Hey all, first time poster here. About five moths ago I bought a 2007 Prius for my daughter. I have to admit, I don't know crap about these cars. I am very well known on the Porsche forums. She called me a half hour ago saying that the car died twice today.... nothing would turn on at all, so she had the car towed. Is there a "normal" battery that maybe needs replacing? What else should be checked? Sorry for my naive question, but I have zero knowledge of Priuses (or is that Priusi?). Thanks in advance! Mike
Welcome! There is a 12 volt AGM battery located beside the rear cargo area. It is vented to the outside so be sure any replacement is also vented similarly. You do not want fumes in the passenger area. Many people like to use the Optima Yellow Top as a replacement. Actually it was determined the plural is Prii.
Thanks! I will check that today. Keeping fingers crossed that all it needs is the 12-volt battery replaced!
If you live in a hot climate (when temps can be +25C for most of the summer), it would be best to get an oem 12v. Before I got the keys to my 07, no one in my family understood what the problem was. They don't slam the door shut or leave the vanity light on and they had the gall to call the prius shite... Anyways, 12V is a source to many heartbreak. Temperamental alarms, stuck parking pawl, leaving people stranded, et plus. There will be a point where you just can't be able to just touch the terminals up front with some jumper cable. If you don't like to pay a dealership twice the money for a new battery, you can do it yourself. Just not in the dark... or on your own... Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Follow-up: My daughter had it towed to a shop this morning. The 12V battery was only putting out 3.5 volts. The alternator tested fine, so I had them put in the Optima Yellow Top, as recommended by Prodigyplace. The cost was $300 for the battery (youch! Is that a fair price?) plus $80 for the diagnostic. $410 total with tax. If this resolves the problem, however, I will be happy.
Agreed! Many places would have a fee to just test the battery but would waive that fee if you paid them to install a new one.
The battery should have cost $150-220. Install prices are random, but $50-100 is common for a common 10-20 minute job. Never heard of an $80 12v battery test rip off before. Demand your moneyback.
Even up here you can get a rebadged exide battery that is 100% compatible, for around $230 Canadian. DIY install is easy, requires just a 10 mm wrench. A little bit of fine sandpaper or steel wool is good too, clean up the terminals and cable clamps before connecting. Disconnect neg first and reconnect it last. Too, for next time: Consider at the least keeping jumper cables with the car, learn how to use them. Or a jump pack. Avoid an expensive tow. Most common scenario: you'll get yourself to a automotive retailer, and be able to change the battery in the parking lot. And a little knowledge will save you money. Google "the 12 volt side of life", one source of the basics. Pick up a digital multimeter and you'll have ability to do rudimentary assesment of the battery. And look into smart chargers.
Hey all, thanks for the replies. To clarify, no, it wasn't $100 to install the battery. He charged $300 for the battery plus $80 to test the charging system. I asked on the phone why it was so much and he said because it was a "specialty battery." I figured it was a rip-off, but not much I could do about it at that point. My daughter used her AAA card for the tow, so that was free. I gave her some jumper cables when I bought the car for her, and taught her how to use them. But, she wasn't sure that the battery was the problem, so she called AAA to have the car taken to a shop. (she lives about 5 miles from me, so I didn't have a chance to take a look at the car myself before she called AAA) Certainly, we won't use that shop again. In case the car needs future servicing, can any of you recommend a good and fair shop in North San Diego County? (Oceanside/Vista area).
You should follow up with the $80 "testing the charging system", as this car does not have an alternator. The battery normally would run $200, in charging $300, he charged $100 to install it.
RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They do not have alternators, whomever said they checked the alternator output is unworthy of working on a motor vehicle!
There is a DC/DC inverter that charges the 12v via the HV battery. No alternator. I'd ask for the diagnostic fee back. What is it with mechanics always trying to rip off females? You can find the optima yellow top on Amazon for about $150 or less.
It could be simply tailoring the information to the audience, and using language with which people are familiar. It really is academic whether is is an alternator or a DC/DC converter, in this context. Both charge the battery, and if the test at the battery posts showed the battery was receiving a charging voltage, then the "alternator" is working.
Not to be argumentative, but in the interest of accuracy..... Load testing a battery in a Prius is not a relevant test, mostly because "CCAs" do not matter one iota and that is what most commercial testers measure. Testing an alternator is WAY more involved than an output voltage measurement, you need to actually place a known load on it to see the amps it can deliver, there are also diode checks and ripple voltage measurements to perform. Even the most basic voltage test for an alternator cannot be passed by the DC-DC in a Prius, the output voltage is too low, because as others have correctly pointed out, the DC-DC is basically there to maintain the 12v battery, not to charge it. Conclusion: Whomever performed this test, either LIED about actually doing it, or about the results. Either way, they have removed themselves from the pool of qualified folks to work on vehicles.
Also not to argumentative, and not disputing any of the technical information you provided, but the OP never gave any details of what the test did specifically nor what the tests consisted of. Your comments came on the back of a short one-liner, and my point was that the information may have been tailored to the audience. I do not believe you can accept or dismiss a mechanic on this basis, especially not without questioning the mechanic further to ascertain her/his competence. Not saying anymore than that.
I view a statement like "tested the alternator, OK" on a Prius in the same lines as "rotated tires and installed winter air".
