Hi all I'm not new to thsi forum but haven't logged in a while. My wife stopped to take a nap in her 08 and went to start it but acked weird. Starting normally, brake pedal, all the dash light would come on but the fuel gage and the transmission indicators would flash, the navigation would not come on, and the clock and dome light would be dim. Eventually all would go off with only the check engine light and the passenger airbag lights on. So no start. Tried jumping it with not effect. Anybdoy got an idea???
Most definitely a 12V battery problem. Fortunately this is an easy fix. You might note from one of the other threads that Optima now has a direct replacement for the Prius 12V battery, in case you don't want to buy a battery from your dealer. Tom
Thanks guys. Not like a conventional battery where that starter just runs slower. Is it hard to install?
"hard" is a relative concept. The 12V battery replacement is more difficult than on some cars. You can find the battery in the right-rear corner of the hatch floor and there are many posts on this subject so you can decide whether you and your metric tools are up to that task or not.
I checked on Optima batteries and I'd have to order it so I'm just taking it to Toyota. That way if somethings wrong with the charging system it would be covered under warrenty. If it's just a battery oh well it's only money.:banplease:
MSRP of the correct 12V battery is $138.70 although some dealer parts depts are not ashamed to charge more. If you have your local Toyota dealer service dept install the battery your bill may be $250 or more.
I see $166.63 MSRP and $125-$135 online lately for the 12V. That's Champion, Conicelli, parts.com, etc. The price has been all over the place this year. Parts counters will charge a walk-in with no prior relationship at least $166.63+tax. It still isn't clear to me that the online sellers will ship the 12V due to its weight. The current Optima deal looks REALLY good at $172.89 using the OPTIMA15 coupon code. Given that the new Optima battery is a drop-in replacement with correct terminal and vent opening sizes, there is no way they can make any warranty denial stick.
I HIGHLY recommend the Optima battery with the conversion kit. I also HIGHLY recommend against getting another OEM battery - they are complete rubbish. Had to replace the one in my 2006, and I could tell it had been replaced before. Drained it once by leaving the tailgate open overnight, and it was pretty much downhill from there...
Optima just released a drop-in replacement model. No conversion kit required. Optima BatteriesOptima Batteries DS46B24R YellowTop Prius Auxiliary Battery Use coupon code OPTIMA15
On the one hand that is genius, and about time. On the other hand, it's almost kinda sad - I really felt good about ordering from eLearnAid. But considering that removes a good majority of the install complexity, there really is not reason to get the OEM battery. When I bought the battery from eLearnAid, I got the battery, the conversion kit and shipping for less than the cost of the OEM battery sans installation. (granted, my local dealership is one of those ripoff dealerships)
