help - 08 prius won't start after sitting

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Steelerfan2018, Apr 2, 2020.

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  1. Steelerfan2018

    Steelerfan2018 Member

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    Hi all,
    2008 prius. Has been sitting since march 13 due to staying indoor because of covid-19. Before this it was my Lyft car and was incredibly reliable - probably 2000 miles per month.

    Had to go to the bank, so I went out yesterday morning and the car started up fine. I forgot something, so I went back home after going about 2 minutes down the road. Ran into my neighbor who wanted to talk so I got out of the car and went and chatted with him for about 10 minutes or so. When I got back to the car the gas motor was off and every light on the dash was on - including the red triangle.

    I ran into this before, so I put my charger on it (with AGM enabled) overnight for 24 hours. This was set at trickle charge - 2amps. I tried starting again this morning and same thing as yesterday - will not start and every light is on on the dash.

    I am not sure I got a good connection, since the needle on the charger said near 100% yesterday and was basically in the same position this morning. I reset the clamps, heard a click/hum from the charger and now the needle is at 60%. It is possible the clamps weren't sent correctly.

    When I reset the clamps I put the charger on medium - 10amps.

    The main battery meter in the prius dash is blue at slightly above half - FYI.

    My questions:
    - last time my 12v died, I do not remember the red triangle. Is this normal? Scared the hell out of me.
    - If I need a replacement 12v battery, anyone have directions on replacement? Recommend a good battery?
    - big Q - is 10 amp medium charge OK? Or should I go back to the 2amp trickle?

    Any comments appreciated,
    Rob
     
    #1 Steelerfan2018, Apr 2, 2020
  2. Steelerfan2018

    Steelerfan2018 Member

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    FYI - after reading some more I switched the charger back to 2amp.
     
    #2 Steelerfan2018, Apr 2, 2020
  3. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    Make sure the battery cables are on tight and the posts and clamps are clean.
     
    #3 qmanqman, Apr 2, 2020
  4. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    IF....the meter is actually showing the charging amperage AND that isn't over 5 amps or so initially, the higher setting should be fine.
    As long is it is dropping slowly after an hour or so. If it continues going UP, that is a bad sign.
    How old is the present battery ?
    It does sound like a bad connection might be at least a part of the problem.

    Once "running" the 12 V battery has to be REALLY bad before it will affect the vehicle operation.
     
    #4 sam spade 2, Apr 2, 2020
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  5. Steelerfan2018

    Steelerfan2018 Member

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    Thanks for the reply - I have it currently set at trickle. The battery is about two years old.
     
    #5 Steelerfan2018, Apr 2, 2020
  6. George W

    George W Senior Member

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    Does the Gen 3 battery have a charge rate of C20?
     
    #6 George W, Apr 2, 2020
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I think second gen Owner's Manual recommends charging at 3.5 amp max?

    I would take a break from charging, at the very least measure the at-rest voltage, after the car's sat overnight, with a digital volt meter. For a better idea, test it with something Solar BA9.

    For replacement battery, Pep Boys used to have a Bosch, but they don't seem to be selling now. Maybe due to problems? Dealership part department is your most reliable now I'd think.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Apr 2, 2020
  8. Bunce

    Bunce Active Member

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    All kinds of weird stuff happens when the 12v battery gets into low territory, I've experienced this numerous times with a weary old battery. I reckon you should be fine after a good charge.
     
    #8 Bunce, Apr 2, 2020
  9. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    My manual says the same, however, there is a warning sticker on the OEM battery that cautions to not charge at more than 4.2 Amps.

    All the while the (non-OEM) AGM battery I have installed is quite happy to charge at 10 Amps – but my charger only does 5 Amps maximum.
     
    #9 dolj, Apr 3, 2020
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