If the Prius 12 volt battery (the one that is like all other car batteries, not the hybrid battery) goes out, can you use jumper cables to start it like any other car?
yes you can, however you should really replace it before you need to jump start......for your safety and the safety of your car's electronics
On my 2016 C, the 12V battery is in the rear. There is, however, a 12V Positive lug access inside a fusebox under the hood that I was told is to be used for jumping my vehicle (don't know about providing a jump). Don't let the tow person try digging out the rear battery to get access to it.
Yeah just be careful not to reverse the leads. Familiarize yourself with the jumpstart point, it's explained in the manual. The jump point isn't that "roomy" make sure your clamps aren't too big for it. Personally I carry a jump pack all the time. It's good for you, you don't have to have a jump vehicle. Plus: the Prius line tends to have puny 12 volt batteries (although the new 2016 4th gen looks more substantial), not well suited for jumpstarting other vehicles. I agree with @JC91006 : this shouldn't be a regular event, just emergency.
Doing it badly can cost $4000, be absolutely sure where red and black go or by a jump pack or auto polarity cables Hopkins Juice SafeGuard Extreme Weather Jumper Cables w/ Ratcheting Clamps - 16' Long Hopkins Emergency Supplies HMBC0880EW Duracell Instant Vehicle Jump Starter - 12V and USB Ports Duracell Emergency Supplies DRJS10
I am not sure about jumping the C but you shouldn't jump another persons car. Instead get one of these: Great for emergencies since you can use it to charge your phone and other electronics as well.
There is not much "jumping" to do... You'd only need a few amps (if that much) just to power the electronics. The 12V battery doesn't provide any "cranking amps". I wonder if your 12v battery is that dead if the car will just die the moment you disconnect the jumper cables, unless you leave them connected for at least a few minutes so the other battery will give it a bit of a boost. This is just my impression but I think I'd leave the other car supplying the added 12V in the OFF position so as not to inject too much electrical "noise" or too high voltage into the C.
I forgot where I saw it in the manual, but I remember reading that we shouldn't use the C to jump another car. Not sure about jumping another C, but to play it safe in all cases, that mobile jump battery seems to cover it. I'm not a fan of relying on others if I can solve the problem simply myself. The jump battery has me and anyone I may like to help covered there. I just check the jump battery every few months to make sure it has a decent charge.
If the C is anything like my wife's regular Prius, it'll start acting really stupid when the battery is starting to go. The battery is hard to find around here and wound up paying big dollars to get a real Toyota battery. I've had mine out and it looks really small. Probably another hard to get and/or expensive type. I'll probably try to replace it early and take my time to find a deal. If the battery dies because of operator error, I might try to jump it to get home if I have to. I fully understand that you hook up positive to positive and negative to negative. Been doing this for decades. But I won't jump other people's cars with my C. Too much at stake. I have cables in the spare tire well for an assist with other cars, but won't use my car to jump. Plus it's a real bear to take off the access cover. The battery is under the right rear passenger seat...
