Dead 2012 C2

Classic clueless Toyota Stealership mechanic who's never learned the first thing to do to fix an older car no longer under warranty... As long as nothing was wrong with the car when you last used it... You simply need to get a new 12v battery, or see if you can charge existing one temporarily... Then you spend $150 on a hybrid battery maintenance harness to charge & balance the hybrid battery: Prolong Battery Systems Car Harness; Discharge Ready; Hybrid Automotive . The chargers used to charge up these batteries are a bit expensive $400, but maybe you could borrow/rent one or find a hybrid mechanic in town who has one. That will fix it.

Throw in an oil change, perhaps other fluids too if you can afford it... The only other issue with a car sitting so long is related to water and rodent damage... But in Las Vegas the water damage won't be much of a problem...

 

I sure wouldn't give up that quickly.

The 12V battery has probably died. Now, the age of the car means there might not be much left ahead for the hybrid battery, but there have not been any specific signs indicating trouble yet.

Get another 12V battery, or just borrow the good one from your other car for a test run. Some fresh gasoline wouldn't hurt.

 

if a new 12v doesn't help, it is possible the hybrid battery is dead. depending on the mileage, it might be worth replacing it, or even charging it

 

Hook up a jump pack, make the car "on" (full on except engine), plug in a Carista BlueTooth dongle, and assess the hybrid battery with Dr Prius App?

 

Funny, I was just going to say @Leadfoot J. McCoalroller approach stands a decent chance too. Doesn't hurt to try.

 

If it does work, what does it say about the basic competency level of Toyota Dealership mechanics these days?

 

Did they at least offer to sell you a new car?


The other fellers offered good advice above.

 

I agree with the majority. Borrow a 12 jump pack (actually I've had one since my hybrid one. cheap insurance) hook that sucker up.. New fluids and fire the ICE up. If all is well move onto the HV hybrid battery and have it/get it checked out. I've seen prices like $1500 for a replacement installed..Your still into it for far less than even a used Prius .

 

Without knowing how many miles are on the car it's hard to say if the service manager was being honest when he said the hybrid system was worth more than the car. The usual quote for a dealer replacement of the hybrid battery is around $3500.00, so I don't think a service manager would turn that opportunity down if he saw it. If the car is well over 100,000 miles then it's a toss up, and there may be other issues from it sitting that long without being started. If it's less than 100,000, the battery itself might still be under warranty.

I'm not sure a new 12v will get the car started, as cranking the engine is done by the hybrid battery. But it, or hooking up jumpers, will light up the dash and allow you to see exactly what error message appears. The Dr. Prius app might give you some info, but the app requires the engine to be running to test for how much life is left in the hybrid battery. I tested my 2012 C with it at 120,000 plus miles and it said it had 84.9% life left, so age and miles are not the only determination. The creator of the app said it's heat more than anything else. Normally that heat occurs from charging and use, and is kept in check by a cooling fan under the rear seat. Not sure how sitting still for over 2 years in a Las Vegas climate will effect it. You might want to check that fan and see if the filter is clogged. If it's clean that's at least one good sign.

It's a tough call, roc mills. Depends on the mileage really. If it's not too high you might want to look into PriusCamper's advice. Or If you have access to another Toyota dealer, or can find an independent shop that repairs hybrids, a second opinion might help you decide.

 

Hey, I am in Vegas and have a 2012 and just had to replace my 12V because it died after sitting a week. I bought a new one for about 220 dollars after I bought a 12V charger and charged the old one which would work as long as it did not sit for hours. It can be jumped to see it come to life if you need but the 2012 has to be jumped under the rear seat. The car still has plenty of life in it and dealers are salesmen and crooks, just don't get rid of it or anything hasty. I live on the East side of town and will keep an eye on here so if you need a hand let me know. Cheers

 

Yes, it's that little one angled in on the passenger side. It is kind of special, but it plays the role of normal car battery; you can generally treat it as such.

 

Google "carista bluetooth obd2 adapter" and look for an amazon hit.