Hello All: Entirely new to forum and Prius in general. My 2016 Prius has been siting for the better part of 30 days due to quarantine and living situation. Upon encountering the vehicle today , i found the engine compartment to have damage on the hood insulation just north of the battery. I have attatched an image of the insulation which appears to have been burned in some way, although it does not appear that there was a fire. The battery is also dead. Upon trying to start the vehicle via a jump, the car appeared to power up although would not start unless i put the key right to the button. Once it started it ran ( gasoline engine) but many errors popped up on the dash board as well as the following messages on the screen " Smart Key Malfunction" "Braking Power Low , Stop in a Safe Place" "Anti-Lock Braking Malfunction" "Shift System Malfunction Apply Parking Brake , ran for a few more seconds and then turned off. Im at a loss and sue to travel, Covid-19 restrictions and the like getting it to a dealer is not 100% of importance, i have other vehicles, but was hoping for some assistance as to what it could be prior to getting car towed and/or addressed. Any and all assistance is greatly appreciated.
12v battery died from lack of use. The body computer is listening to a radio 24/7 for a signal from your smart key; 30 days is simply too long for the current health of that battery. Hook it up to a charger (or pay somebody to do it). The errors you saw reported on startup may go away after a few more starts, once the 12v battery is charged. The torn insulation looks about right for rodent infestation. A mouse is building a house nearby, harvesting hood liner as home insulation. The air cleaner box is a common building site. Good luck!
I would START with changing your Keyfob battery. And I don't see any charring or burnt material in that picture, so I'm also of the thought that it's more likely rodent damage. If this is the case? Then you might have chewed wires. So I'd take a close look, it MAY be that your 12 volt battery is OK, but you have wiring issues due to rodent damage.
Looks like you picked up some hitchhikers. When we got back from Florida last Spring and I started our old Odyssey, the fan made a lot of noise and didn't move any air. Below is a picture of my hitchhikers new digs. I wonder if they got a ride when I turned that blower on. There is probably some place on your car where you will find your hood insulation.
You need to watch 3 YouTube videos and get a cat. The videos will detail replacing a 12v battery in a G4 Prius, Replacing a Toyota key fob battery, and replacing the cabin air filter. It is possible that the mieces chewed on some wiring while they were sheltering in place, but your batteries (fob and 12v) are probably 4 years old and I would replace them and the cabin air filter myself before calling a tow truck. Good Luck!!
