.

Luckily the Prius does not have this feature. LMN your 2007/2005 Prius should be able to have the battery jumped and work fine.

lisamarie05 · 03-31-2007, 06:47 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Mar 31 2007, 05:14 PM) [snapback]415641[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Hi All,

This story reminds me of a new guy at work. He bought his first car, a new Honda Civic (standard model, not a hybrid). He left something on (or hooked in) and ran down the battery the second week of owning it. They tried to jump it for him in the parking lot at work without success. Apparently there is a lockout in the Civic's that once the battery has been depowered for some time, the car is imoblilized. Stick the key in the lock, and it pops on for a second and then everything goes off. Some kind of security feature (er bug). After a tow to the dealership, where they reinitialized the computer its worked fine for him.

Luckily the Prius does not have this feature. LMN your 2007/2005 Prius should be able to have the battery jumped and work fine.
[/b]

**TonyPSchaefer** · 03-31-2007, 07:53 PM

I needed a jump once. Still have no idea how I managed to drain the battery.

I would not try moving the car unless the person has towed Prii in the past.
The front wheels MUST be elevated.
If they can't get the jumper cables to the little bolt or the metal piece under the hood, use the jumper cable to hold a long, large screwdriver (or similar object) and use it to touch the pole. Worked like a charm on mine.
I would do everything in my power to jump the car before I would allow a tow.

Good luck and keep us posted.

lisamarie05 · 03-31-2007, 09:37 PM

DEAR DONEE & MAGNUS1,
I was hoping for a more insightful response and I feel a bit talked down to here . I'll just write that off to miss reading DONEE's "new guy story" and just ignore the obvious comment.

DEAR Godiva,
Thanks for the advice. I did see the tow hook info after the fact. I'm having another service come with a wheel dolly Monday, since that is the recommend in the manual. I'm now concerned damage may have been done since the tow guy dragged it, possibly with chains, from the rear.

I know the 12V is dead but if a jump was the easy answer then why didn't the Toyota Roadside Assistance provider jump me? I'm not going to mess with it when I have a 3-year-old sitting in the car. And why does Toyota conract with folks who do not understant the vehicle? I called them so I did not need to be a do-it-yourself.

More importantly why did the battery drain. The interior lights were not turned on and it's not like you can leave the headlights or radio on once you turn the car off. In fact you can't lock the car from the outside, with keyless on, while the car is running. So what would have drained the battery?

Have a great day and thanks for taking the time to reply Godiva.

FYI, my dealership salesperson is great! Almost two years after purchase, he drove over tonight to loan me his car since the rental dep. was closed and I'm stuck with a 3-year-old and without transportation.

XOXOXO
LMN
Owner of 2005
Thinking of adding a 2007 to the collection soon.

Bill Merchant · 04-01-2007, 12:51 AM

Hi LMN. I can understand your frustration with Toyota Roadside Assistance sending an incompetent tow driver. I really doubt anything was damaged by a 12" drag. You are very lucky to have such a good salesperson.

One source of battery drain, that might affect a two year old 12V battery more than a new one, is the light in the cargo area. If it's on and the hatch doesn't close completely, the light can burn and not be seen easily if the tonneau cover is pulled. More than a few members have discovered this.

**Tideland Prius** · 04-01-2007, 01:00 AM

LMN, yes I had my battery die on me

yes, you can have the lights on after you turn off the car.

Why didn't he jump it? No idea. Should've asked the tow guy lol. When I called Toyota Roadside Assistance, they sent a tow guy and he jumped the 12V immediately.

As for damages, just check the parking prawl. It should be okay but you never know. If your parking brake was on, it shouldn't matter since it's no different than driving while pressing the brakes or driving with the parking brake on so no worries there.

Other than that, there should be no problems.

I think the tow guys just make a big deal out of the Prius. It's the same as any other FWD car. Every FWD car I've seen that was towed has been towed with the front wheels off the ground. If it wasn't, it was on a flatbed. I've never seen a FWD car towed by the rear wheels.

Tom6850 · 04-01-2007, 07:27 AM

I know your upset, try not to be so sensitive. By the way, how did you buy a 2007 in Aug 2005?

03-31-2007, 07:53 PM	#6
TonyPSchaefer Ruler of Omicron Persei 8 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Far-North Chicagoland Posts: 8,418 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #9 Nominated 4 Times in 2 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 16	I needed a jump once. Still have no idea how I managed to drain the battery. I would not try moving the car unless the person has towed Prii in the past. The front wheels MUST be elevated. If they can't get the jumper cables to the little bolt or the metal piece under the hood, use the jumper cable to hold a long, large screwdriver (or similar object) and use it to touch the pole. Worked like a charm on mine. I would do everything in my power to jump the car before I would allow a tow. Good luck and keep us posted. __________________ Proud father of Priapus: the '04 Tideland BC9 with an OEM EV button and sense of self-righteousness >>Current Mileage<< Spreading information and passing gas in the Greater Chicagoland area

04-01-2007, 01:00 AM	#9
Tideland Prius Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 13,909 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: B Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 11	LMN, yes I had my battery die on me yes, you can have the lights on after you turn off the car. Why didn't he jump it? No idea. Should've asked the tow guy lol. When I called Toyota Roadside Assistance, they sent a tow guy and he jumped the 12V immediately. As for damages, just check the parking prawl. It should be okay but you never know. If your parking brake was on, it shouldn't matter since it's no different than driving while pressing the brakes or driving with the parking brake on so no worries there. Other than that, there should be no problems. I think the tow guys just make a big deal out of the Prius. It's the same as any other FWD car. Every FWD car I've seen that was towed has been towed with the front wheels off the ground. If it wasn't, it was on a flatbed. I've never seen a FWD car towed by the rear wheels. __________________ 2005 Tideland Pearl Premium Package as of 25th Oct 2004 VVT-i Emblem, Sport Pedals, OEM All-Weather Mats, Cargo Mat, EV Mod, JDM Prius Interior Footwell Lighting, DICE iPod Integration Kit, LED licence plate lights, Phillips Vision Plus 2008 smart fortwo passion coupé as of 28th Apr 2008 Foglights, dash pods, leather seats, OEM rubber mats, BRABUS alum. handbrake, LED licence plate lights & dome lamp

