Is it safe to jump off cars with my Prius? a guy the other day needed a jump, but i refused because i wasn't sure if it was safe or not, didn't want to screw my car up. Ive only had it for 3 months now and am loving it, traded in my 08 tundra for and 09 prius, went from one extreme to another.
I personally would say you did the right thing. Better safe than sorry. I'm sure I've heard that if you are to jump the Prius the other car doing the jumping MUST NOT rev their engine or the Prius computers could fry! Am sure some electrical engineer types will give a definite answer though. Glad yr enjoying your car. What are you doing with all the money saved?
NEVER jump a another car with a Prius. If possible, never jump a Prius from another car. If you do either one, you risk buying a new inverter for your Prius. Multiple thousands of dollars, I believe. Just say No. Calling him a tow truck will be cheaper. If you are ever tempted to jump your Prius, own these. http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B002RRZX06?tag=priuschatcom-20
No disrespect intended here but recall the manual indicates where and even how to attach cables to the lil battery in back and another place under the hood .... haven't checked it for a couple of years but my memory is pretty good for a Medicare Dude. best!
Well even if Toyota provides specific instructions, I'd say if you are asking the question "Is it Safe?" ....then the answer is no. I'm of the camp why risk it? I hate to be unhelpful, or unfriendly but this isn't the 70's where all you really had to worry about were two batteries and maybe an AM radio. Normally, I'd side with the good Samaritian attitude..but in this case, too much risk. The person needs to find someone else or call AAA.
Agreed! If you really want to be prepared to help people then simply carry around one of those small jumper packs. I do that on long trips. Just to be safe and helpful. Something like this can be had for $30-$100
I wouldn't "jump" another car with the Prius, but I have used it basically as a big battery charger for another vehicle. Disconnect prior to attempting any starts. Like almost any mechanical work on a modern car, you can screw stuff up big time if you make a mistake, but it's safe if you know what you are doing and what the risks are.
True story, I had a product like this. A guy at work borrowed it at least once or twice a week for about a month as he was "Saving Up" to get a new battery. Then the day came when I needed it...drained to the point where it couldn't start my car.... I don't know what the moral of this story is...other than keep your charger...charged...but I used all my Jedi, Zen Patience and skill as I waited for the Tow Truck....
My random access memory failed, spouse has that car ... called Toyota ... do not jump another car, insufficient amps among other things. The circuit should be fuse protected they said but ya never know. Sorry.
That was the conscensus for the Honda Civic Hybrid as well: it's 12 volt is just too puny. I was periodically starting a garaged car with failed battery, and was ok, but then switched to getting one of those portable 12 volt packs.
As stated above, the Prius battery is not designed as a starter battery. You WILL damage it if you jump another vehicle. Whether you notice is another matter. Note as well, there is a 150 Amp fuse between the front "jump point" and the battery. Many vehicles can use more than that to start in the winter. Jumping the Prius is not dangerous unless you are a moron. If you connect it backwards you will blow a lot of expensive stuff. Otherwise, it's not a big deal. Any small 12V battery can do it.
And where do you buy this one? What brand is it? Is it a battery minder or battery tender? What is a battery minder or battery tender?
http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-400-Watt-Jumpstarter-Compressor-Utility/dp/B000GPV2QA/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1296335463&sr=8-11 It is neither a battery minder or tender as they are usually wall socket powered and know when to stop charging. I have not used this unit, I just shopped until I found one that matched the picture you had.
Huh... I jumped my '99 Suzuki GSX-R600 several times with Sora. I even tried to jump a 2002 Grand Am, but it was too big. =\
I pulled that picture off the green living website but I purchased a similar unit from Harbor FREIGHT for about $50. Mine works well but there are nicer units out there.
Anytime you open the hood of a car, there are always risks, but that being said, you can jump safely. You can safely jump another vehicle with the Prius, but only do it with the Prius in Ready, and only use the Prius to charge the other battery, not start it. In other words do not crank the other car with the Prius connected. Hook up, and let the Prius set connected in Ready for a while. This will use the 120a DC/DC converter as a charger to charge the other vehicles battery. Then disconnect the leads and try to start the other car. If it doesn't start, try again for a longer period. Of course you can jump a Prius from another car as well. The other car can be running or not, it doesn't matter as long as it's a late model vehicle with a modern charging system.
