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

New Prius Owner (Texan living in Sweden)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Walker0012, Sep 13, 2024 at 5:57 AM.

  1. Walker0012

    Walker0012 New Member

    Joined:
    Today
    1
    1
    0
    Location:
    Sweden
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Hey everyone!

    • I am from Texas but am currently living in Sweden. I just bought a used 2005 Toyota Prius for 45,000 Swedish Krona or $4,500 USD. I am live in Stockholm but am moving to a small town called Skelleftea (far north Sweden... like North Pole north...)

    • The Prius I bought had 299,999 Km.... I was waiting for the odometer to role over and it never did. After getting it home I did some research and found out the odometer issue with the 2004-2005's. All that said, I believe this car has around 310,000-315,000 Km's on it.

    • A lot of the used Prius for sale here ALOT of owners (like 10+ owners over the course of its life) which usually means the car has not been very well maintained.

    • My Prius has had around 5 owners I think, with the last owner having it for 7 years. He changed out the hybrid battery around 2 or 3 years ago (albeit it was a used one from another car. I think it was fairly high mileage).

    • I did an oil change and changed the spark plugs. That is all the maintenance I have done so far. The plugs looked pretty bad. Not sure how old they were, but I imagine they were pretty old.

    • Where I am moving to, it gets VERY cold. Like -40 C cold... Not all the time, but -40C is on the extreme side. I think average temperatures will be more around 16F to 28F ish.

    Question: I have read several post about the Prius and very cold temperatures. I have read some things saying that they are fine in the cold, just the same as a regular ICE car and have read other things saying otherwise. I misunderstood on how the Prius worked. I thought the ICE engine started from the 12V battery, like any typical car. But does the ICE engine actually turn on from the hybrid battery? If so, does that mean if your Hybrid battery is dead, you can not start the car? Even jump starting it? (Jump starting at the jumper in the front just powers the 12V battery, correct?)

    I also have seen videos of Prius being started in cold temperatures and then sounding terrible. Like the motor sounds like death.... Not sure what exactly that would be and how the cold is impacting it? But I have seen several videos like that. See below link:
     
    #1 Walker0012, Sep 13, 2024 at 5:57 AM
    bisco likes this.
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    9,839
    1,715
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    If you look in the owner's manual for that model Prius that's a 1NZ series engine Prius very much an ice engine in use and a lot of other vehicles in that extreme cold I'm imagining you're going to want to run a 0-20 oil 030 maybe if they have such a thing and wide range synthetic oil so that you'll have good starting in the morning or whenever you start the car and the warm up will be quicker with a center weight oil that's more capable and constant zero degree weather that may be a thing look in the owner's manual for your car I think it's online and if you're in that low attempts it might be a thing checking with other owners in your area that far north would be good they'll tell you quickly The cars had five owners so must be doing pretty good that's just the way it is over there we live there in the '70s but other than that you should be good Yes the hybrid battery is what starts to car One of the motor generators or whatever spins the shaft to start the motor just like a starter wood it's got way more torque and a lot more rear end behind it than any starter could ever have and generally you're hybrid batteries just not going to go dead from sitting in the cold unless you're going to leave it for a very long time The hybrid battery should have enough juice in it pretty much any time to spin you over and get you running once that littl 1nz starts It's one of Toyota's bread and butter engines If it's even been remotely taken care of somewhat it should run like gangbusters that's the long and the short of it I mean I don't know if in the cold up there people are putting in some type of magnetic block heater in hose heater that goes right in your lower radiator hose generally plugs into an outlet I don't know if that's a thing there or not I was never that far north but all those things are available and are relatively inexpensive an inline hose heater that plugs into an outlet is quite an expensive just remember to unplug it before you try to drive off.
     
    #2 Tombukt2, Sep 13, 2024 at 6:46 PM
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    109,497
    49,775
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome!
    correct, the engine cannot start with a bad hybrid battery. the 12v only boots the computers and relays to connect the hybrid battery to the system.
    i'm surprised it doesn't have a block heater. that would be helpful if they are available.
    i think a good running prius will be fine in cold temps. but if it is not well maintained, you may have issues.
     
    #3 bisco, Sep 13, 2024 at 8:25 PM
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)