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Sat for a month ... and then ...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Eva Anika, Mar 10, 2022.

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  1. Eva Anika

    Eva Anika New Member

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    Hey folks. My Prius has been sitting in the garage for a month and now won't do the following. Any thoughts about what the problem is?

    1. Sensor doesn't recognize working key fob. When I used the actual key to gain entry,
    2. Car won't start, even when I slide the fob in its slot, and
    3. Lock button on door doesn't work, and
    4. Interior lights won't come on, even when pressed

    Please help. I don't know if it's the 12V (?) or the hybrid battery since both were fine this time last year and I haven't driven more than about 2,000 miles since.

    Thoughts?

    PS: there may be other issues that didn't exist a month ago, but I can't know until I can start the car!
     
    #1 Eva Anika, Mar 10, 2022
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    It's never a good idea to leave a hybrid car sitting, especially an older one.

    You can start by checking the 12v battery, if it's bad, replace it with a new one. After you have a good 12v battery, you can check to see if there are going to be more problems with the car. Without a good 12v battery, you can't move onto anything else
     
    #2 JC91006, Mar 10, 2022
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  3. BuyJapanese

    BuyJapanese Member

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    It all just sounds like a typical dead battery. I don't know why JC wants you to rush to replace the battery. You have to charge the old one first to test it anyway. Even if you can successfully jump-start it, it's still a good idea to charge the battery fully.

    A trickle charger is better than a jump starter for this but a portable jumper can be a nice tool to keep in your car too.

    Technically you should test the 12V battery voltage with a digital multimeter after fully charging it with a trickle charger. Realistically, if the car has no problems after fully charging the battery, that's a good enough test for now.

    This looks like a solid but cheap/lightweight charger

    But there are plenty of options out there. I have a much heavier-duty one because I constantly need it on my boat battery during the summer.
     
    #3 BuyJapanese, Mar 11, 2022
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  4. Eva Anika

    Eva Anika New Member

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    Thanks! What is the difference between a trickle charger and a portable charger? I'm trying to figure out which one I should get instead of getting both.
     
    #4 Eva Anika, Mar 11, 2022
  5. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    It's really a matter of definition. A trickle charger is only capable of charging very slowly- it puts out a small amount of current (maybe an amp). This is mostly to maintain an already charged battery as it could take days to bring up a dead 12V.

    Other chargers can have higher current capacity and so can charge quicker (5, 10, or even 20 amps). They usually can switch between different charging rates.

    You want some kind of "smart" charger that specifically states it is compatible with 12V AGM batteries. 5 or 10 amp output is good enough.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #5 mr_guy_mann, Mar 11, 2022
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  6. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat!!
    The trickle charger (aka battery tender) and higher amperage versions of such, all plug into a 110v outlet. Most portable chargers (aka jump packs) use a lithium battery these days, and can be the size of a deck of cards or larger. I've seen tiny jump packs used on a weak 12v battery that were able to jump start a bmw wagon.

    You can remove your existing 12v battery and take it into any major auto parts chain (autozone, etc) for a free charge and health check.

    How many hours per week to do plan on driving in the future, as this may influence your purchase decision.

    12v batteries don't last forever, when was the last time it was replace?

    FYI : you're moderated until you've posted 5 times.
     
    #6 SFO, Mar 11, 2022
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