Weird stuff happening? MPGs dropping? Test The Battery

If you don't want to wait (understandable) just get it at the dealer's parts counter and do it yourself, very easy job. If you do in fact have a 2004 original in there now I'd say the OEM battery has served well in your environment.

- D

 

Thanks. yeah I'm not sure if it's an OEM in there now. Btw, do you get the most accurate 12v test results when the car is at operating temp, just warm, or cold? The reason I ask is that the first test I did that gave me the low numbers, was when I hadn't driven it in maybe 3-4 hours.

So I just did another test after driving around for a couple miles. this time the voltage was higher; about 12.4-12.5 unloaded, and about 12.1 when the on button was pressed again (without brake).

Just for the heck of it, I then turned the headlights on (engine and ICE off) and it dropped to about 11.7. Are these readings more accurate since i did the test when the car was at operating temp?

 

Even if you could find one locally, the Yellow Top needs an adapter kit (sold be e-Learnaid) for it to work in the Prius. So to avoid being stranded, you're better off not waiting.

(NOTE: The e-Learnaid link currently is not working. I know it's a valid link; I've used it and referred to it many times. So apparently their site is currently down.)

 

This is a valid indication since battery problems normally show up when you start your car after it has been sitting for a while.

Your Higher voltages are due to you charging the 12v battery during the "couple of mile drive" not temperature.

You need a new battery.

JeffD

 

Maybe I am in the stage of denial. Recently I got back from a 2 week vacation and checked the 12V battery. With headlights on it put out a "whopping" 11.3V. On the other hand the car started up no problem. So I am still hoping the battery could last another 5 years.

 

Just dropped if off at the dealer, and the good news is, I'm totally covered if that hybrid warning icon turns out to be a problem with the main battery pack. Other things that could need replacing are the 12v batt and the inverter coolant pump. T-minus 2 hours and counting until I get the verdict!

 

I like the idea of testing the morning after the last drive. Not because of temperature but just to get away from the fresh charge. The original post on this thread says to turn the headlights on for a little while before testing, which is probably just as good.

What about with the headlights off? I'd be a little surprised if your 2009 is already going bad, but there have been reported cases of new cars on the lot with already close to dead batteries, so not implausible.

I've started to really believe in battery conditioners. I was shopping for a BatteryMinder and received a Griot's Battery Manager as a gift instead. I've used it quite often after abusing my 2007 battery with stereo upgrades and so far all is well. Also the 2005 Odyssey OEM battery has been salvaged from 2 full discharges (dome light on for several days!).
Watch, now I've said that, both batteries will fail this weekend.

- D

 

It was 12.1 (Off), 12.0 (IG-ACC), 11.6 (IG-ON), and 11.3 with headlights. The next day every number was 0.3 higher (and back to "normal") so the battery was charged back up with a day worth of commuting (~ 40 miles total). In the worst scenario the car may have been sitting in the dealer's lot for months with some lights on before I bought it. I would never know.

I have been thinking about that too. But I worry if the battery conditioner malfunctions and then fries the expensive electronics in the car ...

 

I was given the labor charge for the work to be done, and was told that I would have my car back by 3pm today, and that they would be starting work on my car about 11:45am, so roughly three hours of labor. I asked for a cost break down and the total labor charge was about $715 (!!!)

I thought to myself wow, that would translate to almost $283 per hour for labor alone! So I called back and asked the service person how this could be, and she told me that it depends alot on the actual job, how many people are working in it and even if they finish the job early, they still get paid for the labor based on the job.

Does this sound right, or more like I'm getting scammed and ripped off? She confirmed with me that I would have my car in 3 hours, so I asked her how they could justify more than $280 per hour labor? I called my local independent guy and based on the exact same job, he told me he would charge me $200 labor, PLUS include the 2 gals of coolant that the dealer also wants to charge me an additional $50 for!!!

So I again called the dealer back and told them what my indy guy quoted, and that I would take it there unless they gave me a lower price. She went to talk with her supervisor on my request, came back on the line to say that they would take 25% off the total bill, and of course not charge me the $95 diagnostic fee since the work would be done. Still seems shady to me, but I agreed to the discount.

