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/// 2007 Prius No start ////

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Andyinchville1, Aug 24, 2019.

  1. Andyinchville1

    Andyinchville1 New Member

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    Hi

    Second actual new thread for me in my hunt for another car.

    A friend of mine's put me in contact with somebody who just bought a new Prius and had an old 2007 Prius to get rid of more or less.

    The car for whatever reason has sat for about a year-and-a-half but according to the owner nothing was wrong with it when they parked.... it they just parked it and it got to the point where it would not start for whatever reason.

    When they say wouldn't start ...the car won't crank over.

    They told me the car would need to be towed home but that might also be a difficult proposition because apparently it takes electricity to shift the car into neutral ....wow I guess these are things you learn when you're looking into unfamiliar cars esp hybrids.

    As per seemingly my norm, the car has about two hundred fifteen thousand miles on it but again supposedly everything was fine when they parked it and got their new Prius ....this one was just sitting and then when they decided to finally sell it it would not start.

    I was hoping a simple jumpstart would get the engine running enough to power everything up but according to the owner they might have already tried that but he didn't seem very mechanically inclined nor did he feel like seemingly wanting to work on the car hence the reason he was practically giving it away...

    So my question on this car is twofold...

    Having a little bit of knowledge on Prius but not enough to actually get one started easily . ..

    what is typically wrong with a Prius when they seemingly won't start ? I'm assuming he means turn over .... I would have assumed it was just as easy as jump starting it like a regular car but then again there's a lot of electronic trickery going on possibly also...

    Also, is there a trick to get the car out of park so that it can be rolled onto a tow truck without necessarily dragging it and flat spotting tires?

    Sorry about the possible typos and run on sentences I'm dictating this on my cell phone because he already claims he had several other people interested and I just didn't want to let this one slip through my fingers lije the last prius.

    So long as the engine doesn't smoke or knock which
    he says it didnt ....a battery would be an easy replacement and still make the car very affordable...

    Thanks
    Andrew
     
  2. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    The 12v battery on a 2007 prius is located in the trunk in the rear passenger side corner. It will need to be replaced, as it likely will not take a charge very well. You should be able to connect a jumper pack or charger to the underhood jump point to get the trunk open. The 12v battery powers all the electronics, so a fully charged replacement battery would be the first step.

    The next concern is the actual hybrid battery. Odds are very good, after sitting that long, it's going to have some seriously self-discharged modules, maybe even dead modules. The HV battery is what spins the transaxle to spin the engine for ignition.

    You can check all the car systems after the 12v battery has been replaced. With your foot off the brake, press the power button 2 times and it will be in ignition-on mode, allowing connection of an OBD device. You can either get techstream for this, or use a bluetooth obd adapter and some phone apps to check the hybrid battery or check for DTCs.

    Or, just replace the 12v battery, see if it powers up and try to fire it up.
     
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  3. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    You just need any 12v battery to put the car in neutral, it doesn’t need to be the correct size, just 12 volts. Just attach the battery to the jump points, get the rear hatch open then disconnect the old battery and hook up the new battery. Jumper cables will work. You should be able to get the car in neutral then. I doubt the car will start though, traction battery is probably shot. If this is the 495 car and the rest is in good shape a brand new battery is under 1700. Car would be a steal

    Personally I would disconnect the negative Cable from the installed battery leave the positive connected and attach jumper cables to the positive terminal and the disconnected negative cable. That offers less of a chance of the positive hitting something and isolates the old battery in the car.
     
    #3 Skibob, Aug 24, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2019
  4. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    I don’t know how far Virginia is from South Carolina but @TMR-JWAP is known to have nice newer battery’s at good prices.

    Also check the oil level when you see the car. If there is no oil on the dipstick that would be a bad sign.
     
  5. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    When I told the tow truck driver that I was glad the car still went into neutral... He told me it didn't matter one way or the other and if it was stuck in park he'd just put the dolly wheels under the front wheels...

    As for High Voltage pack, if you lived near me, which you don't, I could loan you a wiring harness and charger to trickle charge the pack back to life. As long as you didn't have some cells that were close to failing when the car stopped being used, you should be good to go... Learn more about grid charging a high voltage pack here: Prolong Battery Systems. Extending the life of your hybrid. — Hybrid Automotive
     
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  6. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Quite nice of you if the OP lived near you, but I submit this: 215,000 miles, 2007, sat for a year and a half. Coin toss. Even if you got the pack charged enough to start the car, how long do you think it would last?
     
