Can' start Prius

Do you have a volt meter to measure the 12 volt battery voltage at the under hood fuse box jump terminal?
If not, get a $5 or less multimeter from harbor freight.

 

Are the dome lights dim? Do they get brighter when you hook up that battery?

 

I don't understand what you wrote here.

There is a little cover you can pop off to get at the back of the rear hatch lock from inside the car. It is quite awkward to use but it is in there.

 

try jumping it again, connecting the minus to the bolt. if it won't start, you need a new 12 volt. you're going to have to climb into the back. fold down the rear seat and go in thru the back door with a flash light. check your o/m for the manual hatch instructions.

 

My speculative guess would be you need a new 12 volt battery. Be REALLY careful because if you try to jump it incorrectly you can do a lot of damage.

If you are saying you DID jump the 12 volt, but could not open the hatch to try the "battery at the back"...The HV battery? Then don't bother. If it is the HV battery then it's a bigger problem than you could fix casually.

If you've tried jumping the 12 volt and it isn't working, then I think you need professional help.

 

***What he said.****

I think he meant the 12 volt. He didn't say what he tried to jump from. I am hoping that the jump battery was trying to fill his battery, the total voltage was just too low for starting, and they stopped before his battery could fill up

 

You need the 12V battery between 12 and 14V to fire up the computer and related electronics when pressing the Start button and make a connection to the drive battery. (FYI - I needed a new 12V battery after 6 years for my 2008 Prius. The only indication was the ugly red triangle!)

Just charge your 12V battery. No need to get to the back.
Open and remove the fuse cover under the hood (black plastic top at the right side under the washer arm in front of the steering wheel)
1. Flip the red cover open to uncover the positive link to the battery.
2. Connect the positive of a charger here.
3. Connect the negative of the charger to the body somewhere. Any bolt going through the body will do.

Good luck!

 

Well, I hope it all works out.

It's that "the ground was bad at first jump" that is scary.

Jump a Prius incorrectly and you can cause a lot of problems.

I would recommend replacing your 12 volt.

 

After starting, let it run for a while, or take it around the block. Find a way to measure the 12 V, multimeter. Should be 12-13V. When idle. And. 13 to 14.5 volts when running. The car can charge the battery fine but make sure you feel that the battery is OK now.

 

Jump starting these cars from under the hood is tricky on these cars because the positive tab under the red cover is metal on one side and plastic on the other.
Some jumper cables only conduct to one of the two jaws of the cable clip so there's a 50/50 chance of not having voltage to the car from a given connection.
Best bet is to have someone observe the dome light with the door left open to see whe and if it brightens.

 

To make it even more confusing, on each new model, either the size, the type or the location of the 12V is changed. The under hood connections are screwball, unclear. Toyota could easily have identified the PLUS 12 V connection on top of the cover and under, at the connection. On the C, this connection just looks like a card assy that's a bit high. The only clue is the red cover. It's important to know this point as often when the car shuts down, one cannot open the trunk or the rear doors. I have started carrying my jumper cables behind the front seat where they can be reached easily.

 

Jumpstart and a drive around will likely not bring your battery completely back. You should hook it up to a smart charger, around 4 amp level, no more, and see how it goes.

 

I believe the car is at the dealer. OP is only interested Cost of repair. Not what is wrong with it.

 

in post #13, he states he jumped it, and it's up and running.