How do you open the hatch from inside?

I cannot speak for the v, but Gen 2 and Gen 3 Prius have a jump point under the hood in the front, so you can power the car with that to open the hatch. No need to crawl in the back at all.

Edit: Found it.

http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM47674U/pdf/sec_05-02.pdf Page 38 Page 479 of the paper manual

 

Jimbo, you're missing the spirit of how we do things around here. We don't want simple answers like that - we prefer to debate and gripe and stuff.

 

If it is any consolation, I wanted one when I had newly purchased my Prius as well.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...502-2010-prius-school-project.html#post979468

 

From the inside, yes. From the outside there is already an easy opening mechanism.

Tom

 

And how is this different from any normal car?

Tom

 

Problem solved. This tool will also allow you to remove your seat without using the buckle.

 

Exactly! I ran into this one time. Left the car on (God Knows how long) battery needed a jump. Could not get to the front and could not get the hatch open.

Had to crawl in back with jumper and lower seats and remove everything to jump. REAL PAIN.

 

Jimbo Palmer, your link was a great one for me. You brought up something I'd like to ask if you have a link to. I searched but didn't find it. I found how to program the reverse beep off and the passenger seat belt beep off (My laptop case sometimes rides there.) but I can't find the unlock all doors and this drives me NUTS.

 

http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM47614U/pdf/sec_01-03.pdf Page 8 of the PDF, page 43 of my paper manual

 

Worked like a charm...

 

If only I could find a link to open the hatch from inside better than this one:http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B004EIDD2Q?tag=priuschatcom-20

 

My Odyssey has a nice feature that helps in this situation, and I have used it. When nosed into our garage, the hood is under a shelf, so the hood can't be raised unless the car is rolled back, but you can't put it in Neutral with a dead battery. There is a tiny plastic cover on top of the steering column that you pop off, insert the mechanical key, and presto, it can be shifted from Park to Neutral, rolled back, hood opened, and jumped.

 

Odyssey has a mechanical shifter. Gen2/3 Prius have an electronic shifter...no easy way to get car into neutral without power. (Gen1 Prius with mechanical shifter DOES have a tiny plastic cover under steering column, remove plastic, press finger in hole and you can move shifter).

Best solution with Gen2/3 is to park where you can open the hood. The smallest jumper pack will provide enough power to open the hatch and "start" the car using the under hood jump point. If you have to do it more than once you need a new 12V battery or you are leaving lights on etc.

 

Yes, but the comment relates to jump starting. Opening the trunk or hatch isn't very useful when jump-starting a normal car. Almost all conventional cars have the battery under the hood. You still need long jump cables.

Tom

 

IMHO a small jumper pack is more useful than long jumper cables...you don't need another car to assist you....and as long as you can open the hood you can jump yourself.

One nice feature of the Prius is that the 12V battery doesn't crank the engine, which means THE SMALLEST jumper pack you can buy will easily start the car, since you are essentially just starting the computers (the big battery "cranks" the gas engine).

You could probably jump start a Prius with 8 Energizer D cells, or two 6V lantern batteries, although I have not tried it...

 

Another point/question/issue: I just had my battery die at the airport parking lot. Unfortunately, I did not have jumper cables with me. But - if I'd put them under the parcel shelf in the back (where I'd likley want to put them, they still would have done me little good, as they'd be nearly impossible to reach. And, if the 12v is dead, and the front is not easily accessible, then it's nearly impossible to deal with... (or, am I missing something??)

 

I have the least expensive and smallest Harbor Freight (or Walmart) jumper cables under the back seat accessible through the side door. I also have a marked up copy of the instructions on how to jump. I do have a jumper pack but I don't carry it around. Most airport security people have one but may not know how to use it on a Prius (which is in the Manual). You will have this happen a time or two.