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  7. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    It'd last a lot longer if the pack was in my care... And after more than a year of working on battery packs, I'm of the opinion that they're alot more reliable and serviceable than all the naysayers like to treat them, especially if you're reconditioning & replacing individual modules before they fail.
     
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  8. MilkyWay

    MilkyWay Active Member

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    Borrow or buy a good jump box. Or the tow truck driver should have one and it is way stronger than connecting cables.
     
  9. Andyinchville1

    Andyinchville1 New Member

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    Update ....

    After discussing your car with the current owner and trying to set up a date to go look at it or buy it the owner informed me that they were keeping the car because his son wants it now.

    Been having a rough time at trying to get my first Prius!

    On the flip side and maybe it's a good thing I've had a lot of time to learn more about Prius through this site and watching YouTube videos...

    Question I have still though is can a Prius actually start and drive without the high-voltage battery?

    I realize it won't be as efficient not using a high-voltage battery to help operate the vehicle but can it be done in a pinch?

    I saw one post where it said you can run and drive the car as normal except with less power but then again it seems like my experience has been if the high voltage battery is discharged or in a condition that trips a lot of warning lights that the vehicle may not be runnable at all.

    So my question is if a Prius has a bad high voltage battery from the get-go or is it somehow develops into a high-voltage battery problem on the road can the car still be started and driven using only gas power limp home or to drive until once is enough money for high voltage battery repairs or replacement?

    Thanks for all your help this far and I guess my search continues ....
     
  10. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    No, it will not start without the HV battery. As @TMR-JWAP, mentioned, that's what cranks the engine. Now, if the battery throws a code and is malfunctioning but still able to provide some power, you may be able to limp for a while till it quits completely, strands you on the roadside, and spills acid all over the battery compartment, but that's penny wise and pound foolish.
     
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  11. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Be patient, the right car will come along... In the meantime print up a business card or flyer describing your perfect Prius and start talking to everyone you see who has a Prius that approximates that. Tell them your ambition. Most all of them will have no desire to sell, but you only need to find that one person. Also if you have spare time and skill for it, offer a Prius auto detailing service, then ease into easy stuff like cabin air filter changing, light bulb replacement etc.. That way you'll eventually have repeat customers and as time goes by not only will you become an expert on Prius, but you might end up owning one of the cars you've been caring for at a really great price. Of course maybe in your part of the country their aren't many Prius on the road? Out here on west coast it seems like 1 out of every 8 cars is a Prius.

    For extra credit find a Prius battery pack at a junk yard for cheap and get geared up to rebuild and recondition it, that way if someone's battery dies you can hook them up with a loaner pack or offer to buy the car after they get off the phone with the dealership telling them how many thousands of dollars they want to rob them of to get the car back on the road.
     
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  12. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Word, In Davis California you can roll up to a 4 way stop and every car will be a Prius. ;)
     
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  13. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I've come fairly close to that here in the Tampa area. Yesterday on the way home from work, I noticed that there was a Gen 3 next to me, an Ionic in front of him, and a Prius v in front of the Ionic.
     
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  14. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Or how often do you walk up to your Prius after shopping and don't understand why the door won't unlock and then you wonder who put all that stuff that's not yours in the car, or where did that new dent come from, only to realize that's not your car, just looks like it from afar.
     
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  15. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Ive had that happen with other cars as well.
     
  16. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Well, yeah... Back in the 90's and early 2000's everyone was driving Subarus in the PNW...
     
  17. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I’ve seen that in person :).

    What I haven’t seen is a different generation of Prii at the same intersection ;).

    Maybe soon(y).
     
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  18. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    The one I most get confused is my 4 Runner. It's like every dammed one is that same green. I do have one tell though. Mine is a 5 speed stick. Only 1 in 20 have a manual transmission.
     
  19. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    The worst for me are someone else's dents... Walking up to what I think is my own car and discover a horrific dent and I'm like how when did then happen and start to act like my day is ruined and then I'm like, oh never mind.
     
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  20. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    How old is the son? I would keep in touch with the guy, sometimes people think their gonna bring it back to life for 30 bucks. Then reality kicks in and they find out how much it’s really going to cost to repair.