Parking a Prius over a month

maybe grab a mini vci before living.

 

yes, that's how it was designed. it won't charge to 5 or 6 bars until you do some regular driving.
when you're parked, or stuck in stop and go traffic, it keeps the battery at 2-3 bars.
glad you made it and your car started!

 

No idea about your current problem, but regarding the gas: would leaded gas screw up the catalytic converter? Stay clear of it?

 

if you drove the car normally for an hour, and it didn't come up to 5-6 bars, you may have a problem.

 

If the car needed a jump start, the 12 volt battery needs a proper charging session. Just running the car won't restore it. A smart charger, that monitors the battery as it charges, with a status display, is what you need. It's amperage should be near but not over 4.2.

Considering the long inactive stretch I'd say the 12 volt is the prime suspect. Resolve that first and see how it goes.

 

that's probably about right. how many miles on her?

 

Octane ratings vary in different countries. In Canada the numbers are some different system, all you need to know is cheapest is fine. But where you are, maybe start with a mid-grade, see how it goes.

 

Yeah, just for caution try one grade up at first, then top up with the lowest when you've not used too much of that first tank. That way you introduce the lowest grade gradually. See how it goes.

And I'm not that sure, but think you should definitely avoid leaded gas, for the catalytic converter.

 

Do not use leaded fuel under any circumstances.

One alternative would be Toyota Long Life Coolant (vs. Super Long Life Coolant). This has a shorter service life, 30K miles instead of 50K miles.

What do the local Toyota dealers sell? Use that.

 

I understand that it doesn't snow. The purpose of the antifreeze is to retard corrosion as well as to bring the freezing point of the coolant down.

You should check with your retail auto parts suppliers to see what is available, and study the chemical composition of the coolant. I would not encourage use of coolant other than Toyota Super Long Life Coolant.

Also check other African countries, perhaps South Africa? Can you buy the correct coolant there and have it shipped to you?