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2008 Prius Starting and Computer Reset Issue

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Armacham, Jun 12, 2014.

  1. Armacham

    Armacham New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2013
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    Location:
    Tucson, Arizona
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I have a 2008 Prius with about 55,000 miles. Today after work I got in and went through the normal starting procedure, but nothing happened. I stepped out of the car, took a quick lap around the car to check for anything noticeable, and locked and unlocked the car with the key-fob. I sat back down and it started up just like usual except that the trip odometers and clock had all been reset, and my radio presets were gone. I recently replaced both the key-fob battery as well as the 12V battery within the last couple of months. Any ideas what might have caused this?
     
  2. Epiphany2000

    Epiphany2000 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2013
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    Location:
    San Francisco Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    It sounds like power was lost to your car. Have you checked the voltage on your 12V battery? I would recommend doing so if you have not done it recently. Also check all the connections to the 12V battery & look for corrosion. If the voltage is OK and after tightening connections and cleaning the terminals as necessary, wait & see if the issue reappears.
     
  3. Armacham

    Armacham New Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Tucson, Arizona
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Just checked the voltage and the diag screen is showing 11v, so it seems like the battery is defective. A $150 battery should last more than 7 months. I hope that obtaining a warranty replacement is not a pain in the nice person.
     
  4. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Why don't you try recharging the 12V battery?
     
  5. Armacham

    Armacham New Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Tucson, Arizona
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I probably will do that while waiting to see about a replacement, but a 7 month old battery that goes dead for no reason is defective and I would rather not risk getting stranded someplace with a dead battery if it fails again.
     
  6. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
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    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    That's not necessarily true; maybe you have a bad connection and it wasn't charging, maybe your inverter charging circuit is bad? Maybe a map light was left on. There could be a myriad of possibilities.