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HELP!! 05 Prius battery has voltage but nothing turns on!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by TimD, Jul 29, 2015.

  1. TimD

    TimD New Member

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    This morning when I went to unlock my Prius it didn't work, so I pulled the key out and unlocked it physically. When I put the key in the dash nothing turned on (no lights or sounds at all) I figured the battery was dead so I hooked up my 1.25a charger (motorcycle trickle charger) for an hour before I thought to check the voltage. I am at 5 volts and I still get nothing when hitting the start button. I have checked most of the fuses next to the +post under the hood. Any recommendations?
     
  2. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome! a good battery is 12.5 or better, after the surface charge wears off. how old is it? i think you need a new one.
     
  4. TimD

    TimD New Member

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    thanks for the quick response Jimbo, I will continue to monitor the voltage and give it another try. I figure with 5 volts there would be at least some dim lights?
     
  5. TimD

    TimD New Member

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    I bought the Prius in April, no telling how old or new the battery is... when I opened the hatch in the back, the battery looks clean, but Im not going to take that as a sign of age
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    nope. it's a 12 volt system.
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    there's a date code on top.
     
  8. TimD

    TimD New Member

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    Ill go check the voltage and date on the battery....
     
  9. TimD

    TimD New Member

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    Didn't see anything that made any sense to me on the battery, although Toyota put a million things on top of the battery, so it may be under all that crap.
    On the plus side the battery is at 6v...
     
  10. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    That is only 1 V per cell and a good battery should be at 2.2 V per cell. Your 12 V battery is pretty much history.

    Save yourself the anguish and pain and just replace it with a new Toyota TrueStart with the pro-rated 84 month warranty. As AGM batteries go, the TrueStart is good value for money and once replaced you will not have to worry about your 12V battery for quite some time.

    If you want to go non-OEM, the Exide® FP-AGM51JIS is another good option that is a drop in replacement for the SKS version (non-SKS is smaller). It can be used in a non-SKS car, but you will need to replace the battery bracket which is available from the dealer for about $30.

    Ensure your new battery is fully charged (i.e. ~13.2 V) before installing.

    Good luck with your decision.
     
    #10 dolj, Jul 29, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2015
    uart and valde3 like this.
  11. TimD

    TimD New Member

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    Instead of walking up and down the stairs 50 times (live in a 3rd floor apartment) I decided to pull the battery upstairs and charge it on my patio. Voltmeter says I'm at 10v now. The battery is a Toyota true start with the 84 month warranty (dated 2012), will Toyota test it and replace it if the battery is not good? I was going to take it to advance auto or something, but if it's still under warranty, I figure skip the middle man right? Thanks for the post dolj!
     
  12. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

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    is it possible you left something on and discharged the battery?
     
  13. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes, it sounds like your battery is dead. Bring the battery and the purchase receipt to your Toyota dealer's parts counter.
     
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if it won't hold a charge, they will give you a new battery at a pro rated cost.
     
  15. TimD

    TimD New Member

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    Thx for the tip on the prorated cost for a replacement, seems to void the concept of a warranty...

    My wife swears nothing was left on in the car, but who knows...
     
  16. TimD

    TimD New Member

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    Hooking the battery back up set off the alarm, couldn't have been happier to hear that sound! Diagnostic mode showed only 12v while accessory mode was on and 14.6 while car was running. I will be running diagnostic mode every time I turn on the car for the next week to monitor the battery, might replace it with an optima yellow top just to be safe.
     
    bisco likes this.
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    all the best!(y)