Hi I'm new to this so bare with me lol! I just bought a 2002 prius TODAY with a dead 12v battery and idk what to do . my questions are : -What type of battery do i need ? - whats the price range ? Are there any INEXPENSIVE ones ? - will this be a continuous problem and i have to keep replacing the 12v battery???? PLEASE HELP
Welcome to PriusChat! Here's what you need Toyota Prius Hybrid - BatteryMart.com (…check the site since the battery is different if your Prius isn't equipped with a SmartKey system!) - hope this helps - Wil PS: there may be others, and (as they say) YMMV!
Buy new it's a battery,Getting from A -B is important,don't buy someone else's problem with there used battery you have no idea how many times it has been discharged,and they average 100-220.00 for 5-7 years of peace of mind.
There are numerous post on site about 12v batteries,you could always buy one from your local Toyota dealer,Batteries plus,or try Amazon or eBay after reading the post on 12v batteries.Some on this site like the optima battery which you can get at any auto parts store,not my favorite.Search Britprius he has written numerous informative post on different battery options.
A little hint, go to your local Toyota Dealership Service Department and ask to speak with the Service Manage. Be nice, smile a lot and ask for some relief on the cost of a replacement. Now if you want them to install it the cost will go up. I walked out with mine for $165 OTD with no core charge. Not trying to sound sexist or anything, but your being a young lady and my being an old man...bet you have a real good chance.
Deja, before you spend money solving the 12V problem borrow a 12V battery (any kind) and jumper cables then have the car thoroughly checked out. Since you just bought the car, it may have tons of other problems. You should not buy a used Gen1 if you are not car savvy. Many that are being sold these days are being sold because they have major issues. I wouldn't be surprised if the car needs something major and the seller represented it as "only needing a 12V battery". Never buy ANY used car without having a mechanic check it out or at least driving it 20-30 minutes in a variety of conditions (city/highway/hills etc). See Who should and should NOT buy a 2001-03 Prius | PriusChat If your car truly needs just a 12V battery this will help you; Gen1 Prius (2001-2003) used 2 different batteries, both are different than the battery for Gen2 and newer cars. (post positions are reversed) The "smaller" battery Gen1's used was useless. I would never install one of those. The "larger" Panasonic battery they upgraded to is very expensive. If your car is set for the smaller battery with tiny terminals, a good value option for Gen1 is to replace the car side battery terminals with larger "standard sized" terminals then modify the battery tray and use a standard 51R battery from any auto parts store. Toyota sells a battery tray/terminal/hold down upgrade kit for Gen1 which is designed for their larger battery but the tray will work with 51R if you unbend the bottom part of the tray and cut it off a bit. If you don't want to spend ~$45 on the kit you can cut/bend the small battery tray to make it work then retrofit the positive terminal and ground wires with parts from an auto parts store. The Gen1 tray/terminal kit is Toyota part number 04003-23147