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

12v recondition

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Ben Schneider, Jul 16, 2020.

  1. Ben Schneider

    Ben Schneider Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2019
    88
    21
    1
    Location:
    central florida
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    13 prius

    left blinkers on 1-2 hours to sit in street while workers in driveway... drove car 10 minutes

    few days later... car power off

    now it runs after a jump start. can be turned off then on again

    if waiting a few days, goes dark again

    can i use chemicals to refurbish or use desulfator or something to refurbish battery

    $200 a lot for replacement in these times
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    there are chargers that can sometimes help from what i've heard.

    but if it's the original, i'd look around. sometimes you can find an aftermarket for $150.

    or if you are brave, you can throw in a fifty dollar tractor battery.

    if you're not driving much, i'd pick up a trickle charger
     
    pjksr02 likes this.
  3. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2012
    3,295
    1,005
    0
    Location:
    Arcadia, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Certain chargers have a revive/desulfate mode that pumps/pulses in higher voltage or something to that effect. Looking at reviews online or videos of this feature more often than not it would fail.

    The sooner you recharge the battery the higher your chances of saving it.
    For the Prius 4.2 A or lower, my personal recommendation, others I'm sure will disagree and say you can go higher.
    If possible keep your new "smart" charger connected whenever you'll not use the car for a few days.

    Sounds like the car will make a round trip without the battery dying. Maybe you can live with it as such for now, along with the charger/maintainer.

    moto g(7) power ?
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  4. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Brave? What about the 18v battery drill?
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    without the battery?
     
  6. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2018
    7,035
    2,780
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    NO. But you can give it a good full charge and see if it holds up.
    Ask friends and family if anyone has a charger that you can borrow.
    The car will NOT charge it up from being that low without driving it for many hours.

    BUT.....the odds aren't good.
    Call around to auto parts stores and battery stores in your area.
    Pep Boys is often mentioned here.

    Should be able to get a decent battery for around $150.
    If they install it, then maybe your $200 number applies.

    There is absolutely, positively NO reason to insist on having a Toyota dealer do this.
     
  7. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2012
    1,555
    659
    0
    Location:
    Central MO
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    II
    I would buy a new one for 150 at advance auto with 25 percent off coupon
     
    Mendel Leisk and Prodigyplace like this.
  8. Nor'easter

    Nor'easter Member

    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2019
    158
    96
    0
    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I tried to post some helpful real world experience on this forum, but the experience was so unpleasant (no thanks to Sam Spade 2) that I resolved not to do it again. Much of the thread was deleted by mods after I reported it. Some of it may still be there from January or so 2020, I haven't cared enough to look. I can update (the experience continues to be one of success), but I'm not going to take abuse for it.
     
    bisco and 2012 Prius v wagon 3 like this.
  9. 2012 Prius v wagon 3

    2012 Prius v wagon 3 Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2019
    281
    276
    0
    Location:
    Redwood City, California
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Not familiar with that thread, but I know how things can be ;). Here is my own contribution from personal experience ...

    OP, your situation of having a battery that works, but is maybe near end of life, and then gets run all the way down, and is then dead ... is not uncommon.

    I agree with all the advice above. I would not just give up myself, especially having a charger, meters, etc. to try to bring it back to life. But it may very well be dead now. Also, I replaced my original battery in my 2012 late last year, mainly based on age and having an amazing black friday deal available, so don't feel bad about a battery only lasting 7-8 years. Yours may have lasted another year, but probably not much more (this is a guess).

    Similar specific incident, non-Prius: My neighbor, who I help a lot with car advice and little help, had a dead battery. He had taken it to his mechanic to do some completely unrelated job. When it was time to go, the battery was dead, so they charged-or-jumped it and he drove it home. Then it was dead, he asked me for help, I tested and charged it to get it started. Next day, same thing. Turns out the only way it would start was when being jumped or on a charger, so he ended up replacing the battery. The battery looked old, and he had no battery issues at all prior to the mechanic visit.

    So my conclusion for him, which he agreed with, was that the mechanic must have left some drain on the battery running while he was doing the work on the car (door open, ignition on, etc.), and that full drain on an old battery killed it beyond any chance of revival. Similarly, I told him to not feel too bad - the single deep drain may have given it a slightly early sudden death, but it was due to fade away before too long anyway.
     
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    you can pm the op with advice, thereby avoiding thread disaster :cool:
     
  11. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2018
    7,035
    2,780
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    Disagreeing with what you have to say is NOT abuse.
     
  12. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,687
    6,375
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    You can improve things just by charging the battery with a proper charger, but honestly how old is this battery?

    If it's original you've had your money's worth, anything less than a replacement is a waste of time and money.
     
    Mendel Leisk and ASRDogman like this.
  13. Nor'easter

    Nor'easter Member

    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2019
    158
    96
    0
    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Of course not. Disagreement was not something I complain about. You called me a liar, then suggested I was stupid. I pointed out that I was neither, you escalated, I complained about that. I have a suggestion: put me on ignore. I'm done with you.

    Apologies to others for the OT.

    I'll update on my battery "project" later.
     
    Raytheeagle and bisco like this.
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    or vice versa ;)
     
  15. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2012
    1,555
    659
    0
    Location:
    Central MO
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    II
  16. pjksr02

    pjksr02 Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2009
    532
    225
    2
    Location:
    Connecticut
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    My takeaway from the battery thread was learning about the compact battery jump-starter packs that are available. There's a thread on these, and every car owner should know about (or own!) one.
     
  17. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2018
    7,035
    2,780
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    The "evidence" is now gone.......so you can characterize it however you want with nothing to back up your claims.

    Apparently that was 6 months ago and it now is YOU who is stirring the pot again.

    I suggest that you just let it GO.
     
  18. Ben Schneider

    Ben Schneider Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2019
    88
    21
    1
    Location:
    central florida
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    much appreciate everyone

    ordering a charger that has desulfate. if not renewed, will get a new one, maybe prorated at dealer.
     
    Mendel Leisk and bisco like this.
  19. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2018
    7,035
    2,780
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    About one in a thousand wet cell lead acid batteries that is getting weak will benefit from "desulfating".
    If it is an AGM battery, which it should be, the figure might go up to one in 10,000.
    Desulfating is mostly snake oil.