Prius Dead After Sitting 1 week

The ones I have are probably 4-5 years old. They only desulfate if the battery is up to float charge

The current ones that will work for you are

http://www.vdcelectronics.com/batteryminder_12117.htm

Bit pricey though. I paid that for 3 of the older models. I guess compared to the cost of a new Prius battery ...

 

i've killed my prius many times.

that clicking is relays trying to figure out how to turn the car on.. or.. anything back on. it usually happens when the 12v battery falls below approx. 8.5 volts or so. i've been able to start the car with 9 volts and 10.. but nothing below 8.

you can trickle charge if you like. let the car click for 20 mins or so then start. my friend has one of those little jump start helpers. i carry one around with me.

my problem is the amp for my sub. i dn't have it on a switched signal yet. I assume i'll kill the battery a few more times. i'm not worried about it.

 

I don't think I left anything on. I know I didn't leave anything open because I needed to use the key to open the door. I had no problems with the battery before, so it's a mystery why it froze.

In any case, it's moot now. We contacted TMS and they will reimburse us for it. Though they said that the dealer was technically correct about the charger, they did not put up much of a fight on it. In any case, I'm glad it worked out and I appreciate Toyota stepping up to handle it.

 

A fully charged lead acid battery won't freeze until ~-40f.

A completely discharged one will freeze just below 32f.

People have misunderstood notions that batteries are boxes that you pour electricity into, and then pour it out when you need it. A battery is a small chemistry lab that MAKES electricity when it is needed through chemical reaction. The interaction between the lead plates and the acid make this possible, and ergo the battery work. If you continually discharge a lead acid battery you will shorten it's life considerably.

If you are interested the two following links have some of the best information on the 'care and feeding" of batteries.

http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm#Lifespan of Batteries

http://www.batteryfaq.org/

With good care, a generic battery can last up to ten years in automobile service. With poor care it can be killed in a matter of months.

Icarus

 

The hatch is a bit of a trap, close it by pushing down on the Toyota emblem as it slams a bit. It is really easy not to shut the hatch properly and the only sign it isn't closed is a light which is under the load area blind.

 

Yes, and in daylight, it's very easy to miss the luggage lamp being on. I find it interesting that one can leave the rear hatch slightly ajar - causing the luggage lamp to remain on - but there is no other notification of the rear hatch being ajar.

The interior lamps remain off, and the Door Ajar lamp is off. Now if the rear hatch is *really* ajar, then the interior lamps stay on and the Door Ajar lamp on the dash is on

 

When you try to lock the car it will tell you if the hatch is not completely closed. In four years of parking in my garage, consistently locking the car has saved me from this twice (that is, two dead batteries avoided). Locking the car is not only for physical security, it's also a useful check.

 

TRICKLE CHARGER ALL DAY LONG!! But seriously, that battery should definitely hae been covered under the 3 year 36000 mile warranty. And the dealer should have been happy to do it!

I can't speak for other shops, but here the tech only gets paid .3 to replace a battery under customer pay. Under warranty, however, Toyota pays .3 to replace AND .3 to load test the old battery......

Hmmmmmmmm...... let me see..... .3 or .6 which would I go for???

 

Sorry for the dumb question but...where is the 12v battery?

I popped the hood and all I see is the aluminum cover that says "Danger High Voltage." I have a trickle charger and would like to revive our dead Prius but don't know where the 12v battery is.

Thanks all!

 

The 12V battery is located in the hatch, right-hand side, rear corner.

You can also access the dedicated jump start point via the hood, by opening the main relay/fuse box near the inverter.

To open that box, press hard on the latch on the leading edge of the lid, and lift the lid up. Then find the red plastic cover in the upper left corner of the box. Lift up the cover to expose the positive jump start terminal. The negative terminal of your charger should be connected to bare metal, such as an unpainted bolt screwed into the body.

Note that Toyota recommends that charging should be done by connecting directly to the battery. The battery should be disconnected and removed from the Prius. This advice protects the car in case the charger does something weird. So, if you choose to connect the charger to the jump start terminal, that is at your own risk.

 

Q-tips say not to stick them in your ears, screwdrivers have labels saying not to ever use without using eye protection, etc., etc.

If you overcharge the battery, then it would suck if it blows up in the hatch area, and it would suck if it blows up on the bench. However, I think you're relatively safe if you reasonably charge the battery through the jump terminal.

I've done it (a small 2-amp current for about an hour) and had no problem.

If you use a big charger overnight, not good.

 

Just returned from two week vacation and my Prius would not start. At first I got some dashboard lights but was unable to start the car. I could not turn on the alarm upon exiting. This morning the car was completely dead. I had AAA come and jump the car...it powered up immediatley. Drove around for 45 minutes and everything seems to be back to normal. There is an independent Hybrid shop in my neighborhood that is offering free diagnosis...I am going to go check them out and see how much juice the 12V has remaining.

 

I just pre-emptively replaced the 12V on my 2007 with the Optima D51 from elearnaid. Your battery (if original) is probably on it's last legs, especially after this incident. You could get it fully recharged and probably be OK for a while, but the clock is ticking down. If you do opt to just recharge and keep it, be sure to measure the voltage after a few days, see how well the charge is holding.

- D

 

+1, My next battery after OEM fails.

 

How hard is it to replace the battery? I just called the local independent Hybrid shop and they wanted $210 for a factory battery plus $60 to install

 

Not hard....I got the eLearnaid deal and did it in less then an hour. Just follow the instructions in the box. I got mine when it was cheaper ($165?). ZERO problems.

 

They are $160 now. I just checked the voltage of the battery - 9.9...seems like that is a bit low. Not sure when it should be changed...but I am guessing soon?

 

Yeah that's BAD. The swap is not hard but you have to be comfortable disassembling your interior a bit. If going the elearnaid route, be sure to get their kit along with the battery. Bernard at elearnaid was fantastic, shipped very fast and I had the battery next day. Heavy box!

- D

 

If the battery is showing 9.9V I would get the Optima battery ordered today. It is amazing that the battery is working at all, and it won't be for long. And if it goes dead, it will be a real pain to open the hatchback.

It is very easy to switch the battery. I could do it is 10 or 15 minutes if I had to. I guess it could be considered "disassembling" as far as removing some of the interior components, but it is very easy to do. It might be slightly difficult to get that vent disconnected and out of the way, just making sure not to drop the screw. The only thing to make sure of is when removing the battery is to disconnect the negative cable first, at the point of connection with the car, not at the battery.

For installing the battery, I have the negative cable connected at the battery before putting the battery into the car, and cover the negative cable end so it doesn't make contact. When you connect the negative cable to the car, there will be a spark, but it is nothing to be concerned about.

 

Yeah, 2007, and it had to be jumped, it is definitely on the way out. 9.9V means dead. Unfortunately, regardless of the source, this battery is not your $60 Sears Diehard variety, and it will be difficult to get out for less than $150 after tax.

Doing the job yourself, the main problem is the reassembling the duct for the HV battery, where it attaches to the quarter panel. It is not a bolt that can be started with fingers, and it is easy to drop it into the fender well. It helps to jam something into the socket to hold the bolt in place, or use a magnetized nut driver. It is also extremely helpful to unbolt and move aside the capacitor bank for the brake system power supply backup.