08 Prius Dead. 12 v battery and spare tire under Ice

As noted, you need a new 12V battery. Me, I went with the Toyota because I am not a car tech and I knew it would fit without having to worry about any "adjustments." And, while it was $$$, the knowledge it would fit was worth it.

Now, if you need it delivered to your home that is another thing...

Anyway, putting it in is pretty simple really, but considering your local dealer is only charging $40 to install (still too high, but hey), I would be sorely tempted, considering your weather.

Your choice, but you know the Toyota will fit. And you DO NEED a new battery.

 

unfortunately, no. there is no 12v low indicator warning. there is a diagnostic screen you can check if you want to go to the trouble.

 

I vote for home delivery & DIY. Ensure the new battery is charged up before installation. You should have the job done in the time it'll take you to get to the dealer and you'll still sit there for at least half an hour waiting for the car.

Dealers also sell crap batteries which is why I have an Optima. I bought from elearnaid who delivered a fully charged charged battery at a good price. Shop around as there are a number of options & prices change all the time.

 

Would be nice if you could pre-order one from the dealership, have them hook it up to a proper smart charger, be topped up by the time you get there, so you could swap it in the parking lot (or have their guys do, if you wish), and deal with the core charge on the spot.

 

If your freshly charged battery allows the car to power up into Ready mode, it should then take you wherever you want it to. Once you turn it off it might need a jump again if it's a really bad battery.

 

We all have our opinions and experiences. I did not like getting delayed in the office parking lot and liked getting stranded at Liberty Toyota less all because they installed a crap battery.

On the plus side, several options are available at different price points so we aren't tied to one supplier. If you are a AAA member there might be a discount on that NAPA battery.

They also had the best price around for inverter coolant.

 

its a very small battery as you've seen. also the terminals are smaller than normal. if they bring out a battery the same size as yours with the same small terminals, it'll work. and as long as the parts guy isn't an idiot, he'll get the right one.

 

I would make sure that battery posts are the same way around. At least here they sell battery’s that are exactly the same as Prius, even with small posts, but posts are other way around.

 

In the UK I have also seen many batteries being advertised as gen2/3 Prius batteries, but with reverse post layouts. This is particularly evident on Ebay.
Wheel bearings also are advertised as gen2 front and rear with press in bearing races at circa £20, but the outer bearing races on the gen2 are part of the hub casting, and cannot be removed.

John (Britprius)

 

From MidAtlantic AAA:

 

It sound like the car you have is the non SKS version that has a shorter battery. From memory the batery tray it sits in is held in place by two bolts. The tray can be removed, and in the short term the vertical leg cut off flush at the bottom. the battery will then fit. Or leave the tray out and pack round the battery with polystyrene to stop movement.
The long term solution is to buy the battery tray for the larger battery, and fit. It is only a few $ from Toyota.
The larger battery is a much better option.

John (Britprius)