Edit: They did say that my 12v batt was fine, so I guess they could have lied and told me I needed a new one, which would have been another $230 parts & labor. So I don't know what to think.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This tip probably just saved me a massive ballache. I'll be driving up north with the wife next weekend where it will be cooler so that would probably have killed my aux battery. I just thought seeing the service mode you describe would be neat so I went and checked it out, and after sitting in acc mode with just the running lights on ( not the head lights ) for 3 minutes, the battery had dropped to 9v, which is a shot battery if I ever saw one. I'm a bit annoyed that I just had it at the dealership today for routine service and they didn't bother to check my 3 year old battery, which is all the longer they ever seem to last down here in sunny Florida.

 

Well, it looks like my battery is marginal. It dips momentarily to 11.8 on initial load, then goes to only 12.2 Volts. I'm going to order the Yellowtop kit immediately today and install as preventative maintenance. Looks like a better product, and my Dealer wants over $300 for an OEM Toyota battery, which they don't even have in stock. Sheesh!

 

Re: Weird stuff happening? Test The Battery: Here's How

Thanks for this set of guidelines, which even an idiot like me can follow. The dealership has decided that the battery is weak, but of course they want $389. (before tax) to replace it, so they seem to have an interest in concluding that.

 

I lost my presets too recently and a check of my battery voltage (9v) under load indicates it needs replacing. Can I buy any car battery for the prius or should I buy a toyota dealer issue?

 

Well, it certainly seems that I may have an issue that falls into the failing battery category but I wanted to add a couple of wrinkles to see if the diagnosis holds.

Our 2007 (with 95k miles, keyless entry and original battery) started having problems last spring. Maddeningly, it always seemed to be some other trick that would get it going: use wife's fob; press "On" without brake, then press brake; use left foot to depress brake (I'm not kidding); get out of car, spin around and click heels three times; etc. The first time it happened was after a very short drive on a very hot day. (Obviously, it started initially for the short drive.) It happens when it's cold. It happens when it has sat idle for a few days. Sometimes it happens after a long drive then short rest.

Symptoms are: normal startup procedure results in dashboard lightshow and beeps. Also, a single, non-starting push with the "on" button results in a very dull clock number but no other functionality (radio, fan, etc.). Even when things are "normal."

Four (!) trips to the dealer end up the same result: "We can't get it to replicate the problem and everything checks out fine. Including the battery." It's been awhile, but when I last performed the battery check recommended in this thread it was within spec.

When the car gets jumped it sparks right up and is usually good the the rest of the day driving short and long trips with varying periods at rest. We've put our fobs in Altoid tins, relegating them as far away in the house as possible before encroaching on neighbors; replaced fob batteries; and gone periods with the keyless entry turned off. No matter. Always a hit and miss proposition whether it's going to start or not on a given day.

The only thing we have not yet tried is to replace the battery—due to the dealer saying it's ok and, of course, the cost of doing so without it actually being bad. However, it may be our last trick.

Unless… there's a software gremlin or switch issue somewhere between the brake pedal, "On" button or "Park' button.

Just before I decided to write my wife called from a dozen miles down the road, unable to get the car started. As I've not yet heard back I'm going to assume she either managed to get one of our usual tricks to work. Or got a jump.

 

Sometimes but not always. Yesterday I drove six errands (in a large loop). Four of the startups were problematic but I eventually got it going. The others were normal. One problem restart was remedied by using a very quick, short press on the "On" button. But that doesn't always do the trick.

It went roughly as follows

Overnight in garage, problem startup;
15 mile drive, 10 minute stop, normal startup;
8 mile drive, 90 minute stop, then normal startup;
3 mile drive, 10 minute stop, problem startup;
1 mile drive, 45 minute stop, normal startup;
25 mile drive, 5 minute stop, problem startup;
.25 mile drive, 20 minute stop, problem startup;
6 mile drive, end of day.

 

Guess that explains why I've never had this problem -- I always use my left foot on the brake...

 

Just my 2 cents:

Check your battery state with a decent digital multimeter. Voltage for a good battery should be around 12.6. This will vary depending on temperature. There's some guidelines and tables on the net, here's one about 3/4 of the way down this page:

The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)

Voltage will abnormally high if you've just recharged it, giving overly optimistic reading. Your best bet is to just drive the car for a day or two, post charging, before checking.