Hi! I have a 2005 prius and the following week I bought it the battery went dead, and I had to jump it off. I read the manual and turned off the smart entry/ smart start and the battery didn't run down again. Is this normal operation procedure's has anyone else had the same problem? Are is this an isolated problem. I like the smart entry deal, and I would like very much to turn it back on, but I'm afraid the battery will run down again. Any advice is appreciated. Regards, Buc
Was that Prius a demo model? Back in the Classic days when Toyota corporate didn't allow dealers to sell their demo models, that problem was common. They'd abuse the 12-volt auxilary battery so bad (by showing off the Multi-Display without starting the engine) that the customer who finally bought it took delivery with a 12-volt that wasn't able to hold a full charge anymore.
No this was not a demo car, it was from the factory. Today at the Toyota dealership, I was told another Prius was brought in with a dead battery. I haven't had a problem since I jumped it off. Is it a good idea to turn the smart entry/start back on and see what happens? It's running fine now and I haven't had any other problem's it's a great automobile. Regards, Buc
New car delivery service tells the dealer to charge the 12V battery before delivery. They probably did not do that and so it had too little charge to sustain itself through the first few days of park time and playing with the toys.
turn the smart key system back on, if the battery goes dead again you have a problem that needs the service dept's attention.
Don't sacrifice the Smart features, they are too much fun. Insist on warranty correction, if this persists. The 12V. battery is small, and quite susceptible to abuse, like when my wife left the rear hatch open an hour or two (the interior light stays on); but there's an automatic shutoff in about 15 min. if you accidently leave a door ajar.
Be sure all fobs are at least 5 ft from the car when not in use. Otherwise, the car and the fob will have quite a chat at the slumber party, until 5 days later when they have less to say to each other and the conversation slows down a bit. After 14 days, they finally fall asleep. But if the doors are left unlocked, then the car won't look for the fob unless you try and power up or lock.
