Battery dead yet again...

I have a 2007 Prius and this had NEVER happened to me. I let the car sit for about 9 days this past week and it started right up. In December I left it in the garage with the map lights both on for 36 hours and it still started OK. I've got to believe you have something seriously wrong the dealer should know how to fix.

Good luck
Steve

 

Either your battery is no good, or there's a current drain somewhere. I assume you're not leaving a door open or a light on. (The dome light has an always-on position, I think.) Insist they fix it under warranty.

 

Doh!

Same year, same package, same problem.

I just came back from the dealer.

Last time I was there for an oil change I ask the tech would it be the battery, he told me no. He said Prius will warn me if the battery is bad.

Today the car won't start up and have to be tow to the dealer.

So who ended up paying for your towing service?

 

Answer me one question. Do you use the smart key lock every single time without exception? You know set the alarm using the door button? Even in the garage? If not you have most likely left your rear hatch ajar (dome light) and killed the battery. Only have to really deplete it once and it will never be the same again.It will go dead on you at the most in opportune time.Setting the alarm will prevent that. As stated here maybe 50,000 times.

 

I set the alarm using the door button every time. Even in the garage.

I think battery is problem. I have seem where it wouldn't start at first then after a couple of try it would start. The tech at Toyota said he checked for event code but wouldn't find any.

 

i took my prius after 25.000 miles to sunnyvale toyota and complained about a bad cell and i got a new battery installed FREE and i even got
a business card good for an external detail.

keep bugging other toyota dealers, or call toyota corporate and complain
if that doesnt work.

 

they have to hook it up to a battery tester to check the 12v there
should not be any codes stored

 

The motorcycle size 12 vdc is the weak link for a Prius. Once it becomes chronically undercharged, it is easily damaged and must be replaced

If anybody suspects their 12 vdc battery is undercharged, they should completely remove the battery from the car and charge it with an automatic battery charger set at 10 amp. This is the Toyota recommended procedure from the PDI

It's fairly trivial to find unusual current draws. Assuming the technician actually knows how to use an ammeter

Given the fragile nature of the Prius 12 vdc battery, and the huge replacement cost, for those who infrequently drive their Prius a float charger is a good investment. The float charger can be left on all the time without damaging the 12 vdc battery, the better ones will also desulfate the battery

 

So what should I tell them to check if it's a intermittent problem?

Here what the display look like when I tried to start the car:
Picasa Web Albums - Alan - Prius problem

This does not happen all the time.

 

As usual guru Jayman is right on the mark...but I would go one further and no matter what the cost replace that battery. Kick & plead at the dealer or work out a partial coverage on new batt. Make it go away. There is post after post the last few months complaining of once dead now nuisance battery.Like Jayman says hopefully they got a tech there who can clamp on a ammeter real quick on a dead state and see what the stand by draw is as you just might have some ground leakage there beating your batt up. It will be tiny draw so any ammeter will do. But most likely first time dead deep discharge now it will leave you time & again.If it was me I'd only get towed to the dealer once over that little pain in the arse battery. Good luck.

 

I sure hope the dealer followed the PDI to the letter. If that 12 vdc battery is chronically undercharged, as I would expect a "new" battery that had been sitting in a warehouse for 6-12 months, you could very well have trouble with it too

 

Since you are a senior member, I need to reply to your 10 Amp charge. The owners manual says not to charge above 3.5 amps. What is your take on this?

 

I have a three year old Honda Pilot that has only been out of service for one hr. My Prius 3 months old, has not been running since Monday (dead battery). The earliest appt I could get is Fri morn. The extended warranty doesn't cover the battery but I called Toyota and now have a case #. Waiting to hear from them. I am (is this a family web site?)

 

The Toyota PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) for the Prius clearly states to use their fancy shmancy Toyota automatic battery charger at 10 amp setting. Their dealer battery charger is made by Associated

If the battery is completely flat, you may even need more than an initial 10 amp to get it to take a charge, especially if the battery has had a chance to freeze.

When I was having trouble with the battery in the diesel tractor at my hobby farm around 3 years ago, I needed to set my Schumacher commercial charger to 60 amps before it took a charge.

With respect to the owner manual, methinks Toytoa does not want us monkeying around with the car. But if you have any experience with batteries, you also know a charger set at 3.5 amps or less isn't going to work

I had posted the Prius PDI in the past, not sure if it still exists on the forum. Since the new forum software was installed a couple of months ago, I'm unable to attach any pdf's

Let's hope your dealer knows what he is doing. This could become a royal PITA for you very quickly, if it already isn't

 

Yeah I can guess what you want to say. I turned the air blue when my Prius had the Stall, and really turned the air blue when the Trac left me stranded in the middle of an intersection at Waverly and Bishop Grandin, almost ran over by oncoming traffic

Given how new your Prius is, I now very much suspect the dealer failed to follow the Prius PDI to the letter. It clearly states the 12 vdc must be FULLY charged before delivery to customer.

I'm going to try to send it to you as a PM (Private Message). If that doesn't work, I'll PM you my Yahoo email address, and I can send it to you directly.

 

12 Volt (12v) Toyota Prius Auxilary Battery for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008

Upgrade!