Prius C 2015 - very little to know usage/maintenance inquiry

Well, the hybrid batteries tend to go bad with age whether you use them or not, and they typically cost a few thousand bucks to replace. Letting the car sit could be seen an an expensive choice vs. selling it off and buying again when it is time to drive more.

So there is that drawback to letting the car sit.

Now as far as the 12v battery goes, the one that just boots the car up into READY mode? those are obviously a lot cheaper, but they need frequent usage or supplementary charging in order to work. They can die to the point where a jump won't work but is rare outside of subzero temps, and the particulars of what you're using to do the jump. Some jump-start packs have a reverse polarity protection feature (which is nice) but if the target battery is absolutely dead it'll fake out the jump pack and you don't get a start. Others have an override system- if you know how to use it.

Does your parking arrangement include any sunlight? You could install a solar battery tender, just to keep that 12v unit topped up from one trip to the next. You'd just have the panel on your dashboard or suction-cupped onto a window.

After that it's the less convenient stuff, like removing the 12v battery from the car and putting it on a maintenance charger in your living space.

 

It's not that it runs down faster; it's mostly that it has different consequences. If the hybrid battery is allowed to rest long enough to fully discharge, there is no easy recovery path. Toyota will tow it in and charge you a few thousand bucks to replace it. Experienced hybrid mechanics (and DIYers) have a few cheaper tricks to get out of that jam, but it's still not a good situation.

The real answer is to put the 12v battery back in there and use the car for a few hours every 3-4 months.

Even with regular usage, the hybrid battery in the c seems to last "around 10 years." So it's possible you might be carefully storing this thing until the moment when it needs an expensive replacement anyway.

Don't forget to use gasoline stabilizer as well.

A hybrid is a little bit like getting an ice cream cone while walking through a park on a hot day: you don't have to eat the ice cream, but there's no such thing as saving it for later.

 

Just from my own observations, hybrid battery lifetime is much more related to age than use.

 

I agree that age seems to be more important than miles. I think most of the prius batteries will last 11-15 years, regardless of miles, even over 200k miles. My 2013 prius C battery is still going strong with 156,000 miles on it. I heard that low mileage hybrid batteries unused for long stretches of time actually fail sooner. In fact, this hybrid battery shop says that if you don't drive your car for more than 45 days, it will void the warranty for their remanufactured batteries.

Warranty Ace Hybrid Tech
Our Warranties will become null and void if any of the following occurs...If you let your car sit for more than 45 days without driving it

To me it sounds like a waste of the hybrid technology to have a prius C and not drive it. Personally, I would sell it and if I absolutely needed a car for infrequent use, buy a used subcompact gas vehicle with decent mpg and reliability (assuming you could get one for well cheaper than your prius C). You can pocket the difference and then rebuy a hybrid if you need to drive regularly again. Though, I guess if you think you are only going to be in this situation for year or two, maybe you don't want to do this. However, don't expect the hybrid battery to last more than 15 years because it only has xyz miles on it.

 

Not having the ability to hook up a charger leaves you with a quandary when you’re low usage, and driving just to charge the battery is kinda crazy, when you think about it. And short, round the block drives aren’t t going to help much.

maybe consider a cut-off switch for the 12 volt. It’s like a shock treatment for the car, you lose various memories, but it eliminates the phantom draw.

 

Don't know it Tim is still reading this thread.
IMHO; he should trade-in that Prius for a gas only corolla or equivalent. Used car prices are still pretty high so great resale value. I'm sure sooner or later someone will notice a parked Prius that doesn't move too often - ripe target for disappearing CAT. Now that the battery is being pulled, no alarm either.

Just my paranoia and 2-cents......