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Prius Gen II Door Unlocking Problem

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by mattgee, Nov 13, 2013.

  1. mattgee

    mattgee New Member

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    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I am new to the forum and very grateful for all the information I have already accessed and used.
    I thought I would share a problem and what might have been the solution.
    On pressing the Unlock/Lock buttons on the fob the car did not unlock/lock every time and somewhat sluggishly when it did. The car would start fine, just the door locking was misbehaving. This also happened with the spare key so I ruled out the fob.
    I learned form this forum that the 12v battery supports most of the "usual" functions including locks and also learned how to check the battery. The four and a half year old battery unloaded was down around 11v and dipped when loaded, e.g. Ready mode.
    I read the forum how to replace the battery. I shopped around and having compared the cost of a battery and the Toyota fixed price deal I had the battery replaced at the dealer.
    This seems to have fixed the problem.
    Thanks go to all those who have contributed their knowledge here.
     
    #1 mattgee, Nov 13, 2013
    Gorilla97 likes this.
  2. Gorilla97

    Gorilla97 Junior Member

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    Glad you were able to replace the battery before it left you stranded. I'm buying a 2008 Prius this week and one of the first things I plan to do is replace the battery with an Optima yellow top. Although I will be the primary driver I don't want my wife to get stranded on the rare occasion she may drive the car.
     
    #2 Gorilla97, Nov 13, 2013
  3. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    This won't help the OP since the dealer already did the swap. Remember the 12 volt auxiliary battery is a DIY job. Detailed instructions can be found here. Refer to Post #8

    How do you replace the 12v battery? | PriusChat
     
    #3 dorunron, Nov 13, 2013
    Gorilla97 likes this.
  4. mattgee

    mattgee New Member

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    2009 Prius
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    II
    One thing to note is that unless you connect another 12v source in parallel with the battery during the removal, you will have to reset radio presets, clock and the auto window switch in the driver door. My dealer did not back up during the swap and I was left to do this. "If you want a something done properly, do it yourself" comes to mind.
    I agree that the swap is a DIY job, I just didn't feel it was worth the hassle on a cold, wintery day when the cost difference was not great. Getting soft in my old age.
     
    #4 mattgee, Nov 14, 2013
  5. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    Nothing wrong with doing that, just be certain that all cables that are disconnected are insulated since they will be energized by the battery backup. You don't want to short out the 12 volt system. If that happens, you can cause quite a bit of damage. Reinitialize the drivers window is simple. Roll down half way, then roll up and hold the window switch up for a second or two. Setting a clock, simple as pushing a couple of buttons. Same as the radio, write down the numbers and then put them back in with a few pushes of the button.

    I don't disagree that the 12 volt alternative power source is not helpful. I do caution though that if you do that, any cables unhooked from the 12 volt will be live. If the positive cable touches the frame at any time, a spark would happen. When that happens, fuses begin to blow. The fuse in the main fuse box under the hood is expensive and not easy to fix.
     
    #5 dorunron, Nov 14, 2013
  6. Gorilla97

    Gorilla97 Junior Member

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    The 12v back up seems like a pretty easy thing to do when installing a new battery but I think for my piece of mind I will just go through the process of resetting the windows, clock and radio buttons.

    BTW, this website is very addictive! I've spent the last 2 nights up past midnight reading threads and doing research. Tons of useful information in here, thanks to all of you that have contributed.
     
    #6 Gorilla97, Nov 14, 2013
  7. mattgee

    mattgee New Member

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    2009 Prius
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    Yes the reset is no big deal but my dealer should at minimum have reset the auto window switch and the clock if not backing up the volatile memory. Thanks to dorunron for pointing out the safety precautions.
    I only found the forum this week after 4 years of Prius ownership. Shows I have not had much trouble. While it is very helpful and interesting I hope I don't need it too often.
     
    #7 mattgee, Nov 14, 2013
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