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2005 Prius will not turn off, lights all on

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by artbart, Aug 16, 2009.

  1. artbart

    artbart New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2009
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    Location:
    North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    My Prius will not turn off. This morning we started it as usual and got all the dashboard lights on, including the triangular red warning light. The electrical system was on, but not the information screen. We could not turn the power off again. We tried inserting the smart key, but now that key is stuck and cannot be removed. We finally had to leave in another car, and left the Prius locked up manually. It was completely dead when we got home, but the key will not come out. It is Sunday, so the dealer is closed.
     
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    If you want to DIY, I suggest that you replace the 12V auxiliary battery, as a start.
     
  3. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
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    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
  4. artbart

    artbart New Member

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    Aug 16, 2009
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    Location:
    North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thank you for your responses! My situation sounds a little more dire in that the dashboard lights were on, and the triangular warning light was on. Only the information screen was off, and we could not change gears. Since we could not turn it off, we ended up having to lock it up with the lights still on, so now it is dead.
     
  5. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Mar 27, 2004
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    Location:
    United States
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Do Not jump start it unless you are completely clear on how to do it. Doing it wrong can cause hundreds of dollars of damage to wiring harnesses, the inverter and computers. Have a dealer send someone to start it or tow it on a flatbed to the shop.
     
  6. vertex

    vertex Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2009
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    Location:
    new york
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I noticed a similar problem when my 12 volt battery was low. There is a jump point in the fuse box under the hood, or you could go to the battery in the back, passenger side. The only issue is DO NOT reverse the polarity. As long as you are comfortable doing that, you should be fine. You probably need a new 12 volt battery. There are several posts by Hobbit, myself and others on how to do this. Hobbits is the best for how to info.
     
  7. BAllanJ

    BAllanJ Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2008
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    Location:
    Kingston Ontario
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    A question.... They sell fancy booster cables that sense polarity so you don't need to pay attention when hooking them up to boost a car. Although these are fancy, they also are quite cheap. So, why doesn't Toyota put the little circuit from those cables behind the boosting point and protect this uniquely vulnerable car?

    Back to the OP.... sure hope it isn't the combination meter.