2004 Toyota Prius no lights on after 12v battery replacement

Yes. Dead with a capital D

Remove the battery from the car. Place a towel or rag over the bottom half of the hatch locking device and gently close the hatch. This way, it will not engage the locking mechanism and you'll be able to open it again when you return with your new 12v battery.

Take new battery #1 back to the store you purchased it from. Have them test it. Hopefully it verifies your 0 v measurement. Get new battery #2, have them test it. If good, take it home and install it. Live happily ever after........

 

I believe they have no choice. Warranty and all.

 

Unless you beat it with a hammer, they will take it back. Disconnect it, remove it from the car, take it and your receipt back to the store. Get another. They will know you're not jerking them around. The battery has date codes on it. It will be obvious to them the battery is bad if they test it and it shows zero volts.

 

Be careful your in way over your head. So many Prius damaged by this scenario.

Sounds like they sold you a dead battery. That means it sat on there on the shelf dead. Do not accept a
“We will charge it up for you good as new”

Get a brand new battery measure it with your new voltmeter in the dc20 volt mode before u leave the store.. Will be like 12.5 volts.

After install before starting the car open the hood take the cover off the black plastic fuse box on the righ5 hand side.
In there is red plastic cap. It flips up. The metal tang it covers is the 12 volt positive terminal connected to your new battery.
Measure there with positive volt meter lead on that tang negative on the bolt right above it on the chassis. That bolt is ground. Should have good battery voltage there across those 2 points.
if not stop right there something is really wrong.

It doesn’t matter what the battery reads in the back it matters what it reads up front in that fuse box.
There 2 fuses in the black plastic positive post assy bolted to the positive post on the battery.
One of those could be blown.
That red plastic covered tang is the jump point where u would hook jumper cables up god help us.

If u got 12 volts up front u should be ok. Then before starting car turn on the headlights for one last check they should be good and bright. if you have voltage and headlights the car should start.

 

Cannot stress how important that you do not accept them just charging up the battery you bought. Do not allow them to charge it. Only accept another fully charged battery, check the date stamp on it too, to make sure it is new.

+ 1 to this. If it is less than 12.4 V do not accept it. If it is not 12.9 V - 13.2 V, make them charge it before you will accept it. Test it two hours after it comes off the charger and make sure it is better than 12.9 V. Do not accept the battery if it is less.