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Portable 12V battery pack for Gen II PRius?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Julia2001, Aug 22, 2011.

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  1. Julia2001

    Julia2001 Member

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    Does anyone know of a good portable 12V battery pack for use with a Gen II Prius?

    I found some great battery packs online with excellent reviews, however Prius owners stated that the clamps were too large and would not clamp onto the battery posts.

    Therefore, I am looking for a pack with small clamps, I guess. Small, reliable, well tested...to keep in the car just in case of a 12V battery drain.

    Thank you!

    Julia
     
    #1 Julia2001, Aug 22, 2011
  2. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    You don't normally clamp to the battery posts - it's too hard to get to the battery without power to open the hatch.

    Normal clamps work with the jump point under the hood.

    Tom
     
    #2 qbee42, Aug 22, 2011
  3. Julia2001

    Julia2001 Member

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    What??? There's a jump point for the 12V battery under the HOOD?

    When I bought the vehicle the dude at the dealership showed me where the 12V battery is stored in the back, and told me that if it were to drain I would have to put down the back seats, and open the rear hatch by climbing into the back, and then access the 12V battery posts from there. This is not accurate information, I take it?

    Thank you so much!
     
    #3 Julia2001, Aug 23, 2011
  4. MJFrog

    MJFrog Active Member

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    It's accurate, just incomplete. The easier way is to use the jump points under the hood. Read your owner's manual.

    Be VERY careful to get the polarity right whenever you need to jump. Wrong polarity can severely damage the Prius!
     
    #4 MJFrog, Aug 23, 2011
  5. Julia2001

    Julia2001 Member

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    That's not difficult is it? Red is positive, black is negative. Positive to positive, negative to ground? (Although I read in a portable battery pack review that someone at a Toyota dealership stated that many battery packs will not jump our 12V battery unless the clamps are both attached to terminals. Red to positive terminal on the 12V battery, and black to negative terminal on the battery.

    Not what the owner's manual says, though!
     
    #5 Julia2001, Aug 23, 2011
  6. 3prongpaul

    3prongpaul Hybrid Shop Owner, worked on 100's of Prius's

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    That "dude" is an idiot. It would be a PITA to connect jumper pack to battery in the hatch, since you cannot open the hatch when the battery is dead.

    He should have RTFM. It's easy to jump under the hood, and you can open the drivers door with hard key and pop the hood without electricity.

    Only complaint is Toyota should have installed a dedicated ground point like the Chevy Volt has...this would be a little easier that using a strut nut as the ground.
     
    #6 3prongpaul, Aug 23, 2011
  7. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Back to the original question: What is a good jump pack? I have one of the smallest, a Peak 300, and have been pretty satisfied. The only time it didn't work was when a friend showed up with a dead/shorted cell in his 12V. Then the current draw was sufficient to make the pack think it has reverse polarity. Check Pep Boys or other parts stores, as it seems like I got mine for $30. All small jump packs will have the problem of not being able to deliver enough current to start v6 and larger engines or any type of diesel.
    http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B002SW4VLW?tag=priuschatcom-20 you really want to splurge, get one with more amperage and built-in tire inflator. Just make sure that it has reverse polarity protection.
     
    #7 seilerts, Aug 23, 2011
  8. Julia2001

    Julia2001 Member

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    Thank you all very much!

    This is the one I'm considering: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XQ9MGE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

    What do you think?
     
    #8 Julia2001, Aug 23, 2011
  9. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    :thumb:
     
    #9 seilerts, Aug 23, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  10. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    #10 F8L, Aug 24, 2011
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  11. Julia2001

    Julia2001 Member

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    Wow - that's a great little unit! It looks kind of big and heavy, though. May I ask where you keep this unit stored inside your vehicle?

    Thanks for the link!
     
    #11 Julia2001, Aug 24, 2011
  12. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    The 12v battery gives ample warning before it dies. Because of its light usage, it can be very very anemic before the Prius won't start.

    So it seems better to just carry a pair of jumper cables in the boot and a AAA card on your person rather than 30lbs of dead weight 99.9% of the time.
     
    #12 2k1Toaster, Aug 24, 2011
  13. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I don't carry it around with me unless I know I am going to be in areas where getting a jump from someone is not really an option OR if I think it may help someone else that needs a jump because I will never offer to jump someone with my Prius.
     
    #13 F8L, Aug 24, 2011
  14. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    The smaller packs only weigh a few lbs and are incredibly handy for all times when 12V power is needed, not just for jumps. But I rarely carry mine in the car since I have an Optima installed.
     
    #14 seilerts, Aug 24, 2011
  15. xpcman

    xpcman Senior Member

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    #15 xpcman, Aug 24, 2011
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  16. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    You could probably jump the Prius with a 9v battery plugged into the cigarette lighter outlet. :p
     
    #16 F8L, Aug 25, 2011
  17. Julia2001

    Julia2001 Member

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    Thank you for your thoughts. I have AAA Plus, however I did read never to allow a tow truck operator to jump your Prius battery. Not so?
     
    #17 Julia2001, Aug 26, 2011
  18. Julia2001

    Julia2001 Member

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    What's an Optima?

    And isn't it easy to drain the 12V? I keep reading that here on the forums.

    I don't want to be in a situation where my six-year-old leaves a dome light on or something and I don't notice and we're away and we get back in the car and she's drained. And again - I've read that we're better off being prepared to jump ourselves than to assume that a tow truck operator knows how to jump a Prius. And isn't their battery/jumper unit overkill as well?

    Thank you all!
     
    #18 Julia2001, Aug 26, 2011
  19. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    #19 seilerts, Aug 31, 2011
  20. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    I carry mine in the hatch area. I like having it there for three reasons:

    1) If my battery dies, I'm covered.

    2) I use the built in compressor to top off the tires.

    3) If someone else needs a jump, I don't have to risk the electronics in the Prius.

    Tom
     
    #20 qbee42, Aug 31, 2011
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