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03-31-2007, 03:48 PM	#1
lisamarie05 Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 5 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	The facts: 2007 Prius Bought used from dealership rental department w 7k miles. Certified Used Toyota Owned since Aug. 2005 Current milage @ 47k Was Just in for 45k servicing. Drove car yesterday. No problems Today keyless entry would not work as I went to enter car. I first thought I forgot to lock car then noticed all doors locked. I always use keyless, until today. Opened Manually, placed key fob(sp?) in slot pushed power and nothing. Completely dead. Called Toyota Roadside Assistance , they sent tow truck. Driver first asks me to put car in Neutral, told him I could not since no power. He look befuddled and admitted when asked he had never towed a Prius. He turned wheel to straighten wheels and said let me try and push it. He started and car did not move, I thought. I stopped him explaining, the park button. I also said I feared park being engaged and pushing car may cause damage. He got down behind car looking to hook chains up. He asked if I was going to dealership. When I responded "no" he had paperwork for me to sign and said I owed $20. I asked him not to move car. Called Toyota RSA back they canceled driver. They are arranging for Tow Monday. Trying to find info on no power and tow, I found the front wheels should be on dolly and I may have avoided problems by not letting the guy tow car. However, I noted the car has been dragged @12" or so. Called TRSA and registered the issued and made sure note was with call order about wheel dolly needed. The QUESTIONS: 1) Anyone have their car just dead in parking space? Any clues. 2) What kind of damage should I have the dealership looking for due to tow truck driver pushing/puling it? Thanks in advance for the info.

03-31-2007, 04:01 PM	#2
Magnus1 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 15 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	its fairly obvious that the 12 v battery has died, mostlikly due to a light being left on. there have been MANY threads on this subject. have you tried a jumpstart?!

03-31-2007, 04:07 PM	#3
Godiva AmeriKan Citizen Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 10,008 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #1 Nominated 3 Times in 2 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 6	There's also a tow hook that goes in the hole in the front bumper. I'd look at just replacing the 12 volt or even seeing if a jump would at least get me to a place to buy and install a battery. Look in the manual for where the 12 volt is and how to jump.

03-31-2007, 05:14 PM	#4
donee Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,536 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #2 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Hi All, This story reminds me of a new guy at work. He bought his first car, a new Honda Civic (standard model, not a hybrid). He left something on (or hooked in) and ran down the battery the second week of owning it. They tried to jump it for him in the parking lot at work without success. Apparently there is a lockout in the Civic's that once the battery has been depowered for some time, the car is imoblilized. Stick the key in the lock, and it pops on for a second and then everything goes off. Some kind of security feature (er bug). After a tow to the dealership, where they reinitialized the computer its worked fine for him. Luckily the Prius does not have this feature. LMN your 2007/2005 Prius should be able to have the battery jumped and work fine.

03-31-2007, 09:37 PM	#7
lisamarie05 Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 5 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	DEAR DONEE & MAGNUS1, I was hoping for a more insightful response and I feel a bit talked down to here . I'll just write that off to miss reading DONEE's "new guy story" and just ignore the obvious comment. DEAR Godiva, Thanks for the advice. I did see the tow hook info after the fact. I'm having another service come with a wheel dolly Monday, since that is the recommend in the manual. I'm now concerned damage may have been done since the tow guy dragged it, possibly with chains, from the rear. I know the 12V is dead but if a jump was the easy answer then why didn't the Toyota Roadside Assistance provider jump me? I'm not going to mess with it when I have a 3-year-old sitting in the car. And why does Toyota conract with folks who do not understant the vehicle? I called them so I did not need to be a do-it-yourself. More importantly why did the battery drain. The interior lights were not turned on and it's not like you can leave the headlights or radio on once you turn the car off. In fact you can't lock the car from the outside, with keyless on, while the car is running. So what would have drained the battery? Have a great day and thanks for taking the time to reply Godiva. FYI, my dealership salesperson is great! Almost two years after purchase, he drove over tonight to loan me his car since the rental dep. was closed and I'm stuck with a 3-year-old and without transportation. XOXOXO LMN Owner of 2005 Thinking of adding a 2007 to the collection soon.

04-01-2007, 12:51 AM	#8
Bill Merchant absit invidia Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA \| Oregon \| Portland area \| 97004 \| Posts: 3,962 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 6 Times in 1 Post TOTM Awards: 1 Friends: 53	Hi LMN. I can understand your frustration with Toyota Roadside Assistance sending an incompetent tow driver. I really doubt anything was damaged by a 12" drag. You are very lucky to have such a good salesperson. One source of battery drain, that might affect a two year old 12V battery more than a new one, is the light in the cargo area. If it's on and the hatch doesn't close completely, the light can burn and not be seen easily if the tonneau cover is pulled. More than a few members have discovered this.

04-01-2007, 07:27 AM	#10
Tom6850 Retired Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Macungie, Pa Posts: 891 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 1	I know your upset, try not to be so sensitive. By the way, how did you buy a 2007 in Aug 2005?