BATTERY LIFE PROBLEMS WITH PRIUS PLUG-IN

That should not happen.

Since your battery has been replaced, have you had any problems starting it after letting it sit for 13 days?

When I bought my PiP it had been sitting on the dealer lot for more than 6 months - and came with a dead 12v battery, which I promptly had replaced under warranty. It is possible you also got old stock and your 12v battery was on its last legs.

 

You don't really need to drive the car around. Just power on for a few minutes. The larger traction battery will charge up the 12v battery.

This is a very silly problem designed into all cars...and it is just embarassingly stupid that there is not a mechanical switch somewhere under the hood or in the trunk that can be activated if the 12v battery is too weak or dead such that the owner can get the car started.

Of course Toyota could design in a larger 12v battery...or they could use lower power components that are always on. Or they could have a switch that disables some power draining components (a one-shot switch that has to be reset after the car is started again). But, the bottom line is that it is absolutely dumb that you can't start your car because the 12v battery is low, but there is a relatively giant battery right next to it with plenty of charge in it.

I've said this before...Toyota needs to fix this archaic remnant from the past.

Mike

 

Traditional vehicles have a similar problem. They too drain their 12-volt battery while sitting idle. The battery loses power all by itself as well. That's why battery-tenders are commonly used for extended parking.

Parking attendants certainly aren't going to disable the smart-key system, so expect that drain to continue. Several weeks doesn't seem realistic for any type of vehicle. How long would you like it to last?

 

50mA drain sounds reasonable although Toyota should have a spec. Not exactly sure what the 12v battery is rated at but probably a bit less than 40 amp-hours capacity which would mean you'd drain it to 1/2 in about 16 days at which point the car may not start.

My job often has me leaving my car at an airport for weeks, so I'm interested in this. I have a solar trickle charger that connects through the cigarette lighter I've used on previous cars. Does anyone know if this would work on the PIP?

 

I don't think the cigarette lighter is activated when the car is off. So it would not charge any Prius.

 

NO, the cigarette lighter does get power until and after ACC/PWR ON is on

 

Disable the power draining feature of the"smart-key system" and the battery will last longer while idle in the parking garage. Also, turning on the vehicle for 5 minutes every month will replenish the necessary charge to the Auxiliary battery.

 

My 2008 smart fortwo had the same problem. It initially shipped with a 42AH battery and Mercedes had a recall to install a 62AH battery. The issue only occurred on cars with a full complement of options.

I bought one of these - Save A Battery - and it has an easy quick-connect system making the process very easy.

 

I agree that disabling the Smart Entry when you plan to leave it for long periods of time is best. Have the service folks show you how to do that - it's actually pretty easy.

 

And your point is???

My point is that it is incredibly dumb that you have a dead battery and can't start the car, yet you have a big battery with enough charge in it to start 100 cars. Forget traditional cars. They have one 12v battery and when it is dead you are out of luck (actually you used to be able to push start most of them). Hybrids, PHEVs and EVs all (I assume) have this same "this is the way we've always done it" mentality with repect to the 12v battery is the only way to start the car.

Note that I am not mad or upset by this at all. Having owned a 2001, 2004, 2010 and 2012 PIP I am well aware of how they work. I've had a dead 12v battery in two of them...2004 after 8+ years the 12v battery went dead (while at home) and needed a jump and a new battery...no big deal. And in my PIP I went away for ~10 days and I think I left the interior light on...again no big deal, I just jumped it myself at home. (In 25 years before that I probably had a dead 12v battery in a traditional car 5-10 times).

My point is that is doesn't have to be like this. If someone like Steve Jobs was managing the design team I doubt he would allow such a silly "that's the way its always been" mentality to allow this design limitation to continue.

Oh...one more point. Traditional cars 20 - 30 years ago didn't have smart keys and other things draining your battery all the time.

Mike

 

i have left all 3 of my pri for up to 6 weeks in winter, with no trouble. i think a solid battery will last quite awhile. but the prius battery is smaller than most and won't last as long as others. to the o/p, this problem is widely known here, and has been discussed ad nauseum. you can also purchase an optima yellow top battery which will last longer, and carry a battery powered charger for emergencies.

 

Title is misleading. Better to add 12V.

 

When I bought my Leaf almost 2 years ago, my (then) 2006 Prius started needing jump starts when we actually needed to drive it every few weeks . I put a 12V tender on it and was very happy with that solution. I haven't yet installed it on the PiP I got last month, but we drive the "second car" (the Prius) more in the colder months when the bikes get put away.

You said a tender wasn't a great option in your garage. How do you charge your PiP?

 

similar problem on 06 HiHy with 12V battery draining and unable to start. went away after dealer put in a new 12V..

 

Every car has some battery drain. There's the clock and key fob receiver. The Prius has a small auxiliary battery, so it will go dead sooner than the big battery in other cars. As I recall there was a recommendation back in the early gen II days to remove a particular fuse for long term storage. Would that be the case now?


iPad ? HD

 

Mods....can you please change the title to include 12V. This title is misleading and could be taken the wrong way by people that don't actually read the thread.

 

Anyone have the spec for the OEM 12v battery in amp-hours? Even the Optima Yellow top recommended above is only 38Ah which is on the small side.

 

Common issue on all Prius'. Don't park the car for months on end or it won't start.