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12 V battery replacement and related issues?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by jaxpriusowner, Feb 14, 2020.

  1. jaxpriusowner

    jaxpriusowner New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2020
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    Location:
    jacksonville, FL
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    II
    First time poster here. Prius 2 Model year 2014 purchased October 2013.

    Background: Had the JOV recall performed in mid December. On December 31 (Happy New Year) the original 12V battery died. The battery had a good life in a harsh (hot environment; FL) so I chalked its demise on old age so I didn't try to charge the old battery.

    Actions taken: Replaced it myself with a brand spanking new Optima 12V for the Prius. All was good until Tuesday (Feb 11) the car was dead again. It had been sitting unused for about two days. Unable to confirm cause as I could not find anything that was inadvertently left running when we parked the car...... Charged up battery and just reinstalled it. Car fired up, drove it around the block and noticed that when I turned on the headlights, the blue high beam indicator was on. Try to "flick" the high beams off with no luck.

    Current quandry: Since taking it to the dealer without some level of knowledge on possible root causes can lead to expensive learning, I am hoping the Priuschat community can arm me with information to self correct this or limit the $$$ damage.

    Is it possible that the JOV recall impacted the HV battery to properly keep the 12V battery charged? I doubt this but the timing of the original 12V battery dying and a possible repeat has me wondering....

    My other thoughts are:
    1) the high beam issue (a fuse maybe) and
    2) Any other possible reasons why the 12V battery ran down (besides unwittingly leaving accessories on?

    Thanks in advance for any ideas !!
     
    #1 jaxpriusowner, Feb 14, 2020
  2. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2018
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    NO, not likely.
    It is easy enough to check though......IF you have a ~$10 digital multimeter.

    It is MUCH more likely, I think, that you are another "victim" of Optima's marketing hype and poor quality.
    Also could be a bad connection at the OTHER end of one of the main cables.
    The negative side to the chassis often is a problem.

    A meter would help in diagnosing the battery too........because you can't necessarily trust the "standard" auto shop test.
    They can usually identify one that is bad......but sometimes report ones that are marginal as "good".
     
    #2 sam spade 2, Feb 14, 2020
  3. jaxpriusowner

    jaxpriusowner New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2020
    2
    1
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    Location:
    jacksonville, FL
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Update: I recharged the new battery and it is operating fine. Still a mystery as to why it went dead so quickly but may have been interior lights left on for a few days since the car is not used every day. During troubleshooting I replaced the "fuse" (which is called a fusible link in Toyota terms since it is really three fuses together) for the low beams which was completely different than that shown in the owner's manual. The headlamp issue was related to a faulty headlamp dimmer switch. Repair cost at dealer 210 dollars of which 175 was for parts. The part at Rock Auto would have been 135 dollars so I do not feel I got too bad of a deal.......
     
    #3 jaxpriusowner, Feb 29, 2020
    kc5dlo likes this.
  4. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2012
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    My first thought was the headlight multi function switch stuck in the high beam flash mode.
     
    #4 BZzap!, Mar 1, 2020
    kc5dlo likes this.
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