Dead battery

Sounds like you need to hook up a battery charger to the underhood jump point and let it charge for an hour or so. Hopefully your 12 v battery wasn't damaged

I still don't understand why Toyota put in something the size of a lawn tractor battery to power up the 12 v side.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman @ Aug 21 2006, 06:59 PM) [snapback]307140[/snapback]</div>

Maybe because all it has to do is boot a computer? High amperage would be useless as there's no cranking required to start the engine.

 

yo, richboy.
.
bugger off.
.
we're all po' down here, you don't wanna hang with us. we're boring.
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Aug 21 2006, 07:55 PM) [snapback]307282[/snapback]</div>

Just block him like I did, Hobbit. Much less annoying. "Go see the dealer! Go see the dealer!" with variations on Authorised Toyota dealer.

Eminently forgetable.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman @ Aug 21 2006, 06:59 PM) [snapback]307140[/snapback]</div>

i would not charge it for an hour... hook the charge up to the terminals under the hood, let charge at the lowest setting for a couple minutes (though you shouldn't need to), then try to start. if it does not start then you may have a bigger problem (or the charger isn't working correctly).

if it does start, unhook the charger, leave the car in ign on mode for about 10-15 minutes. shut it off and let it sit for about 10 more minutes. then try to restart it.

 

It should be noted that completely discharging the aux battery like this isn't too good for the battery - It won't hold a charge as well anymore, and is more likely to die on you in the future (as it holds less of a charge and can be more easily discharged)... you may want to consider replacing it - it's not critical, and the car will work fine once you jump it and leave it running for 15-20 min to charge the battery.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(iluvmacs @ Aug 21 2006, 09:38 PM) [snapback]307267[/snapback]</div>

True enough, but the 12 v system also has to operate the interior courtesy lamps, tail lamps, headlamps, radio, coolant pump, brake boost pump, etc. Not so much cranking amps but reserve capacity is important, and that little lawn tractor battery doesn't cut it.

Ever leave an interior lamp on overnight by mistake? Me too. Do that in a Prius and - usually - nothing happens in the morning when you poke the power button.

That little lawn tractor battery is pricey too.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kDB @ Aug 22 2006, 06:47 AM) [snapback]307399[/snapback]</div>

I never like to use a high-amp setting on a manual charger. The 2 AH setting for one hour is usually safe. I recently picked up a surplus-clearance "smart" charger/desulphator at Princess Auto for $40 that claims to charge at rates up to 15 AH safely. It will shut down and switch to desulphate once the battery is charged

At my hobby farm I use VDC Electronics Battery Minder that automatically charge and desulphate the tractor battery and old Ford truck battery. I picked them up at an auction and they work well

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman @ Aug 22 2006, 10:07 PM) [snapback]307986[/snapback]</div>

actually i did that once fairly recently (oops!) and it started right up. overwhelming feeling of whoa-that-could-have-sucked.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill Merchant @ Aug 22 2006, 12:18 AM) [snapback]307333[/snapback]</div>

I thought I was the only one that got annoyed by the rich boy... yeah he's on my block list. No constructive comments at all. :blink:

Back to the topic. I agree with jayman. Don't understand why they would put such a small battery. Have you see the price on that little sucker? It's listed $100+.

I went to a 2 week trip during last year's winter. I had my dad turn on the car at least once per week. I also did left one of the interior lights on one night and the car seems to start fine the next morning.

I sort of remember reading that someone find a cheaper solution to replace the OEM battery. Was it for the classic or gen 2 Prius? I worry that our batteries will not last as long as the average 12V car batteries.

 

Wondering if anyone can help me.. I am a new prius owner.. 5 weeks.. just got back from a trip with my kids (one week).. got to my car at one in the morning (late plane).. and the car was dead.. I called AAA and they wouldn't touch it.. would tow it to a gas station.. Found a brave soul to jump start it.. the batteries show they are charged and there was plenty of gas in the car..

I called my dealer this morning and they told me that this is typical.. that the car can only be left for 5-6 days without going dead.. I couldn't believe this so I called another dealer.. same story... How can this be? I am so upset about this.. How can I get this resolved...

 

Do you have SKS? if so, you should turn it off before leaving for any amount of time using the button beneath the steering wheel. you'll then have to use the mechanical key to unlock the car... a pain, but it helps keep the 12V battery alive longer.

