Equipment to buy for jumpstarting a PiP

Jump starting is a dead end; I would focus on:

1. Digital multimeter, to check the at-rest voltage.
2. Smart charger, 3~4 amp range.
3. Last because it's a little pricey, but really the best: Solar BA5, a DIY level electronic battery tester.

 

Hi @Mayank Jain sorry to find your baby pains (Balarista in Sanskrit) with your new baby PiP.
The 12v battery in PiP is like any other car's 12V but heard somewhere(may be in Youtube) that jump starting PiP needs some different care. Just do some research before connecting the clips.
I had a Powerbank 12V jump starting kit(Ref:

) from Amazon, which I have been using for my other cars and motorcycle (see my signature for vehicle details) so far, no issues. But never got a chance to use it on my PiP so far. I dont think using it on my PiP makes a diff when I need to.
If you want, you can borrow it from me(I am in Fremont) to get some life to your new baby.

But I am surprised why you cant charge your PiP plugging into the wall.

 

1) change your info to plug in.

2) are you plugging in? the 12v gets charged when you plug in.

 

There you go, you don't need a battery charger, you already have one.

Here is what I bought for portable starting. You don't have to buy this one but get one that has a high Amp rating. They are pretty small and can be easily carried in the car. They don't drain down just sitting, I checked mine yesterday after sitting all winter without charging. Good to have in an emergency.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MY9FZM4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

once it is dead, if it is original, probably best to buy a new one. especially in warm climates.

 

You may have to take the battery and have it charged and tested.

Did it work the way it says in your post, did the indicator light before?

 

I would call the dealer and see if they will take care of it for you, it's worth a try.

 

Gosh, can't believe nobody suggested a jump start, using regular cables. It should work just fine, using the charging terminal under the hood at the fuse block: open the little red cover under the black one to expose the positive lug, and connect the negative cable to a nearby bolt on the frame. The "starter" is really just a computer boot-up, which then engages the inverter to power the MG that starts the gas engine. Run it for a while and the 12-v battery should charge, even if it's been deep discharged once. Be sure to check all interior lights (including inside the cargo area) for what might have run down the 12-v battery.

 

Check for phantom loads by putting aforementioned multimeter into amperage mode and connect in series between neg battery post and ground, with car off and closed. You can run leads out under hatch gasket.

Normal would be around 20 milliamperes.

 

As a precaution, I really would replace your 12v battery with a brand new one. This is normally something I’ve done with all new (used) vehicles that I’ve ever bought.

Dealers are NOT famous for putting a brand new 12v battery in a used vehicle before selling it. They’ve been known to charge up an existing old and expiring 12v battery in a vehicle just to make sure the new buyer can drive it off their lot, and then it’s out of their hands. Even if it does die 24 hours later, they’ll wriggle out of replacing it under guarantee, instead, claiming its wear and tear, or blaming the new owner for having inadvertently run it down - ergo, that 12v battery may have already been “kaput” when you purchased your PiP.

My advice? Buy a brand new 12v for peace of mind, at least, you’ll know its history.

FYI, I bought a 5 year old 2nd Gen Prius in 2013; the 12v battery only lasted barely a year before it started to fail. Turned out it was the original 12v that came with the vehicle. Rule of thumb in the UK, 2nd Gen Prii 12v batteries will normally last between 5 to 6 years before malfunctioning. I don’t know how this translates for 3rd Gen and PiP.


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