Took in my 2010 Gen 3 prius in to the dealer today to get the airbag recall taken care of. Get dropped back home in their shuttle and get a phone call saying they can't turn on the prius and can't move it. They said they will investigate a bad auxiliary battery. I literally have had 0 indications of a bad battery. Seems like a big coincidence that this happens when I drop the car of for the free recall. Thoughts?
Does sound fishy BUT it is 7 years old, a lot for that little 12v. battery. What kind of treatment did you get previously from the dealer? If they've been good to you in the past I'd cut them some slack.
First time visiting the dealer. I've had the car for 6 months. Previous owner said they replaced the battery and they had it for 3 years.
Update: The dealer called me 2 hours after drop off and said that after jump starting the battery and moving the car out of the way they let it sit while they could get a technician to have a look at it. The technician said he jumped in and it started up right away and the battery is measuring 13.6v. Claimed it may have been a "computer glitch". I think the guy checking in the car didn't know how to start it.
When they work on cars usually they leave the car doors open and the dome lights on, etc. The itty bitty 12v in the Prius dies quickly in these situations and most of these monkeys don't know enough or care enough to treat your car well. What do they care if your battery needs a jump because they let it die? Best case, they sell you a new battery now. Worst case, they sell you a new battery later after damaging this one.
I had this happen to me last time I went to the dealer, they blamed it on the service driver's not turning off the hazard blinkers and it drained the battery
Anytime people are working inside the car, recalls, tinting, detailing, they will leave the door hanging open. If they're really irresponsible they'll also turn it on to accessory mode, so they can have radio while they work. I think policy is going to come down the pipe, and it can't happen soon enough, that during any protracted interior work: 1. They shut off all extraenious lights that have switches. 2. For sure never turn it on to accessory and listen to radio. 3. If possible hook up to a maintainer. 4. Clamp the door switches, spoof a closed car. This hands down is the simplest. Maybe yes maybe no. I suspect they partially drained it, and got lucky with the jump and a bit of running. But it's still shite, and that 13.6 was just measured on the displays, with the car running, which means nothing. I would chalk it up to experience, since it's hard to prove. And get a smart charger asap (something in the 3~4 amp range), hook it up for a full recharge session. If you're really ambitious look into a digital tester like Solar BA5.
I still recommend monitoring the battery condition for the next couple of weeks. While my 2010 was still on the original 12V back in May, I'd drive somewhere and parked the car and the door won't lock and the car won't start. If I let it sit for 5-10min and it would start right up. This happened randomly a few times within a 2 weeks period. I eventually replaced the 12V and everything is back to normal. When the battery is low, electronics do weird things.
i would ask the dealer to go 50/50 with you on a new battery, because they just killed it, and your likely going to have trouble down the road.
Dealerships should have a pro-level tester, big brother to Solar BA5 style tester. It'll give you it's standing volts, and the Cranking Amps or Cold Cranking Amps, and a verdict: good, good-but-recharge or fail. If they don't have such a tester, maybe time to look for an alternate dealership, if that's practical. They're commonly referred to as "electronic battery tester". Clore Automotive
Exactly. It is impossible for the 12V battery to put out 13.6V. That number is really the 12V inverter output while the car is 'Ready', the Prius equivalent to the charging system of a traditional car while the engine is running.
Thanks for the replies guys. I took the car home and the next morning checked the battery voltage. It is 12.3V with the car not on. Are there any other checks I can do on the battery to determine if it needs to be replaced?
12.3 needs to be replaced. if you're strapped for cash, put it on a charger, or you can drive it around for 8 hours to charge it, but monitor it closely so you don't get stranded.
What's the general consensus lately on replacement options for the 12v? OEM Toyota battery or Optima? I have read of some Optima failures lately, and the Toyota 12v has performed very well for me (and I drained it once over a long weekend by not fully closing the door, requiring a jump). My build date was June 2010, and i owned it since January 2011. The battery is (over)due for replacement. I checked the voltage on it (via the jump point under the hood), and it drops below 12v after just a minute or two with the car in "on" mode (not Ready). Even the typical Prius noises are sounding different to me lately (specifically the sound that comes from the rear of the car about 3 minutes after shutdown). Used to sound like a "whoosh-click", and now it is more of a weak "tick".
Just bought a new battery. Got this one: AutoCraft Platinum AGM S46B24R from Advance Auto Parts for $131.99 after their 30% off discount at the moment (finished tonight). Almost got the optima one but this one was $10 cheaper and has good reviews. Will let you know how it looks when I pick it up.
I'm guessing you meant the 35% discount code? I saw that code earlier this week and added the Optima to my cart but never pulled the trigger on it.
