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New 12V battery was totally dead after 2 days

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by Paul_Prius-2007, Apr 16, 2015.

  1. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    The Bosch battery is perfectly ok for the Prius. A discharge rate of 150ma is still much to high, but if the battery was fully charged should give you about 12 days of inactivity.
    How are you charging the battery when it becomes discharged? Are you just jump starting it? or are you charging it with a battery charger?
    If you are using a charger what settings on the charger are you using, and how long are you charging it for?
    Is the alarm you are using worked by a separate keyfob or is it operated buy the Prius fob?
    Does your car have a button below the steering wheel (in front of your knees), and if so have you tried pressing the button?
    Can you check the voltage at the battery with the car in ready mode?
    Unfortunately removing the fuses that feed the relay coils doe not help. You must remove the relays themselves as it is the contacts that are fed by the dome fuse. If the contacts have stuck together they act like a switch that is permanently on. Relay contacts can be welded together by the current they carry.
    I know the relays are very tight to remove, but gently prizing with a screw driver or similar on either side will ease them out.
    I realize this is a lot of questions, but with the answers I may be able to help further.

    John (Britprius)
     
    #21 Britprius, Apr 19, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2015
  2. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    I have done a lot of research on your problem, and it appears that the ABS relays have been known to cause this problem. Try removing both. The ABS system is supplied by the dome fuse.

    John (Britprius)
     
  3. Paul_Prius-2007

    Paul_Prius-2007 New Member

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    Thank you for reply.
    I am using "spare" prius key fob to close and open door and activate alarm as well. I bought a car with one master key fob only but I bought another used key on ebay than I programmed second spare key fob and I am using spare key fob only (works same as master one),.
    When battery is dead sometimes I am using jump starter leads and another 12V battery or sometimes I am using 6A charger from Argos - charging time is 5 - 7 hours.
    I have got one button only below the steering wheel - above button is a car symbol and below is OFF but never use it because I never know is what for? Is button activate or deactivate alarm system?
    Car voltage in ready mode on multimeter is 13.9V but on the screen in system check mode is 14.1V. I do not know why is 0.2V more (should be the same).
     
  4. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    The Prius system check screen is not very accurate. The button below the steering turns off the alarm.
    At a charge rate of 6 amps you will need to charge the battery for at least 9 hours, but check the actual charge rate with your meter as often the charge rate shown on the charger is much more than the actual rate. To work out how long the battery needs to be charged divide the battery capacity (45 ah) by the actual charge rate shown on your meter and add at least 1 hour.
    (so charging at 5 amps;- 45 / 5 = 9 +1 = 10 hours)
    Have you read the update about the ABS relays in my post #22 ?

    John (Britprius)
     
    #24 Britprius, Apr 19, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2015
  5. Paul_Prius-2007

    Paul_Prius-2007 New Member

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    This information is very helpful for me.
    I will remove them tomorrow.
    I will close boot door than I will activate an alarm and I will be looking for PC below 150mA.
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    150 mA is your phantom draw? That's pretty high. I read 50's about the acceptable max. I checked my 3rd gen; it was around 16.
     
  7. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    An additional question: Where are you measuring the voltage, at the battery posts? I ask because I have noticed that the measurement at the jumpstart point in the engine bay and the one directly on the battery varies by ~0.2-0.3 V. For what you are doing with John it doesn't matter which of the two, as long you use the same place for consistency.

    One other piece of info in regards to parasitic draw which I don't think has been explicitly stated, you need to wait about 20 min before the car is in its fully quiesced state and if you are at the engine bay at this time you will hear the click of the final relay as it switches off. Measure your current draw at this point, not before. The 20 min countdown starts from when you have closed all doors and set the alarm.

    hope this helps.
     
  8. Paul_Prius-2007

    Paul_Prius-2007 New Member

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    My friend bought Prius II T3 2006 yestrday and we checked PC - all doors closed and activated alarm. PC in his car is 20mA only but in my car (same set up) is still 150mA.
    I removed all relays under bonnet and nothing PC is stll 150mA. I did not remove relays from boot yet.
    I will remove all fuses again but I do not think I will find fault by this way. If you have got any ideas please let me know because I really do not know how sort it out.
     
  9. Paul_Prius-2007

    Paul_Prius-2007 New Member

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    My friend bought Prius II T3 2006 yestrday and we checked PC - all doors closed and activated alarm. PC in his car is 20mA only but in my car (same set up) is still 150mA.
    I removed all relays under bonnet and nothing PC is stll 150mA. I did not remove relays from boot yet.
    I will remove all fuses again but I do not think I will find fault by this way. If you have got any ideas please let me know because I really do not know how sort it out.
     
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Leave your fob well away, it might be causing the car to stay awake. And go through the remaining fuses, hope hope.