Jump Starting 2008 Prius?

Yes, open car door, with key in fob if necessary, open hood, remove fuse access cover toward upper right of engine compartment. Pick up red cover toward top and underneath will be a post, that is the POS, connect Pos first, then connect Neg ( any ground bolt head that is close ) it is not necessary to run the engine of the donor vehicle! As soon as you have ready on dash dis connect jumper cables and leave car running for at least 30 min, if possible leave car in ready for the rest of the day to charge the 12V Battery. Hope this helps. The two below posters are correct, if I were you I would read the previous threads on the 12V Battery, there is a wealth of information there. From that point you will be able to consider the health of the 12V. Use Priuschat Search.

 

That's a bad sign. The 12V battery is the weakest part of the Gen II design. Consider replacing it ASAP with an Optima Yellow top battery. elearnaid.com sells a nice do-it-yourself kit at a very competitive price. Search PriusChat for many stories.

 

Just so you know the reason, that's the problem right there. You left one of the doors ajar and the door light stayed on all night. The car refusing to lock would normally alert you to this.

 

Is the 12v battery under this "fuse access cover"? Sounds like it is but wanted to be sure. I don't have the car to take a look.

What has to be done to leave the car "in ready"?

BTW, I'm new to this site and to the Prius but my granddaughter just bought a 2001 Prius with 130,000 miles on it this past Saturday and I just know old grandpa is going to be asked to work on it if she starts having problems that is.

Can the 2001 Prius be jump started this same way?

P.S. As you can see I don't know the "Model" or the "Package" of this car yet.

 

[arrggg]

 

1. Classic Prius (2001 - 2003 model years) have the 12V battery located on the left, or driver's, side of the trunk, behind an access cover secured with plastic fasteners. The jump access being discussed under-hood relates to 2G, which Classic does not have or need. (2G benefits from this because it has an electrically-operated hatch, which won't open very easily if the 12V battery is dead.)

2. To jump start the Classic, locate the 12V battery in the trunk and attach jumper cables similar to a conventional vehicle. Be certain that you do not allow battery polarity to be reversed or it is likely that the inverter will be destroyed (resulting in a four-digit repair bill.)

3. READY has to do with the Prius being ready to drive. A READY light will appear in the instrument panel cluster when the car is in this mode. To make the Classic READY, insert the key into the ignition key slot and rotate full clockwise, similar to starting a conventional vehicle. Then release the key.

4. 130K miles on a Classic - hmm, I recommend that you change the transaxle ATF (5 quarts of Toyota ATF T-IV needed), and remove and clean the transaxle drain pan. Replace the engine and inverter coolant. Toyota Long Life Coolant has a red color and the service interval is 30K miles. Alternatively use Toyota Super Long Life Coolant which has a pink color and the service interval is 50K miles.

Also check the iridium spark plugs and the engine and cabin air filters, and replace as needed. The front struts and rear shocks probably need to be replaced. Good luck.

 

Well GrandPa, I would recommend that you follow PriusChat, there isn't a fix that isn't included. Any subject matter can be found in the Search Box. And, listen to Pat Wong. :cheer2: P.S. There is a little box to the right, toward the bottom of each post, click Thanks if you think it is appropriate. Always click "Thanks" to Pat.

 

Another dead OP.