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

12 volt started smoking.....

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by MariAne, Sep 24, 2022.

  1. MariAne

    MariAne New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2022
    1
    1
    0
    Location:
    Safford AZ
    Vehicle:
    2002 Prius
    Model:
    I
    About a year ago I bought a 2002 Prius. Ran great on hwy, 30 miles home. About 6 months in something minor happened (I don't remember what) decided to get Toyota 12 volt battery to replace 12 volt from Walmart after reading some threads in Prius chat. Helped for a while, then wouldn't stay charged. Ended up removing positive cable after every use. Then emergency brake light would come on while driving. Pulled to side of road, turn car off. Set emergency brake. Start it again , release emergency brake, then light would go off. Parked it. Got OBD reader, looked up code, basically needed a new hybrid battery. I live 2-1/2 hours from city big enough to have Toyota dealer, car wasn't going to make it. Scheduled appt with GreenTec to mobile deliver and install. Went well. Remanufactured battery was just over $1800. Using all new cells was an additional $300, so I went with that. Cleared all codes. Engine and triangle lights came on. Code 3130, 3125. Looked that up. Thought I was going to have to get a new inverter hose, tank, what ever the problem was. Saw LusciousGarage had a comment. The first thing that should be done is to check fluid level. Mine was very low. Ordered some, added what it needed, engine and triangle lights didn't come on. Yeah. The other day, SO wanted the charger from trunk, gave back jumper cables (previous vehicle). Two nights ago I drive 7 miles to pick up pizza order. Way home car dies, pull over, see smoke from trunk. After smoke clears, I see jumper cables are attached to 12 volt battery on one end, nothing on the other end. A lot of rubber melted off cables. Dash light on, car won't start. Call SO, he shows up with tools and battery from an RV. Car starts, drive home. Need to get 12 volt tested at AutoZone. It's completely dead. RV battery much to big for Prius, buy 12 volt, drive 4 miles to store. Head home. On hwy engine and triangle lights come on. Get home, turn off car, turn on again for OBD reader. NOTHING. Connect to RV battery, dash lights up WITHOUT ENGINE OR TRIANGLE LIGHTS.
    Does anyone have any idea what's going on? I plan to get another Toyota 12 soon.
    Thank you for reading my life history.
     
    #1 MariAne, Sep 24, 2022
    Bruce Berquist likes this.
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,316
    15,104
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    This sounds like something didn't go completely right while installing the AutoZone battery. I would look extra carefully at the connections, and carefully again when/if a new Toyota one is installed.
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Sep 25, 2022
  3. Bruce Berquist

    Bruce Berquist Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2021
    86
    23
    0
    Location:
    South Tamworth, NH
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Model:
    I
    It seems to me that there are likely one of a few things going wrong with the 12v system.
    1- you have a short somewhere or the terminals were installed wrong.
    2- you have the wrong type of battery. It is important that it be a AGM or a Deep Cycle 12v battery with a minimum of 46ah (amp hour). CCA means very little to the Prius hybrid system.
    Regular lead acid batteries take a beating under the processes of the 12v charging processes of the hybrid system, and many well overheat and boil out, and so will go bad in short term.
    They can also emit toxic fumes into your car.
    3- there is a malfunction in the 12v part of the invertor that charges the 12v battery.
     
    #3 Bruce Berquist, Sep 25, 2022
  4. Trombone

    Trombone Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2019
    183
    59
    0
    Location:
    Allentown, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2002 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    We-l-l-l---I beg to differ, Bruce. Since replacing the original Panasonic 12 volt battery years ago, I've used nothing but standard off-the-shelf 12 volt lead-acid batteries: no AGM, vented, deep cycle, etc., IOW nothing fancy. Absolutely no problems in well over 15 years: no exploding hydrogen, overheating, boiling out, toxic fumes, etc. Currently I have an Interstate MT-51R installed (Interstate Batteries MT-51R Interstate Mega-Tron II Automotive Batteries | Summit Racing ); five years old and it's going strong. I don't know the basis for your assertion that "Regular lead acid batteries take a beating under the processes of the 12v charging processes of the hybrid system," so if you can point me to some research I'm always eager to learn!
     
    #4 Trombone, Sep 25, 2022
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2022
  5. Josey

    Josey Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2019
    287
    108
    0
    Location:
    Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Model:
    One
    I can't believe anyone had the patience or eye/brain strength to read through one huge tet block of partial thought/partial sentence mind dump.

    You might be better off editing that post to include some paragraph breaks and whatnot. (Sorry if that seems rude).
     
    #5 Josey, Sep 25, 2022
  6. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,100
    5,812
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring

    Are you serious? Haven't you read anything posted by Tombukt2 ?
    The OP in this thread is child's play in comparison. What a rookie!! :)
     
    #6 TMR-JWAP, Sep 25, 2022
    Albert Barbuto and Josey like this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)