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Prime 2019 dead battery

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Thomas Gillespie, Apr 27, 2022.

  1. Thomas Gillespie

    Thomas Gillespie New Member

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    Trying to contact @toyota Bought Prius Prime 2019, 38,000 mi & battery went dead & had to be replaced & no one seems to know why? Happened in the KY woods, had to wait 6 hours for a tow truck, overnight in a city we did not want to overnight in. Battery listed as 100/150K

    Used the car seamlessly for 3 years all regular maintenance and then dead in the middle of the woods. We use the car daily. Plug it in at night so locally no gas.
     
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  2. Mark McIntyre

    Mark McIntyre Member

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    Just to be clear... Did the 12 volt battery under the hood die, or the traction battery that powers the wheels?
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!

    i think you're likely confused. prime 12 volts go dead all the time and have a pro rated warranty.. the hybrid battery with 10/150 warranty is likely fine.
    the 12v goes dead because there is a large drain on it constantly, and if you leave it plugged in, the drain increases after the car stops charging.
    this is a known problem, and there are several threads here regarding it and best practices.
    no need to contact @toyota, just call a dealer.
     
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  4. BChoAss

    BChoAss Junior Member

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  5. PT Guy

    PT Guy Senior Member

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    Add the NAPA BAT75140R (which looks identical to the O'Reilly battery)
    https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BAT75140R?impressionRank=1

    Amazon has the ACDelco Gold LN1AGM for $182 and the ACDelco Professional LN1AGM for $167.
    RockAuto has the ACDelco Pro for $144 delivered. Summit Racing has the ACDelco Gold for $153 delivered.

    "Consumer Reports" rates the ACDelco Professional AGM batteries tops and says, "This recommended absorbed glass mat (AGM) model has been tested by our experts. It has excellent life and reserve capacity scores, as well as very good cold cranking amps performance."

    Our 2017 Prime continues fine on the original battery. I add water when needed. (The caps on the cells open easy with a quarter held in vise-grips. I think it was designed to be opened with a ¥100 coin.) The car is plugged in all night, every night, and many days. It is driven every day.
     
    #5 PT Guy, Apr 29, 2022
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2022
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i hope the op isn't back in the middle of the woods...
     
  7. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Yep, good practice to top-off the battery with distilled water every fall, after the hot summer heat boils out a lot of electrolytes.
     
  8. prius16

    prius16 Active Member

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    I disagree with that statement.
    For one, good luck even finding a battery that have liquid added to it.
    I strongly suggest that people check the manufacture's we site, before they put anything into any battery.
     
  9. Storm88000

    Storm88000 Active Member

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    I had no idea leaving the charger plugged in drains the regular battery. Thought it wouldn’t have any effect at all - it is just from the blue light indicators ?
     
  10. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    No, the ECU's does more periodic systems checks and status tests while plugged in. Those checks run on the 12VDC battery alone. That's why strange error codes pop up, when you have a weak 12VDC battery.

    The low voltage causes erroneous sensor readings during self diagnostics, that's why you need to check your 12VDC battery status FIRST. Make sure it's above 12.5 volts and 'load test' fine. Clear your codes an see if they pop up again. If it pops up again, with a good battery in place, then you may have a problem and check your gas cap:D
     
    #10 BiomedO1, Apr 30, 2022
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2022
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  11. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    As @bisco said, it sounds like you're confusing the 12V auxiliary battery and the hybrid battery. Any car's 12V can die at any time. Usually due to something left on like a dome light. Short drives that are few and far between will also deplete a 12V but also, they get old. Yours isn't very old yet.

    Lithium jump packs are way cheaper and quicker than tow trucks. Every car owner should have one in their car.

    Page 88 in my 2017 manual:
    Screen Shot 2022-04-30 at 9.01.04 AM.png
     
  12. FuelMiser

    FuelMiser Senior Member

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    In my 2016 Hybrid, not a Prime, the OEM battery is an old-school wet-cell lead-acid type with screw caps for each cell. Normal distilled water is fine to keep them topped up, if needed. My 12V battery died overnight a few months ago for no apparent reason, so I checked the electrolyte levels. It was not too low, but I still topped up some cells to fully cover the plates. I think I used a quarter (coin) to unscrew the caps. They have huge slots to unscrew them.
     
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  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    another one hit wonder?
     
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  14. PaulDM

    PaulDM Active Member

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    I thought the Prius uses an AGM 12V battery because of the start-stop load not a wet cell.
     
    #14 PaulDM, Apr 30, 2022
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2022
  15. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Only up to Gen3. Starting from Gen4 and Prius Prime (aka PHV in your country), the 12v battery is a regular wet lead-acid battery located under the hood in the engine compartment. AFAIK, the reason for using AGM in Gen3 and earlier was because it was located in the cabin. For safety reasons, they opted for a sealed AGM that does not produce toxic fume in case of an accident that would fill the cabin.

    upload_2022-4-30_10-50-31.png
     
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  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the start/stop load is on the hybrid battery. the 12v is under constant charge from the inverter/converter if the car is ready.
    i can't think of any extra load on the 12v except for normal accessories which are not related to engine performance afaik.
     
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  17. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    @Salamander_King pretty much nailed it except one little detail:
    If you get rear ended and the 2000 Jeep Cherokee that was going 60 mph faster than you as you wait for a traffic light explodes your Gen 2's battery into a million pieces, you will not be able to stay in the car very long. In a couple minutes, your lungs will insist on getting out. Thus saith the voice of personal experience. ;)

    But the sealed AGM with properly installed vent tube does prevent gasses from venting into the cabin during normal use which, of course, we don't care about when the battery is under the hood/bonnet.
     
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  18. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I have read that AGM in general has a superior property to be able to handle deep discharge better than regular wet lead-acid batteries. For that reason, I recently purchased an AGM battery (O'Reilly Super Start Platinum) for our SUV that needed to have the OEM wet lead-acid 12v battery replaced. This car tends to sit on our driveway for a month at a time without starting. So far, it is holding a good SoC even though the car has been driven only a few times in the last 4 months since the replacement. If AGM can handle the deep discharge better, then I may give it a try with an AGM replacement battery (AC Delco Pro), if and when I have to replace the PP's 12v battery.
     
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  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that may be the case, idk. but the prius battery is so bad up through gen3, one deep discharge and it's often toast.
    interestingly, my golf cart and riding mowers both have wet lead acid batteries designed for deep discharge.
     
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  20. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yeah, but in that case, I am sure you have a more urgent reason you need to be extracted from the vehicle quickly.

    Besides, at the impact the rear window would be shattered, maybe the side and front as well, making it less likely that you are breathing toxic fume filling the cabin air. How much of a difference would an AGM in the rear trunk space make from the case of front-end impact in a Gen4 with a wet lead-acid battery under the hood?