1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Dead 12v battery, can't charge without triggering car alarm

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Shawn W., Jun 28, 2023.

  1. Shawn W.

    Shawn W. Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2022
    34
    3
    0
    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    My father's 2005 Prius is overdue for inspection, so my brother and I want to get it in before the end of the week. However, it's been sitting since last April. The 12v is totally dead, and I needed to use the manual key to get in. Here are the steps that I've taken thus far to charge the battery, and the results:

    1. Tried multiple times to use a trickle charger on the front terminal, only for the car alarm to trigger every time.

    2. Tried using the charger while directly connected to the battery, with the battery disconnected. The charger won't register that it's connected to the battery, and therefore won't charge.

    3. Reconnected the battery to the car, tried the charger, and the alarm still triggers.

    4. Took out the fuse for the horn, repeated the process, and the alarm still triggers, with the horn.

    5. Took out the fuse for the theft deterrent system, repeated the process, and the alarm still triggers.

    I'm at a loss at this point. There's been absolutely nothing online that I can find that addresses this problem. The car needs to go in, but our mechanic isn't a Prius specialist, so he isn't going to have a solution outside of having another way to charge the battery that doesn't require it to be connected, or getting another battery.

    Does anyone have any ideas on what we can do that doesn't involve a tow truck?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    108,822
    49,436
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    if you can't charge it while disconnected, it probably needs to be replaced.

    take the battery out and bring it to your mech for charging and load testing
     
  3. maverick4u

    maverick4u Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2017
    15
    5
    0
    Location:
    usa
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Model:
    I
    My 2003 Prius was doing the same thing. If the battery won't charge even after you take it out of the car it usually means it has so deeply discharged that it's toast and won't charge. Have to get a new battery.

    G90 PRO ?
     
    bisco likes this.
  4. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    7,645
    3,858
    0
    Location:
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    +1
    +1
     
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    9,080
    1,574
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Juice won't move across the positive and negative of this dead battery. My Schumacher 100 amp circuit controlled battery charger will immediately turn the charger off so the amber light comes on the charger starts humming it's shooting juice to the battery at 6 to 12 amps It realizes the juices putting on the positive doesn't get to the negative and it shuts the charger off It says off on the display within seven or eight seconds You disconnect the leaves don't even turn the charger on or off connect the leads and watch the charger The charger will try to register the voltage in the battery you'll see the display go from zero to five to 12 back to four to six to nine it'll sit there and do that for a few seconds then it'll put the amber light on for the charge to start the charger homes 45 seconds the amber light goes off and the charger says off on the display when you take that battery to O'Reilly's they're going to tell you there's an internal short in the battery it is deeply discharged and needs to be replaced You fix that and I bet your alarm and all that funny business will immediately stop. I can't believe that Google and you and your dad or whoever haven't figured that this is the problem been sitting a year. Yeah let's get that battery replaced and then probably all your problems for the most part will be over unless there are other hidden problems and that's why the car was parked.
     
  6. Shawn W.

    Shawn W. Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2022
    34
    3
    0
    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yeah, about that...

    It turns out that there are more serious issues than the 12v battery, which our mechanic replaced, including a code P3030. Should I keep discussing it here, or create a new post?

     
  7. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,805
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Want to kill both battery’s in a G2 Prius?

    Let a really old one sit.
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    108,822
    49,436
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    There are so many hybrid battery threads already, you might as well keep it here, read up on the other threads and ask questions here
     
  9. Shawn W.

    Shawn W. Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2022
    34
    3
    0
    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    According to the mechanic, the dashboard lights will turn on now that there's a new 12v battery, but the car won't start, and the red triangle won't go away, which isn't surprising, considering the P3030. He said that another code popped up, but that he couldn't remember offhand, and would text me later about it. Any suggestions?
     
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    108,822
    49,436
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    #10 bisco, Jun 30, 2023
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2023
  11. Shawn W.

    Shawn W. Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2022
    34
    3
    0
    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The other code is P3000, and the reader that his shop is using is a Snap-on Solus that he mentioned cost his shop thousands of dollars. He and the other guy were planning to remove the hybrid battery when I left, so that they could test it.
     
    bisco likes this.
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    108,822
    49,436
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    some help here:

    toyota-prius-p3000-check-replacing-your-hv-battery

    that reader, even though expensive, wasn't designed for prius, which has many more ecu's than most cars.
    nevertheless, it looks like you have a wiring/corrosion/connector problem, and/or the hybrid battery went bad from sitting.
     
  13. Shawn W.

    Shawn W. Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2022
    34
    3
    0
    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have an update, and a new problem. There were ten dead cells in the hybrid battery, which our mechanic has since replaced. The car will now turn on and it will drive, but the check engine, brake, master system, and hybrid system warning lights all turn on, and the hybrid battery will stop charging, and the hybrid battery cooling fan is apparently also not working. He thinks that the hybrid battery control module computer may be the problem, possibly due to some corrosion on the connectors, but he's not sure, and while he can, of course, eventually chase down the problem and fix it, the labor costs are already starting to inch toward the "maybe it's time to call it a day" range. There's a rotating cast of codes that have been popping up, two of which are "P0A94 - DC/DC Converter Performance" and "P0AA1 - Hybrid Battery Positive Contactor Circuit Stuck Closed".

    Any advice would be appreciated.
     
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    108,822
    49,436
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I think you’re going to need the service manual for that one, but google might have something
     
  15. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2020
    3,456
    1,503
    0
    Location:
    NJ-USA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    If you need to pay a shop to perform repair work, then IMO an old unused Prius is not the car for you. Systems deteriorate while sitting, and can/will be pricey to get things working again.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  16. Shawn W.

    Shawn W. Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2022
    34
    3
    0
    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It's actually my father's car, and exactly what am I supposed to do if not take a car to a shop to have the work done? Are you suggesting that I either let a vehicle either further deteriorate, or do the work myself, neither of which is sensible?
     
  17. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,943
    15,563
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Doing the work directly isn't sensible for every person, or for every kind of work. But for the kind of work and the kind of person where it is sensible, it often leads to less money spent and better outcomes than going to a shop. So, sometimes, here on PriusChat, you will see that get suggested, as people don't always know your situation or what is and isn't sensible for you.
     
  18. alftoy

    alftoy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2009
    1,132
    509
    0
    Location:
    Saskatchewan, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    May not be sensible to spend $3-5000 or more having a shop do all the work on a 2005 Prius.
     
  19. Shawn W.

    Shawn W. Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2022
    34
    3
    0
    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yeah, I can do some things on my own Prius, which is the same generation, but my main skill as far as working on cars is that I'm tenacious, so I can plug away at minor issues by myself with little to no issue, e.g. headlight, taillight, and wiper replacement, as well as changing or adding various fluids, and the spare tire. However, I'm more likely to damage the car if I were to mess with the hybrid battery system, so I have no problems with letting a qualified mechanic work on it.