dead. just dead. battery? or??

If you turn on your side lights and get nothing then your 12v battery is dead. If it's the one that came with the car new it's long past it's useful life. The dealer can fit a new one or you can order and fit an Optima replacement also look out for a battery called Exide Edge I believe these are available in Chicago at Exide dealers and are the best deal for the Prius with a 4 year full replacement guarantee. Sorry can't give you prices as I am not in the US.

Putting your battery on charge should get you going or you can jump start but be very careful to connect correctly or $thousands damage can be done. The battery is in the trunk in the passengers side rear corner.

John.

 

This sounds like a dead 12volt battery. If you have the original battery then it makes sense that it went bad. Five years is the average lifetime for most people. With your low miles I am surprised that it hasn't given you problems before. Some people have problems with the aux (12v) battery when they drive a little as you do. Battery replacement is best left to the Toyota dealer since the Prius uses a non-standard battery that only the dealer will have.

 

My guess is that it's the aux battery. The 12v battery doesn't really 'start' the car, but it boots it up.
The "jump" start instructions are in the manual, or on this forum somewhere. I don't have G2, and so I'm not going to guess how to do it, and you shouldn't listen to me if I try.
Do you store your keyfob near the car when you park it in the garage?
I've heard where this will cause the aux battery to go Tango-Uniform.

The good news is that the car requires very little to (current) boot up. I've heard where people have done it with a 12-v DeWalt battery in fact. My personal theory is that you could do it with 9-"D" cell flashlight batteries. The thing is....look in the OM, figure out how to boot it back up, verify that the aux battery has gone to the Duracell Valhalla and get another one if that's it.

There's a very slim chance that you zorched a fuse, but so far....this doesn't smell like that.
Your car is old enough to need another Aux (12-v) battery if you've still got the OEM unit installed.

Good Luck!

 

Sorry not true Optima and Exide both do a direct replacement battery for the Prius. The Exide is fairly new on the market so supplies are limited.
I will post part numbers shortly.

John.

 

The (knock off batteries) are superior to the OEM battery from Toyota but if speed is important Toyota will probably be quicker.

John.

 

The poster has a dead battery and needs to get the car running. He/she probably can't wait. Probably the only quick source for a battery is the dealer and even then the local dealer may not have a battery in stock.

 

I recommend the superior Optima battery. They offer a direct drop in with correct posts. They are sold at some Auto Parts Stores and also at all Batteriesplus. $ 180 out the door last I looked.

 

Note that the 12V battery is needed only to *start* the car, not run it. If you can get a jump you can drive it completely normally, until you shut it off at a dealer or other battery seller.

 

There is a Starting point under the hood, so it is not bad that you are backed in. Be very careful jumpstarting, it is a expensive mistake to do it wrong If you are going to have the dealer change the battery, I would have them tow it.

http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM47509U/pdf/5.pdf

Three pages in, labeled page 243

If you are going with a third party battery:

Optima DS46B24R Optima battery direct fit replacement for Prius 2004 +
or
Toyota Prius Starting Battery - Exide Edge 51JIS Flat Plate AGM

 

If it's going to be a PITA for you....it might also be difficult for Jimmy the Tow Truck guy.
Mind you....Jimmy is a pro, and he/she probably has the right tools for the job (maybe/maybe not.....) however (comma!!!) it's your car.
Nobody is going to care about it like you will.
If booting the car up from a 12v source is inside your comfort zone, I'd try that first.
If not....well.....Jimmy has to make a living too.

 

Toyota put in an even wimpier battery if you did not have the smart key, but both Optima and Exide replace them both with an even stronger battery.

Optima has a good reputation and are available more places. Exide is new this year, and is available through Sears I think.

 

The jump point is under the hood, so having backed into the garage is going to make a jump really easy.