Immediately after parking my 2005 Prius (around 127k) on my block last night, I decided to turn the car back on to adjust parking, and it just wouldn't start. I got nothing: no new lights on dash, no light on power button. Just the flashing red car with the key in it (which I believe is on as long as the car is off?) on the dash. The car doesn't make any noises when I try to start it, except for a sort of low mechanical noise when I step on the brake (which I think always happens). Internal lights still work fine. The fob will lock and unlock the car. Interestingly, the button on the driver door (and I assume the ones on passenger and trunk door) that generally locks the car when the fob is within range are not working either, which makes me wonder if it's an electrical issue. This doesn't seem to me like a 12V battery issue, but perhaps I'm wrong? I also got a new 12V last year. The car's been working generally okay, but I was planning to bring it in soon for a few things: the brakes have been very squeaky lately (especially after rain, but I feel that's normal), the yellow maintenance light has been flashing for a few days when I turn the car on, and it's been getting pretty poor fuel economy (39 MPG). So I was planning to bring it in ASAP, which I guess I wish I had done sooner in retrospect, but nothing had seemed ultra pressing. Before I went home to park the car, I had dropped a friend off and sat in the car with car on, flashers on for a while, but I didn't think that should be an issue because the car was on the entire time. I can ask AAA to come jump it, but I'm expecting I'll just need to have it towed to dealership? Does anyone else have ideas about the issues?
welcome! it does sound like a 12v issue. call triple a, and learn how to check the 12v voltage on your screen. all the best.
Thanks, both of you! I did try that, and it didn't. Also, strangely, this fob has never worked while inserted into the dash slot; it's always needed to be outside of the slot for the car to start.
do you have another fob that works in the slot? The one you have that doesn't work in the slot is probably a replacement fob, never got programmed to work in the slot. If you have one that works, you can just copy that programming over to the one that doesn't work.
Re: the fob, I think it's original, but not sure. I got the car from my parents, who can't remember. I have another fob, that I think may need a new battery, but it needs to be "re-calibrated" with the car, according to my parents. Since the fob is working to lock and unlock the doors, and the red LED light is coming on with it, the dealer's take was that it probably isn't a fob problem. Disagreements with that?
your problem is probably not fob related. I was trying to fix your problem of why the fob doesn't work in the slot.
Oh, thanks, yes! That has never bothered me, because I don't put the fob in the slot to start with, but I'll ask the dealer about this when I take it is.
About to get it towed to dealership. Does anyone know if it could be an electrical issue? Thanks for help!!
You can't really just look at it, check it for continuity with an ohmmeter. If the fuse is good it should read (near enough to) 0 ohms. If it is bad it should read infinite ohms.
Remove it and maybe the one above it. Look at them from the side. You will see what looks like a little wire crossing from one side to the other. If that wire, or strip of metal is melted, your fuse is no good. Here's an example: The one on the left is (probably) good.
Yes, you are correct and I tripped myself up with having a particular thought in mind. What I should have said to be more clear is: You can't always tell by just looking at it. As the image above shows, the two fuses on the right are clearly blown. But the only way to tell for sure if a fuse is good, is by putting an ohmmeter across it and check for continuity. Just because the first fuse above doesn't look blown, doesn't mean it isn't blown and it was this point I was trying to make. Even Avi, who posted the image, makes this point by saying "The one on the left is (probably) good".
