Best source for fuses (and other parts) for Prius v (lowercase v)?

You can buy the fuse at any auto store, there should also be a fuse puller in the engine compartment fuse box for you to use to pull out the fuses with ease. The fuse you blown is probably on the driver kick panel as its where all your accessorie fuses are located. I hope that helps.

 

As far as "max" goes, I'm not sure there is one beyond the max any one standard circuit has.

For example, if you have "mini blade" 15A fuses in the fuse block, any one circuit COULD take a 15A fuse with no damage to the wiring.

HOWEVER, the overall power system is designed with caps on what each circuit is supposed to have. So, if a circuit has a 5A fuse and you put a 10A fuse in, anything on that circuit that should be protected from draw exceeding 5A is now compromised.

This may be more so with the Prius. Ordinary cars just have a 12V circuit and you can draw as many amps as the fuse/wiring will support. The Prius may "manage" power in a way that exceeding the OEM limit (set by the size fuse they put in) could cause problems.

There can be other limits as well. I have an auxiliary fuse block on my motorcycle, and even though there are 6 circuits I COULD use, the instructions say the total amp output should not exceed 30A. So, I have to do math when I put in accessories. Everything on can't draw more than 30A or I could damage something.

FWIW, many 12v air pumps draw too much to work with fuses or if they hit any "strain" jump over the normal amperage draw. My motorcycle 12V accessory plug will power an air pump, but it's one for bicycles, so it's low draw. Slow, but it works for what I need. A more beefy air pump might do the same to me.

Indeed, many 12V air pumps come with alligator clips to attach directly to the battery rather than rely on the output limit of your 12V plug in the car.

 

You are looking for low profile mini ATM type automotive fuses.

The low profile part is important. The mini ATM fuses will fit, but they will stick out and prevent the reinstallation of the fuse cover.

 

All the fuse type, location, amp rating, circuits served, and check and change instructions are in your owner's manual, pages 410 to 420. (If the owner's manual was missing when you bought the used car, you can pull it up for free at techinfo.toyota.com. Check under General -> Maintenance and Care -> DIY Maintenance to see the section that includes the fuse information.)

-Chap

 

Be warned, the output of the Prius 12V is akin to a motorcycle battery. Normally, you'd start a motorcycle and let it run while powering an air pump to not draw down the capacity of the battery.

IF SOMEONE HERE KNOWS BETTER, PLEASE ADVISE, but with the Prius being the way it is, I don't know if there is any real risk to hooking a 12V accessory directly to the 12V battery and running it with the Prius off or on. If it was a normal car, I'd be comfortable saying this is a good idea.

They also make 12V/110V converters so you can power it off a wall outlet.