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Dead 2012v, charged all day, nothing.

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by mcmolly, Apr 2, 2018.

  1. mcmolly

    mcmolly Junior Member

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    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    First post though I have read a fair amount the last almost 2 years. Today my car wouldn't open, there are no lights or sounds anywhere. I thought at first the fob battery had failed, but that soon proved wrong. I read some, then decided to get a trickle charger and hook it up to the battery, which was a bit of an ordeal to access with the doors locked, etc. I used the two terminals because I couldn't figure out another way to do it - I could not see how that little bar in the hood fuse box could be used; I wasn't even sure it was the right thing at that point. I charged it with a 3 amp charger for 11 hours and I still have nothing at all. I finally figured out the hood positive battery thingie, and tried to take a reading with a cheap multimeter, but could get no reading at all. All the charger ever said was " lo", then it goes into a number cycling over and over and never stopped.

    I had read enough to be afraid to try jumping it, but now I either have to try that in the morning or tow it somewhere, and I am leery of the dealer. I am not very mechanical, but I have never hooked up two batteries the wrong way and don't think I'm going to start at this late date in life.

    I did make a big mistake, maybe, in that I left the cargo door slightly ajar as it was so hard to open initially with a screwdriver - well, the hard part was a. crawling back there and b. finding the right place to put the screwdriver. I think it only charged 4 hours with the cargo door closed all the way. I was going to hook up the front battery plate and charger but I am sick of the whole thing now - this has been hours of reading and worrying I'm about to blow the car up.....

    Prior to this, no problems. I drove Friday night and remember the lights were all on when I opened the back door for something and I watched them go out when I shut and locked the car. Don't have a clue what could have drained it, unless I have a short of something way beyond me. Does it sound like the battery? It's a Toyota battery and I bought the car in June 2016, so I assume it's now 6 1/2 years old.
     
    #1 mcmolly, Apr 2, 2018
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    First thing to do is jump it with a good battery or use a large battery charger. The trickle charger is not big enough for a completely dead battery. One good solution is to buy a lithium jump start battery kit that is about the size on a thick book and keep it behind the back seat.

    The cargo lamp is the likely issue, it won't go off by itself. So you can do one of several things for the future: a. leave the bulb out b. buy a led bulb or c. always keep the little switch next to the bulb off. ... I did b and c.

    Finally, the front jump spot works but using large jumper cables is tough. You need the smallest cheapest jumpers. The lithium jump starters come with small jumpers. On my older 08 I carried some $10 walmart jumpers. Now I have the lithium jump start but I have never used since I fixed the cargo light issue. Bonus tip: DO NOT automatically assume your existing 12 v battery is bad. Once you get it running let the car charge it for maybe 30 minutes.
     
    #2 rjparker, Apr 2, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2018
  3. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    By the way a tow truck driver, AAA or often your car insurance will jump the car. Insurance road service will be free if you have it, or a neighbor may be able to do it.
     
    #3 rjparker, Apr 2, 2018
  4. scona

    scona Active Member

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    2013 Prius v wagon
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    N/A
    The 12 volt battery is finished, time to buy a new one. As you have discovered the car is almost completely immobilized when it fails. The hatchback opening problem is a major one for those of us who will not see 70 again, not fun at all.
    The Toyota OEM battery is a good one and while it may be a bit more expensive than many others is easy to find. Why not call your dealer and get an estimate on a new installed one to give you somewhere to start.
    Once the hatch is open I find it easiest to charge the battery directly by removing the appropriate panels(covers) in the back.
    The terminals are clearly marked and if charging does not work there then it is easy to boost at that point without making a mistake and reversing the cables. Good luck getting it going again....
     
    #4 scona, Apr 2, 2018
  5. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Here is a pdf diagram to keep in the car. It shows an 08 but jumping is the same. Just because the battery discharged does not mean you need a new $200 or more battery. The new will discharge just as fast if the cargo light is left on. Batteries can be load tested but my 12 v battery remains fine. It is not running a starter motor and it kept inside your conditioned cabin. On a phone this diagram can be saved and will scroll. The best thing is to print it from a pc and keep in the car.
     
    #5 rjparker, Apr 2, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2018
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Be really cautious about jumpstarting, mis-connection can fry the expensive inverter. The steps:

    1. Connect one end of red cable to the jumpstart point on the Prius.
    2. Connect the other end of red cable to positive (red) battery post on helper car.
    3. Connect one end of black cable to negative (black) post on helper car.
    4. Connect the other end of black cable to bare metal of Prius body or engine (say a big bolt or bare metal frame).
    5. Start the helper car, and let it run about 5 minutes.
    6. Start the Prius, ensure it's running normally, then disconnect all cables in reverse order.

    I'm paraphrasing from this 2012 Prius v Owner's Manual (I'll attach a pdf too):


    upload_2018-4-2_11-17-38.png
    upload_2018-4-2_11-18-0.png
    upload_2018-4-2_11-18-34.png

    Also, I'd concur: it's time for a new battery.
     

    Attached Files:

    #6 Mendel Leisk, Apr 2, 2018
    scona likes this.
  7. 4est

    4est Active Member

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    Once I worked on electronics, disconnected the 12v and closed the rear hatch. Oops.... My 7 years old daughter helped me by crawling in the back and opening the hatch by pulling on the lever
     
    #7 4est, Apr 3, 2018
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  8. mcmolly

    mcmolly Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    Thanks, everyone. My battery was jumped by a tow truck who didn't hook up in the proper order, (and it threw sparks at her battery) but it jumped fine at the battery and the battery is fine also. I understand people being so cautious, but I've never reverse-polarity jumped yet and hopefully never will. I idled for an hour and then drove it. So, I was wrong about the interior lights going off; I'd say that I had such an expectation of them dimming, that's what I "saw". But my lights were on overhead after the jump. I had been broken into two nights before and the guy apparently turned all my lights on inside to better help himself to my odds and ends. I was not really aware of the light switch overhead. What I can't explain is how I drove a few miles two days before with the lights on? idk. It will remain a bit of a mystery.
     
    #8 mcmolly, Apr 16, 2018
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