Car thinks fob is in the ignition overnight, now won't start

Once you get the Prius started then it should continue to run without a problem - unless your 12V battery is in such bad shape, with one or more shorted cells, that it loads down the 12V bus to the point where a fuse blows.

 

Glad to hear that the issue with the 12 Battery is resolved.

I would expect the Exide battery warranty to be a replacement rather than a refund. IMO, the dealership should have recommended that you have the Exide battery replaced under warranty rather than sell you their battery for $350.

 

Was the $350 just for battery and installation, or did that include a diagnostic fee?

 

Hi Barb,

Just for grins, would you please post what your voltages are running the test that everyone recommends here to check the 12 volt with the MFD? I would like to know what a "new" Toyota battery would show, and since you just put one in, you could tell me those figures. I am only interested in knowing what the acc and the ign-on mode's read. I don't need to know what it is with your Prius in "ready" mode. If you don't mind, please run the test after the car has sat for at least eight hours.

Here is the routine in case you are not sure what I am asking for.

- Without brake pedal, press the Power button once and release to enter ACC mode
- Press and hold the MFD Info button, then turn the headlights on and off three times to enter Maintenance mode; release Info button
- Press “Menu” (on screen)
- Press “Display Check”
- Press “Vehicle Signal Check” - the battery voltage is shown and should be about 12.4 to 12.8 Volts (normal for an unloaded battery)
- Again without brake pedal, press Power button and release to put a current load on the battery - the voltage should stay above 12.0V (if less than 12.0V the battery is not well, or there is a fault or unusual load somewhere)
- Press brake pedal and press Power button once to enter "Ready" mode - the battery is now charging at about 14V (if less than 13.6V or more than 14.4 there may be a problem with the charging circuit)
- Turn car OFF to leave Maintenance mode
Good luck to you and I hope the new battery does the trick!

Ron

 

High Barb, sorry to learn of your troubles with the Exide battery, particularly as I recommended this battery.

But I do not understand how the dealer can properly have tested the battery when we know it was fully discharged "way past the normal discharge limit" then charged by the car for a distance of 4 miles say 15 mins at 4 amp charge "the maximum rate for the Prius".

That gives a charge into the battery of 1 amp/hr into a 45 amp/hr battery. This amount of charge would not even bring the battery into it's normal minimum charge state "10.5 volts". Any battery tested in this condition is going to show up as bad and we all know the dealers have a reputation for being unable to tests 12 volt batteries and give meaningful results.

I agree with John Hatchett in post 23 that Exide should have had the chance to check and replace the battery if it is faulty, but also understand the position of needing to use the car at that time, catch 22. I feel that Exide will replace this battery if it is proved to be faulty but doubt "hope I'm proved wrong" they will give you a refund.

John (Britprius)

 

For a dealer $350 was not too bad. The battery alone is $180, labor for it is commonly $50, and the diagnostic fee is commonly $100.

4 Amps is the right charging rate for the battery but it would need hours to charge, not 15 minutes.