I had an oil change and inspection done at a local (Toyota trained) garage and since then it has acted strange. Not sure exactly but it seems the red key blinks more before it is started and the car beeps as soon as I open the door but before anything is started. Around the same time I noticed that closing all the windows at once really slowed the motors down (engine off). Also I get the red bang-triangle ("of death") for a second when I start but then it goes out and the car is fine. I didn't use the car this weekend (the best gas mileage is using a bike and not gas at all...) and the car wouldn't start. I got the dashboard fireworks and that was about it. I put the charger on the car and it started fine. The gas gauge was one bar for a few minutes until it noticed the full tank of gas again. So it appears the battery is bad and this is an 04 so maybe it is used up? The only reason I want to question it is if there is something that could be "on" or set that is draining the battery and not just a weak battery. As far as I can see all the lights are off. Anything else? jv
The weirdishness you're seeing has preceded 12V battery failure for a number of folks posting here. This coupled with the frequent recommendation that the OEM 12V battery be replaced every 4 years strongly suggests that it's time for a new battery.
Great, that sells it for me. Now to call for some quotes and do the buy/make decision if I do it or have a mechanic. If I do it I can try to keep my memory and settings intact. If they do it they own the problem if they f' it up. Thanks.
Once the 12v battery is disconnected you will lose your settings, such as radio presets, AC/Heat settings, etc. It's no big deal to reset them. Just make sure you install the proper battery with correct venting.
rigor's canned reply ---------------------- the batteries with the correct venting are going to cost $140 or something?? or more? before spending that money, how about removing the battery and taking it down to your local dealership or automotive store just to have tested and get a print out. this is free
If you connect a 12v source to the terminals under the hood during the change you can preserve all your settings. For some of us it's a little bit of a big deal b/c we're lazy!
that's certainly an option...but I'll say just this, he's got an '04, thus it's likely nearly 5 years old. Many of us got just 4 years out of our original 12v so it's highly likely that it's near the end of it's life no matter what the printout says. Add to that that his symptoms are exactly consistant with those of others, myself included, that had a 12v nearly expired, and I say it's a waste of time to bother with taking it out, having it tested, then putting it back in and again going through the process of ordering a replacement. If the print out shows it to be good how often are you going to go through this remove/test/replace thing before actually replacing it...? For my money I'd just cut bait now knowing I had another 4-5 years in my new battery and not have to worry about the old one dying unexpectedly.
i am on my second original 12 volt battery. and i have only driven 43,000 miles on a car that is only 20 months old. if its one thing i have learned from toyota dealerships is that even though they say they do a 21 volt inspection, they do not actually look at the 12v battery at all. it is completely ignored. also i have discovered that certain cd changer errors can affect your car stereo causing it to forget its presets while the car is on and in full ready mode. (has happened 5 times), just playing the wrong cd can make you lose your settings, i do not understand the big deal about preserving them. the prius keeps some things in flash memory you know... the prius is fully capable of taking a dive and losing its own settings on a malfunction without its owners doing something like disconnecting the 12. all by itself i do not know, maybe its just me, but if i am going to spend the money for an overpriced battery, or a kit, i would want a print out, maybe i am just cheap at the time of battery failure i only had 21,000 on it people with conventional cars would rush right out and have thier battery or alternator tested for free, prius owners seem to be different. i do not understand why some people with a $60 battery would rush out and test it, but people with a $150 prius battery would just assume the worst and buy a new one this could rule out a drain issue too.. and i believe someone in this thread wanted to check to see if it was the battery or an electrical drain.
The OP's vehicle and battery are 4+ years old and the OP lives in the frigid Northeast. It is likely that the battery will fail sooner vs. later even if no driveability symptoms are currently noted. Since the fuel gauge lost its memory, this is a strong clue that the 12V bus voltage sagged due to low battery voltage. Further, I've seen posts where the poster had the battery tested and found to be OK, yet the battery failed soon thereafter anyway. Given the specific circumstances described by the OP, I agree that battery replacement is warranted.
