12 volt battery

If the car sits for a week or longer without being used it's fairly normal for the battery to lose a bit of its charge... Before you spend money on a battery for a new car, I suggest getting a trickle charge and periodically charge the battery up when car is not being used. You also might want to keep a close eye on anything that could be draining the battery, like door not closing all the way sometimes, or perhaps an electronic accessory has been draining the battery via the cigarette lighter?

 

done it in? is this the new vernacular? how many miles on her? i think the dealer option with the new warranty is probably as good as any these days.

 

I concur that the battery is fading. Normal sitting battery should be at about 12.4 - 12.7 v. The driving profile of 6days/wk and 85mi/day would keep the battery charged.

Though the battery is young the winter MAY have done it in. Perhaps the dealer could give you a prorated deal on a new one.

I've seen the battery in mine, and it's pretty tiny, with tiny posts. Not sure if I could find one in normal battery loitering locations. May be a dealer-only thing, but my time to look has not yet occurred. I HAVE had to change the battery in the wifes 2009 Prius. I was unable to find one in the Omaha area on short notice and had to get one from the dealer. $200! It's a very robust and well made battery, fit 100% correctly, and has a vent tube fitting correct to the vehicle. But, DANG paying for that hurt.

I'm just guessing, but the C's battery may also be hard to find and there might be a dealer visit in your future anyway.

 

What year is your Prius C - might not the battery be covered under the 3yr/36k warranty?

 

$209 from the dealership's not too bad. Considering how new the car is though, and you're saying that hasn't been any accidental drainings (lights left on), maybe the battery was weak even when you bought? They can sit around on dealers lot, or in transit, for long periods.

 

did you find the ice motor came on to much and too early with the low battery

 

was there a difference in MPG when you replaced the original 12 volt battery with the DS46B24R ?

 

Now that 2012 Prius C are almost 4 years old, how many Prius C owners have needed a new 12 volt battery? Should one be proactive and replace the 12 volt battery sometime in 2016?

 

I'd say yeah, just look at it like an oil change.

 

IMHO the sensible thing to do is to have the battery tested when your car is in for it's regular service. If there's an issue, replace it, otherwise just be glad that it's still hanging in there.

Demands on the Prius C battery are pretty modest because it's never called upon to deliver hundreds of amps to drive the starter motor all by itself. So I wouldn't be surprised to see a longer lifespan than we're accustomed to in non-hybrid cars.