I messed up. What do i do now?

Have you tried connecting directly to the actual battery? (Right lower area of trunk) It's pretty easy to get to once you pull out the plastic storage bin and look into the right side (about the mirror image of where the left storage compartment is located)

 

Uh oh... I'm thinking there may be some screwed up ecus now. Good luck. I think this only from reading other threads cautioning about what might happen by reversing the polarity, not from any other experience.

 

aww crap... I think you just did a couple thousand dollars worth of dmg to your vehicle....

Sorry to hear

 

1. Tow your sister's Prius to the nearest Toyota dealer.

2. If you are lucky then only the fusible link assembly in the main relay/fuse box will have to be replaced, probably cost $200 or so.

3. If you are unlucky, the DC/DC converter within the inverter was destroyed and that will result in a healthy four-digit repair bill (healthy for the dealer, that is...)

Good luck.

 

Take Patrick's advice, as it is exactly correct. Reverse jumping a Prius can be a very expensive mistake.

Tom

 

+1 on that.

I hope it is just the fusable link, but reverse polarity will probably cost between $3000 and $5000 to replace.

 

System restore! Actually I don't think you have much of an issue. Sounds like you just need a new battery. In any case, bring it to the dealer 4sho.

 

Sounds like a real mess. I tried to figure out where the jump post is connected in the wiring digram, but I didn't find it. You could just have one or more blown fuses, or according to Patrick the inverter or more could be damaged. The dealer is a good, but very expensive solution. You are likely to run up a 3000 or $4000 tab if the inverter needs changing. If you are lucky, a few hundred bucks for fuses a diagnostics. If you can check the fuses and fuseable links yourself, I would do that first. You can get a used inverter for much less then the dealer will charge, and either put it in yourself, or have an indepent shop do it. If the battery in the car is original, you need to replace it as well (that is probably what started this whole thing anyway). Changing the inverter is definetly a DIY job, if you have OK mechanical skills.
Good luck!

 

Take away for those reading this:

1) Try to avoid EVER jump starting your Prius. If you get the slightest hint of 12v battery trouble, replace it now.

2) NEVER jump start anything with a Prius, ever.

It is too late for the OP, but YOU could learn from his mistake.

 

Every couple of days we see threads from folks wanting to know whethere they should replace the 12V battery now, or wait. This is why I believe that if there is ANY doubt in your mind you do it now. Cheap insurance. Screwing up while jump starting a Prius is REALLY screwing up, and is easy to do (especially if you're not knowledgeable, and/or are not REALLY payng attention). This thread, IMHO, should be "stickied".

 

I've jump started my 06 Prius battery to battery without a problem but I've never heard of the OP's proceedure. Of course using offensive language in your post is not going to help the situation at all.

 

You are exactly correct. Offensive language should be used during the procedure, not the post. I find most car maintenance is facilitated by swearing and brandishing tools in a threatening manner.



Tom

 

And I use every word in the book too! I knew a guy who got so frustrated under the car that he slid out on the creeper, stood up and smashed a ball pien hammer right into the quarter paned then soon regretted that sudden rage. lol.:target:

 

A simple safety device consisting of one or more stud diodes mounted in the jump start/fuse cover would remove all risk of damage from accidental reverse polarity jump starting. If there is interest in this modification I will post some details.

 

It's possible you got lucky and it's only fuses. Depends on many factors. First, check the fusible link assembly. It's the long white rectangle that's attached to the bolt where the jumpstart terminal is. Look at each section and look for blown elements. You should be able to see through the clear cover.

Next check the main fuse at the battery. You will have to take the positive terminal assembly off the battery to get to it. An ohmmeter or continuity tester will help.

If all those seem good, check individual fuses, both under the hood and under the dash.

If an ECU or (hopefully not) the DC-DC converter inside the inverter was blown, you will definitely find a fuse open somewhere. If you replace the fuse and it blows again, then you have an expensive problem, and it's best to let someone with more knowledge look at it.

 

You would think that a company that designs and builds a car that at times seems to be smarter than it's owner, would have the common sense to build in polarity protection. The $200 fusible link option, if that really is their answer for polarity protection, is just WRONG! Having a fusible link that takes it's time opening up, meanwhile the DC-DC converter goes to sing the choir angelic, and burps up a puff of smoke!!!
It's nothing more than a revenue generator. While offering some protection, there are better ways to protect the car from it's owner!

As mentoned in an earlier post, a simple steering diode/s that is/are beefy enough to handle the current would be best!

Oh, BTW, "FRAK", and it's derivations work much better in print....
It's OK to be a Horses nice person or a DF, we just don't really need to know as to what level you have achieved !! TMI

 

You can't idiot-proof everything. I know of no cars that are capable of 100% surviving a high-current reverse-polarity situation, and adding diodes to everything isn't always feasible.

In order to avoid losses (.7v) you need to use special (expensive) diodes or MOSFETs.

Then what do you do about the idiot that hooks 24v to his car? Do you add in protection for that too? Where does one stop, and would you be willing to pay an extra $100-$200 for these optional protection devices? (most would not, which is why they aren't there)

I've never hooked up a car backwards. It's not that hard to pay attention and be careful. Plus, there are scant few times in ones life that this is even needed for most people.

Generally the fuses will blow to protect things. Unfortunately the stealer marks up the Fusible link assembly to crazy amounts, but I assume this combined device was done in the first place for cost and space reasons.

My bet is the car survived with only blown fuses.

 

Well, those booster cables that autosense polarity aren't that much more than simple ones, so Toyota could have added that circuit cheaply enough. I don't think anyone thinks they have to capture all possible errors (ok, some people may) just common ones with cheap solutions. After all... they did put in fuses.

 

Toyota should make special very high frequency wireless power transducers and put them on all hybrids. Then to jump your Toyota Hybrid, just pull another one up next to it, press the giant wireless power button, and the other hybrid wakes up.