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Warning Message : 12Volt Battery Low - Apply Parking Break help

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by lancerprius, Feb 15, 2022.

  1. lancerprius

    lancerprius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2022
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    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    Hello, I am new here and apologize if this has been posted before.

    When trying to go to work this morning, my Prius (2016 Three Touring) wouldn't start displaying the message '12Volt Battery Low - Apply Parking Break'. I live in Northern California so it was around 45 degress this morning so not very cold.

    Left it alone to take some calls and came back about 1-2 hours later and tried to start the car and it started. No warning message.

    Called the dealership and the service advisor was thinking the battery may be dying and the battery should be replaced. But when talking to parts, the battery is backlogged nationwide and won't be available until April.

    Any alternatives to the Toyota battery? I called around a few shops and they were not sure if a regular 12v would work on my Prius.

    Also, could it have been I left something ON in the car overnight and it drained the battery? I have no car technical expertise so not sure how I could check the health of the battery. I'm going on the same battery since I bought the car in 2017 so it's been 5 years and probably needs replacement. But with no Toyota battery available until April, I dont know what my options are.

    Thank you for reading.
     
    #1 lancerprius, Feb 15, 2022
  2. Hidyho

    Hidyho Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2010
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    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    No, warning and early warning of bad 12 volt. The claimed backorder is questionable, call some other dealers, been hearing that, but it really can't be totally true. There are a lot of other batteries out there that will fit. Examples:

    Interstate Battery
    MTP-H4
    $179.95 SRP
    Group Size H4

    Autozone
    Duralast Gold Battery H4-DLG
    $179
     
    #2 Hidyho, Feb 16, 2022
    Daniel Dang likes this.
  3. thomassster

    thomassster Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2015
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    Location:
    Colorado, US
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    5 years does sound like a possible near end life of a 12v. the gen4 is not a really powerful battery. near end of life, the battery will be weak. There are some dealerships that have the battery, but it is difficult to find. Aftermarket batteries can still do the job, and possibly be more powerful. just make sure the aftermarket has a decent warranty.
     
    #3 thomassster, Feb 28, 2022
  4. FuelMiser

    FuelMiser Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2008
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    Location:
    Monument, CO
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Yes, a forum search should yield results. Common misconception is the Gen 4 12 volt starter battery needs to be AGM like earlier Gens. This is not true. There are common 12V lead-acid batteries that work. I just can't remember to spec right now.

    We had a similar situation with our 2016 on the original battery. Car driven the day before and parked in garage. Next morning, car won't start, dead battery. Charged it up with a basic battery maintainer overnight and has worked without errors ever since. But, this was concerning because we can't figure why the battery died, but do suspect something was left on. So, just bought NOCO Boost Plus GB40 from Amazon for $100 in case we ever get stranded. Check the health of your battery with this simple plug in meter.

    voltmeter.jpg
     
    #4 FuelMiser, Feb 28, 2022
    jerrymildred likes this.
  5. thomassster

    thomassster Member

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    Location:
    Colorado, US
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    I just noticed that you also live in CO like me. Was this possibly Friday/saturday morning? We did face single degree temperature late last week which may cause car trouble starting. Now with our warmer weather, no issue.
     
    #5 thomassster, Feb 28, 2022
  6. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    That 12V is old enough that it's likely due for replacement. It should be easy to find. It's an H4 lead acid battery. The ones at the Toyota dealers are about the best, so I'd call around. I'd be surprised if you don't find one in one or two calls although this is not the first report I've seen from CA saying they are back ordered. I got one here from the Toyota dealer just around the corner. I just walked in with the old one, gave them $180 along with a $10 coupon and left with the new one. But O'Reilly, Advance Auto, Napa, etc should have that size too.
     
    #6 jerrymildred, Feb 28, 2022
    FuelMiser likes this.
  7. FuelMiser

    FuelMiser Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2008
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    Location:
    Monument, CO
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    No, it was back in October so temperature was not the issue. We park in the garage anyway, so it never gets below freezing. Even last week when we had -10 degrees one morning.
     
    #7 FuelMiser, Mar 1, 2022
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