You should know that the car can safely be jumped by any normal car or jumper, just like any other car. the 12V battery is in the trunk, underneath the cubby on the passneger side, and there are jumper terminals in the black fuse box on the drivers side under the hood. Either location works just fine. Next time, don't tell AAA what kind of car it is... just tell them you need a jump :-p.

As for the abttery meter showing full and having gas in the tank, i would hope so! The car has two batteries. a high voltage (HV) battery, and a smaller 12V battery. The HV battery is responsible for powering the electric motor when needed, and is the one who's charge is tracked on the MFD (Multi-function display). The 12V battery acts much like a normal car battery - it helps start the car, and powers the accessories, such as the radio and lights.

As a safety feature (to prevent drainage), the car dissconnected the HV battery when it's turned off. on startup, the 12V battery reconnects it, and boots the computers, allowing them to then use the HV battery to spin up the electric motor to start the ICE - thus the 12V battery doesn't have to supply nearly as much power as a normal car battery on startup. For this reason, Toyota put in a smaller battery, which has led to much gripping by owners.

*edit*
SKS = keyless system. in otherwords, its the thing that lets you keep your keys in your pocket or purse, and unlocks the doors when you touch the handle. And here i thought i was so good at explaining everything :-p

the reason i mentioned the SKS in the beginning was because it draws a small amount of current from the battery constantly to run (because it's always trying to detect your key). If it's left on, it's entirely possible to drain the battery with it... thats why the OP (original poster) disabled it in his daughters car - to ensure the battery wasn't drained. forgetting to do the same in his car resulted in this thread :-p.

If you'r going to be gone longer than 2 weeks, there are some additional precautions you can use to protect the 12V battery. if possible, you could hook it up to a battery keeper, something that plugs into the wall outlet and ensures the battery stays topped off. Or you could ask one of your neighbors to come by and drive it for 10 minutes once a week. at the bare minimum, when gone longer than 2 weeks, you should probably disconnect the battery to prevent it from discharging.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(msnancy61 @ Aug 23 2006, 09:26 AM) [snapback]308175[/snapback]</div>

Jumping a Prius is just like jumping other cars, but easier. Since it requires less amp compare to a regular car. All we need is enough juice to power up the electronics and some relays. The HV battery is the one that starts up the engine. Why AAA doesn't want to jump your car? Are they scare of the word hybrid? Well, they have many scary years to come.

I am not sure what your dealer said is 100% true. Some on this site have gone for weeks and the car is fine afterwards. As you read above, the 12V battery is TINY in our cars. To minimize drain on the 12V battery, turn off SKS (button under the steering wheel) and turn light switches to off.

As for a cheaper replacement for the OEM, I found Autozone's Duralast and Gold-Duralast batteries with 7 and 8 years warranty. Anybody know if these will fit? Autozone listed that they are for 2005 Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ScottY @ Aug 23 2006, 09:15 AM) [snapback]308197[/snapback]</div>

I'd say give one of them a try and let us know Worst case they don't fit and you get your money back from autozone (after all, it's false advertising to tell you they work with the Prius when they don't).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Aug 23 2006, 10:20 AM) [snapback]308198[/snapback]</div>

Maybe I'll do that when i have some free time next week. If you look under the Gold-Duralast link I posted above, under notes, it said "Battery is vented to outside of vehicle". I know our batteries have vent tube too.

Anyways, I'll post if I get a chance to try these out.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Aug 23 2006, 08:55 AM) [snapback]308183[/snapback]</div>

no, you can still use the remote fob to unlock the car, you just have to push the button on it. you don't need to use the mechanical key.

rob

 

Thanks so much for your helpful and insightful instructions.. I can see I am not alone in my disbelief about the battery strength.. I will look for the STS button.. never knew that could be a problem.. I guess I was so used to a typical car that I never considered this possibility.. I did leave the cell phone charger plugged in.. didn't think about it because the light wasn't on when the car was off. Maybe this had something to do with the dead battery.

Someone mentioned that I might consider replacing the whimpy OEM battery... that it might have been damaged by losing power.. Does anyone know what kind of difference the new one might make?

The car is an '06 package 3.

Oh.. I meant to ask.. I live in northern CT.. gets pretty cold here in the winter.. any special precautions I should be thinking about?

Finally, thank you for your help.. you're a great bunch!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Aug 23 2006, 11:04 AM) [snapback]308221[/snapback]</div>

Yes that was one of the concerns too when I look for OEM replacement. That's why I mention that the Gold-Duralast battery has note saying "Battery is vented to outside of vehicle". If anybody else have some free time on their hands before I do, go over to autozone and check that battery out.