Replaced 12v aux battery and the car died

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by JuliePrius16, Nov 29, 2024.

  1. JuliePrius16

    JuliePrius16 New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2024
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    Long Island
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Earlier today, when I first tried to start my Prius, all the lights on the dashboard were flashing, the brake pedal pushed up against my foot, the car would not start, and I heard a soft pumping noise for under the hood. I called triple AAA and they promptly jumped the battery, which allowed the car to start. I drove to Auto Zone and purchased a replacement battery as the instruction of the AAA tech. I replaced the the 12v battery just fine, but there’s now zero power in the car. The fuses are fine, there’s voltage on the battery terminals, but still the brake lights won’t even turn on when I press the pedal. Do I need to replace the hybrid/traction? Is there a way to recharge that battery? What am I missing? This is not the first time I replaced a 12v car battery but it’s the first time I’ve ever experienced zero lights or zero horn—I can’t even unlock the trunk. Please help.
     
  2. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2021
    1,503
    583
    0
    Location:
    South Central PA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    III
    You have a bad connection between the cables and the 12v battery or a bad connection between the negative cable and the body of the car.
     
    Christina Norris and BiomedO1 like this.
  3. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    2,412
    1,264
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    ^ that and hopefully you didn't buy the wrong battery and reversed the polarity on your car.

    Finger's crossed....