Car won’t start

welcome!

you will need to read the trouble codes. either a dealer, or diy with tech stream diagnostic software

 

Either the replacement battery was a dud, or there's something unusual draining the battery. Anything untoward happened recently? Protracted shop visit for example?

 

What kind of 12v battery did you buy that died after one day? It'd be good information for people to know so they don't buy that brand?

As for the car, when you say, "dashboard flashing" do you mean the warning lights? Those warning lights store an error code(s). Unfortunately that error code that's been logged goes away when you disconnect the battery. But to find out the problem, you need to read those error codes.

If I had to guess, you might have a problem with your inverter, but that's a fairly wild guess without the error codes.

 

It sounds like she is describing the outlines of the gear position flashing. I've seen this happen when the 12v battery is severely depleted. It's neat to see, when you know what's causing it. If you don't know, it wouldn't be nearly as cool to see.

I've also heard that the brake capacitors going bad (the black box just to the left of the battery) can cause an excessive parasitic drain on the battery.

 

Fascinating... Thanks...

We oughta make a list of all the weirdest things that a Prius does when the 12v gets low. Either that or just buy a Model S and try to find the easter egg that allows your Tesla to use the horn to play Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies as it flashes its lights and drives back and forth in a dance in your driveway...

 

Recheck with volt meter, directly at the battery posts, and (still with volt meter, "car" readings could be off) at the jump start point (within under-the-hood fuse box). If there's a big drop in voltage at the latter, it could be poor connections.

 

Yes. Where are you reading 13 volts, and where are you reading 11.7 volts? That is important to know.

 

Well that's the problem right there... Optima re-sells defective batteries without inspecting them, they just recharge them... One of their PR people used to be on PriusChat and he'd always blame the customer, never the product.

They're an operation run by a bunch of criminals and because Prius puts such a low demand on the 12volt batteries in general they get away with it. Get your money back and buy a real battery! I've been warning people away from Optima crooks on here since 2013. I'm so sick of their garbage!

 

get the battery checked with an electronic load tester. If it passes, verify voltage at the battery and at the jump start terminal, in both cases with a meter, to check for possible loose connection. You could also check what sort of amperage is being demanded when the car is off: put your meter in series between neg terminal and ground. 20 milliamperes is the norm.

I've got a 3 year plus Optima btw, doing fine, but who knows. Anyway: step one should be test and verify, not more battery swaps, my opinion.

You can DIY the load test with Solar BA5 or similar.

 

I love my yellow top. Its been going strong for two years now.

What's the voltage on the new battery?

 

Lol... Try jumpstarting someone's car with it. Probably won't even turn their starter motor. Prius puts hardly any load on a 12v compared to regular cars so the only suckers left to sell their junk batteries to are Prius owners. And the fact that it's yellow and looks different than a regular battery is why people think they're unique and more valuable instead of the garbage that they really are...

 

They've got higher CCA, amp hours a bit lower. Maybe quality control dropping of late. Mine's been fine to date, but I baby it; on a charger if the car's going to be idle for multiple days. And I use a separate jump pack, never the car.

 

have you checked all the pertinent fuses?

 

make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight, and especially the negative to ground connection

 

Tell us how you really feel!

Be careful when reading horrible reviews, of any product, like campers. Often times it's isolated and specific to them or their situation.

I have owned several optima batteries. My Mazdaspeed 6 has a blue top. It's on it's second one after several years. It's still going strong, too.
I've given several people jumps off my bluetop. No issues. I have yet to run into a situation to give someone in need a jump from my yellow top. I will make a new thread, in your name priuscamper, as soon as I do. Lol.

 

I've been on here since 2013 and the only thing more common than people buying Optima batteries that are dead on arrival are all the people who deny this ever happens. Week after week, again and again people come on here with battery problems and how the new battery they bought didn't solve the problem, only for them to admit they bought an Optima battery... Then a 1/2 dozen people troll those of us who repeatedly point out how dishonest Optima batteries really are.