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

Jump start: low idle, no pedal response- dies

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Gray Badger, Jul 20, 2017.

  1. Gray Badger

    Gray Badger Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    13
    6
    0
    Location:
    Carmel, IN
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Let 2007 sit for 6- 10 wks. Bad idea. Have successfully jumped it before (per manual and under hood terminal), so was hoping for the best. Lights & normal displays kicked on, engine responded, but idle seemed low & gas pedal unresponsive, probably 1 min before dying. Slight delay when pedal to the gas was normal. No response is different. No chance to try again & thought I'd look here beforehand. Not reading an identical fault description, but gist of maybe 300 emails read later is things get more unpredictable with a poor charge on the hybrid battery. Near 100K miles on initial battery. Been great car. Ideas?
     
    #1 Gray Badger, Jul 20, 2017
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,679
    48,930
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome!

    what fault codes did you read?
     
    #2 bisco, Jul 20, 2017
  3. Gray Badger

    Gray Badger Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    13
    6
    0
    Location:
    Carmel, IN
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I don't have a plug-in fault code reader. I don't recall anything amiss in the usual dash display, just an unresponsive gas pedal before it died. I guess I'm confirming there's not some Prius/Hybrid mode limiting idle/fuel associated with 12V failure? hybrid battery charging issue? It didn't have this problem on a prior jump. If nobody knows, can try jump again.
     
    #3 Gray Badger, Jul 20, 2017
  4. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2012
    7,848
    3,102
    0
    Location:
    Honolulu, HI
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    No battery charger available? How old is the 12v battery? Do you have a multimeter, voltage tester?
     
    #4 xliderider, Jul 21, 2017
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,198
    6,463
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    If the engine speed was unresponsive to the accelerator pedal, that means the engine did not actually start. Instead, the reason that the engine is rotating is because MG1 is spinning it, but the engine actually has not started.

    What is the fuel level in the tank?
    Have you recharged the 12V battery yet?
    Can you measure the voltage across the 12V battery?

    Do not continue to try to jumpstart the car without finding a root cause that can be resolved, as you will just deplete the high voltage traction battery which will put you into a worse situation. You may need to seek professional assistance by towing the vehicle to your local Toyota dealer.
     
    #5 Patrick Wong, Jul 21, 2017
  6. Gray Badger

    Gray Badger Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    13
    6
    0
    Location:
    Carmel, IN
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Fuel in the tank Battery 3 yrs old. Analog VOM measures 4V at the underside hood terminals. My little-used electrical theory says I can restore amperage capacity w/ charging but not voltage. Don't think I'm dropping voltage on the feed from the batt or mismeasuring as read good voltage on the other car batt. Windows now up & in N w/ parking brake on. No red triangle of death (for hybrid batt failure?) Will look or replacement process to decide if I'm undertaking it or towing. Plz advise if I got something wrong and thank you for the help. The forum is great.
     
    #6 Gray Badger, Jul 23, 2017
  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,198
    6,463
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Replace the 12V battery first, then see if other issues exist.
     
    #7 Patrick Wong, Jul 23, 2017
  8. Gray Badger

    Gray Badger Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    13
    6
    0
    Location:
    Carmel, IN
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Replaced 12V battery & all right in the world again. Getting older and antiquated electrical chops and even lesser hybrid experience made the task intimidating. Your expertise and confirmation of my deductions was a confidence builder and much appreciated. Thanks to all. Your forum is great.
     
    #8 Gray Badger, Aug 2, 2017
    wtrail, Raytheeagle and Mendel Leisk like this.
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,629
    38,195
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Good to hear!

    That's the thing: there really is no such thing as a "successful jump start". It's purely a stop-gap measure, gets the car running, but a jump start followed by a bit of driving around doesn't revive the battery. A charging session with a quality charger might.

    Also, letting it sit for multiple weeks, regardless of it's health at the outset, is almost the same as leaving the headlights on overnight. Same drain, just slower: the modern car always has some minor background drain. If you need to let the car sit for weeks, regularly, get a smart charger, one you can leave on indefinitely. Hopefully that's possible for you, ie you have garage parking with an outlet for the charger.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Aug 2, 2017
  10. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,239
    15,055
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I don't usually join in with the "12 volt battery root of all problems" school of thought, at least not when it's coming back 12.1 or 11.8 or even 11.0. But measure four volts, yeah, I'm in. :)

    -Chap
     
    #10 ChapmanF, Aug 2, 2017
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  11. Gray Badger

    Gray Badger Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    13
    6
    0
    Location:
    Carmel, IN
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Continuing to start/run normally after 12V replacement. Has been started/run at least every 2- 3 days. Remains greatest car I've ever known given overall reliability. Kinda has all the personality of a rolling refridgerator, but I love it. Thanks again.
     
    #11 Gray Badger, Nov 18, 2020
    bisco likes this.
  12. wtrail

    wtrail Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2020
    14
    3
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    Some of us like the personality of our fridge and our Prius...
     
    #12 wtrail, Nov 20, 2020
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)