Harm in delaying replacement of 12v battery?

welcome!

a 2007 hybrid battery is definitely at risk from sitting. i would try charging the battery, get a jump pack, keep it on a trickle charger, or whatever it takes to be able to drive the car once a week for 30 minutes.

buying a new battery now with a battery maintainer would also work, and it won't degrade sitting idle with the maintainer on it.

 

If you're really mothballing: charge it up and then disconnect the negative cable.

 

Letting that original HV battery sit for weeks or months will likely be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

OTOH, the car is in a mild climate which is beneficial to battery life. So......

GOOD LUCK!

 

What is to be gained by waiting ?
You can use a jump or a booster pack or a battery charger and extension cord to charge up the battery so you can drive it somewhere for a battery.
Auto parts shops and repair shops are open now.

 

I think the OP without malice is doing a bit of bait and switch with the question and concern here.

There's no harm, it just comes down to what you want to do. If the 12 volt is failing, I wouldn't expect it to get better through continued non-usage and waiting. But once it fails, it's not really going to get much worse. You face the same challenges you would at any time with a failing 12 volt battery and a Prius.
It's really up to you whether you want to replace it tomorrow, or 4 months from now. Just know of course if you want to start the vehicle all the risks and challenges of doing so with a failing/failed 12 volt battery obviously exist.
You could try charging it, and seeing how much revival it gives you.

13 year old Prius, not being driven, I would assume the HV battery is at risk.
But that's kind of a separate issue, and determination.
If the HV battery is failing, replacing the 12 volt won't stop that process.
You may not know whether the HV is failing unless you 1st replace the 12 volt, but replacing the 12 volt won't preserve the health of your hybrid battery pack.

To me? All decisions would be made on how much driving I intended to do right now and in the short term. If it's not much at all? I'd just try charging the existing 12 volt battery and seeing what happens. Either it works or it doesn't.
Personally, I'd be hesitant to want to invest into "New" things I'm not going to use.
I'd want to hold off on investment until I was closer to using the vehicle under my normal demands. Put a new 12 volt, and/or a new Hybrid Battery into a vehicle that is going to almost immediately just sit? That wouldn't be my choice.

* Edit
I should add there is no harm in waiting to replace the 12 volt, as long as it is structurally in good shape. That is no leaks, or cracks.

 

Absolutely wrong. Backwards, in fact.

The 12 V battery will suffer from non-use. As it nears the "dead" point, it will suffer a lot MORE.
Eventually it will be so dead that it can't be charged and will be useless.

The HV battery, OTOH, will generally tolerate non-use much better. Generally.
But if there is a cell or two on the verge of going "bad", that trip might be completed during storage.

 

My point is however that IF the battery is failing, and this is maybe a very old 12 volt battery, if the OP's choice or question is can I wait to replace it?
The answer is yes. They can wait to replace it.

The OP should be aware, and I believe is aware of the deterioration process, which yes does mean non-usage is going to allow the battery to deteriorate further, but if the ultimate question or decision is to replace the battery, it doesn't matter much if it's a failing battery, perhaps capable of taking a charge, or if it's a completely dead battery. It's going to be replaced. In one scenario it might mean replacing it yourself in your driveway or jumping it to get it to the battery outlet, but the end result is going to be the same.

If the OP is looking to salvage or continue to get function or life out of the existing battery? Then by all means, charge it up, see what happens.
But otherwise my answer to the question " Is there harm in delaying replacement of the 12 volt battery" is No.

 

Respects, but this is like putting off fixing a leaking tire. Just change your battery and move on.

 

But if someone asked you, during this crisis especially, Can I put my car up on blocks and wait to replace the tire? What would your answer be?

I personally think, IF as the OP professes, they aren't going to be driving the vehicle much if at all for some extended period. just wait. I want to be able to usage test new purchases. I don't want to put a new battery in, or for that matter new tires on...then NOT be using the vehicle.

 

The debate can never be resolved, because both courses work?

 

No...I would tell them to fix the leaking tire...just like I said change the battery. What is there to understand? If stuff breaks...fix it. Don't ask for permission or an excuse not to.

 

I agree..

But the OP isn't asking for permission or excuse the OP is SPECIFICALLY asking
" Is there harm in delaying replacement of 12v battery?" .
The answer IMO to that question has to be NO..there is no harm.
Whether You or I think it better to replace it immediately or not? Not the question.

I personally, PERSONALLY wouldn't want to slap a new battery in a vehicle that was just immediately going sit and NOT be used.
Too many stories of "bad" new batteries, or mistakes made in installation. You could slap a new battery in right now, and return in 6 weeks to discover it suddenly isn't working.
So my recommendation also for those reasons is just wait, until you project the vehicle will be used more regularly or as before the crisis.

If the question was Can I, or Should I replace the battery...my answer would be framed more like yours. But that isn't the question.

 

...and I'm not going to further engage in "your" personal debate. End of line.

 

Wasn't meant to inflame or insult you and make you run away...
Only clarifying what the question REALLY was, and why my answer was what it was.

 

That is a viable course of action, but you might want to consider 60 once a week. In addition, if you have a battery charger, charge up the battery before starting this course of action.

 

No need to apologize. It happens all the time.

What you propose to do likely will NOT be a good plan.....because the onboard charging system was NOT designed to recharge a completely flat battery......and it won't come close just running for short periods like that.

YOU NEED TO KEEP IT FULLY CHARGED after first getting it fully charged and that will NOT happen doing what you propose.
Leaving it low on charge will cause it to deteriorate even more.......even if it does barely start on it's own.

I think this has been said before in this thread. It needs to sink IN.