New too me 2007 Prius Need Maintenace Advice

Some important points:

An automatic battery maintainer is MUCH better than a "trickle charger".

I think replacing the bulbs with LEDs is overkill.....and expensive unless you shop carefully.

If you are a "light" user, not many miles, the battery should be checked and charged monthly.

Turning the headlights off.......more overkill but my C has manual lights so moot point there.

 

Both to some degree.
Not really serious unless it sits unused like that for LONG periods or is not driven much.

Just don't leave the FOBs in the car and there won't be a problem.

 

Yup, I wouldn't go nuts with LED lights either. If you want to be cautious, just turning the interior ceiling light completely off, and switching off the hatch area light will help, and dead-easy.

Funny, I have the auto shut-off headlights, but never use them, just don't trust them. Don't like the 30 second lag, it drives me nuts to walk away from a car with the headlights blazing. And don't want to go through all the hoops to change the lag. And I don't trust them, did I mention that.

 

The SKS system senses the fob if its nearby, and keeps some computers ready (they are not going to sleep mode). This increases the consumption from battery. The car is off but there is a small current from 12V battery due to some systems not being fully asleep. "Nearby" distance would depend on type of walls between fob and the car (how transparent the walls are for radio frequencies). I guess 30 ft would be a safe distance for any conditions.
- Alex

 

Not too bad, but if you keep the car for a week without use, only drive for short infrequent trips, while having the fob really close to the car when OFF, it might drain the 12-V.

 

There is a button on the dashboard under the steering column that can turn off SKS. Always turn it off when leaving the car unused for more than a couple of days.

JeffD

 

Don't the lights shut off when you pull the key and open the door even if they're left switched on? I know my Tacoma and Scion do that. I don't have the Prius home with me to test right now.

 

Personally I'd still go for the OEM battery for $192. Your call of course.

 

I dont have anything to pull the key from...except my pocket, where they always are.

- Alex

 

I got a mess - a kit, really - of the fasteners in all sizes off eBay for about $12. I use it all the time for all my vehicles.

eBay is the bomb.

EDIT: I remembered wrong...I went back to my eBay purchases and realized that what I really did was build my own kit out of several different packages of various sizes and combine them in a plastic tackle box. Probably cost about $25 total for all the various sizes.

 

The world needs Bob the Fastener Guy.

 

This is good advice.
Personally I very rarely even use ACC mode with my Prius. Even if I'm just sitting in it listening to the radio, I keep it in park, with the brake on, and in READY mode. It will cycle on and off..but not much, at it takes away the risk of the battery being drained too much.

Also some people when stopping/parking to exit the Prius, put the vehicle into Park then power down. I don't use the two step approach. I simply park, and hit Power. It will automatically put you into park.


Also I don't rely on the auto off headlights, it's not that I don't trust them, but more that I've never owned a vehicle that actually had them. Years of turning off the lights on my own have trained me to continue doing so.
I take the "auto off" as less of a luxury, and more of simply a safety net if I DO happen to forget.
But that's just me. Like "Scar Face" who do I trust? I trust me!

 

I'm pretty sure that the FOB battery IS a 3 volt one.
Did you test the replacement ??

 

Check.