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Dead Prius plug-in

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by CarmelPrius, May 27, 2015.

  1. CarmelPrius

    CarmelPrius At 1 mile.

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    This morning, I tried to start my 2012 plug-in. Nothing! Dead! Only 28,000 miles. Any ideas before I call the tow truck?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    12v battery? does the fob work? dome lights? headlights? perhaps left a light on or door ajar, draining the battery. try stepping on the brake pedal harder if the fob and lights work.
     
  3. CarmelPrius

    CarmelPrius At 1 mile.

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    I'll have to try this when I return home (in my Tundra). Thanks!
     
  4. CarmelPrius

    CarmelPrius At 1 mile.

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    The FOB will not lock or unlock the car. Brake pedal has little movement.
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Book Cover Judge

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    Does the (red) light on the fob go on when you try it? I'm betting it does, and it's your 12 volt battery that's run down. Do you by chance have a digital volt meter?

    Maybe a door was left ajar, something like that. There's about a million "courtesy lights" on the car, and a lot of them can't even be switched off. On ours for example: open either of the front doors and you've got the door panel light, the illuminated door sill, AND a couple of little lights under the dash.
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if you charge the pip, it charges the 12 volt at the same time. but if it's flat, that may not be enough.
     
  7. aljudy

    aljudy Junior Member

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    FOB battery needs replacement?
     
  8. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    On any ordinary car, not a Prius.....when the car doesn't start, you call AAA for a jump start. The logic applies here too with a Prius
     
  9. CarmelPrius

    CarmelPrius At 1 mile.

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    Well, I tried to get into the rear door, as that is where I keep my owner's manual. It was not closed tightly, so I closed it. Now I can't get it open. )_(*&))*&())__OP I do believe the battery is flat, as there are now no lights at all on the dash. I need to charge the battery but I don't know where to hook up the charger (since my owner's manual is locked up).
     
  10. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If you have AAA, let them handle it.

    If not, you can open the rear hatch manually by folding down the rear seats, removing the cover to the back tray (where your manual is), then you'll be able to see a manual lever on the hatch area that you can open the hatch with. It's a small tiny sliding lever from left to right.
     
  11. roflwaffle

    roflwaffle Member

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    Anything that will supply 12V to the jump points in the engine bay should be fine. Even 8 D-Cells in series could work, or so I've read.

    Just make sure the polarity of your jumper is correct.

     
    #11 roflwaffle, May 27, 2015
    Last edited: May 27, 2015
  12. ExMachina08

    ExMachina08 Junior Member

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    Actually is really simple to jump a prius. Open the hood and take the fuse box cover off. You will see a red flip up cover over the 12v copper tab. Hook red cable to this and black to an unpainted spot on the frame. Boom you're jumping your prius! I had to learn this really quick when I ran my 12v down during a 16 minute ferry boat ride.
     
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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Book Cover Judge

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    There's a metal key in your fob. That'll unlock your car, power or no power.

    I know it's no laughing matter, but: if you can't figure out how to get the ley out of the fob, there's instruction...: in the Owners Manual. :)
     
  14. ExMachina08

    ExMachina08 Junior Member

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    The only thing is that the hatch door is electric actuated so it can't be opened from the outside if you lose power. You have to crawl over the back seat and use the emergency release.
     
  15. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    That sounds like locking your house and car keys in the car, and the spare car key is in your house.
     
  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Book Cover Judge

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    You can jumpstart and/or charge the battery at the under-hood fuse box.

    Capture.JPG
     
    #16 Mendel Leisk, May 27, 2015
    Last edited: May 27, 2015
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Book Cover Judge

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    Here ya go:

    Capture.JPG

    If you get it running, via a jump start, you're not out of the woods. You'd do well to pick up a digitial multimeter and a (3~4 amp range) smart charger. Hook the latter up per instructions, let it run to completion. This could well take up to 12 hours. Then drive it for a day or two. Then check the voltage (at the underhood fuse box is fine).

    If it's in decent shape, it'll read around 12.6 volts.
     
  18. CarmelPrius

    CarmelPrius At 1 mile.

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    Thanks so much!!! AAA will be here in 30 minutes. I watched the video on how to jump start it, but may as well have AAA do it.
     
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    watch them to make sure they don't cross polinate the positive and negative, costs big bucks! :eek: find the jump point under the hood and have it ready for them. make sure they clamp the positive to it, and negative to an unpainted bolt or stud for grounding.
     
  20. iluvmacs

    iluvmacs Member

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    Correction: that'd be 8 cells in SERIES, not parallel :). Otherwise you're still at just 1.5V, but with 8x the capacity (mAh).
     
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