So this morning it happend. My Prius didn't start due 12V battery almost dead. Last time I drove, was yesterday and I definitely did not leave any lights what so ever ON.Apparently 14F (-10C) cold was too much for the battery. I would have expected that to happen with a regular car, but I'm little bit dissapointed that it can happen also with a car that needs the battery mostly for electronics. Also, the stupid cover over the battery was so fragile that the clips which hold it tight broke off. Even the glue in the manual didn't stand the temperature since the pages teared appart when I tried to read instructions for starting with another battery.
wow... Don't forget our 12V battery is smaller than other cars. Also, I don't know about you but when my 12V died last January, the tow truck guy yanked that plastic cover off quite hard and nothing broke (thank god).
The Jumper Connections you need to jump start or charge the battery are up under the hood. No need to get to the 12V battery directly.
Through one and a half Fargo winters, with temps down to 30 below zero, I never had any problems. Lots of folks drive Priuses in similar conditions without any problems. I conclude that whatever caused your problem, it was not the 14 degree temperature.
have to agree with daniel... sounds like the battery you got was a lemon...the cold temps just reveled that fact
Going on my 3rd winter with my 04 Prius. Never any issues starting at all. Lowest temp was -10f and it started like any other time. Amazing car. Get a new battery.
The tow guy insisted on direct access to the battery.... you can imagine the hassle to open the damn hatch from the inside.
Are you suggesting there is some other place than the one in the pictures? I don't think I used so much force when I opened the cover. I'm not that strong. I just grabbed with my hand and pulled it away.
Do you keep the car in garage or give it some heat with heating device before starting? I don't. I don't even have that option (no available electricity pole). My previous car had Webasto installed. It was a great device for winter. I just pressed the button at the remote control and it heated the motor before I even had to walk there. My next car is again going to have one of those, Prius or no Prius. Prius if they start offering such option, otherwise probably a regular Corolla. Meanwhile, I'll talk with Toyota if they would be so generous to take my moneys and replace that darn battery. And if someone asks how hybrid start at winter, I'll tell the truth (just like a regular car, mayby even worse due the SMALLER battery).
Was at yet another hockey tournament this weekend in Rochester MN and parked in an outside lot. Actual temp was -2 F overnight -- windchill of -24. Powered right up! Sorry to hear of your troubles...unfortunately I think it's your car specific.
I'm with daniel. Mine stayed outside all last winter where it got into the -20s several times. No trouble starting. I say either there's something wrong with your 12v battery or else there is some kind of drain on it. I hear that the visor vanity lights can stay on if you're not careful, for example.
When things are -14F, things get wierd.. plastic will break that otherwise would bend. I might suggest if there is a way to put insulation around the battery. The battery has enough mass to it, it should hold a temp for a while if there is some insulation.... it can't hurt!
Here my best explanation of windchill: If you were in 33 degree F environment with a windchill of 10 degrees, water still would not freeze.... temp is temp and chill is chill. Windchill means it pulls or "dissipates" heat from you as fast "as if" it was the lower temp of 10 degrees. But in the above scenario, an object would get heat pulled out of it at the rate of being in 10 degrees with no wind. But that object would still never get below 33 degrees no matter how long it stayed in that environment because its only 33 degrees. In case there was any confusion.. I hope that helps.... The car in -14 degrees will get hit harder as far as effects on plastics etc., than the car in a higher temp of -2F with a windchill of -24F.
Actually it has an effect on any object that is warmer than the OAT, human or otherwise. Sorry, pet peeve.
Actually, by definition it only affects skin. see: http://www.capgo.com/Resources/InterestSto.../WindChill.html Certainly the wind will pull heat away from objects warmer than OAT and cause them to cool faster, but that is not, technically, wind chill.
question on the origional topic. Does the EuroSpec Prius not have the thermous? some where in my mind I remember seeing that they don't have the bladder or the thermous. With out the thermous the Prius is going to be a lot harder to start than the NA Prius with pre-heat. Now another question what the heck is a Webasto or what ever it's called because any pre-heater that could be hooked up to a Corolla could also be hooked up to a Prius. As for the clips on the cover you have to push in the lower part of the box where they catch the clips on the lower part of the box to get them unhooked.
