What does it mean if in sub-40 degree weather odometer fades and hard to start?

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by MilkyWay, Dec 7, 2016.

  1. MilkyWay

    MilkyWay Active Member

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    In my 2002 Prius I've never had to jump it or anything...However, last winter had the issue at least a handful of times...Where you turn key forward to start and nothing...You can look and see the odometer faded...You simply wait a few seconds until odometer lights up nice and strong and then crank and it starts with ease...

    Already having similar symptoms this winter...Again, never had to jump start it, but this seems to only happen in the winter..

    Sometimes it may take up to 10 or 15 seconds until the odometer comes in well-lit...And at that point starts no problem. Until then it feels like weak battery.

    I am hoping the culprit is the 12V battery...Thoughts?
     
    #1 MilkyWay, Dec 7, 2016
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Most likely. I bet the brake accumulator pump also sounds sort of pitiful during those first several seconds until it finishes pumping and leaves you enough volts to boot up the car.

    In case it helps, I had a few cases of very-low-battery in my old Gen 1 (thanks to a light left on, etc.) where I successfully started by first pulling the relays for the brake pump, then starting, then plugging them back in.

    -Chap
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Dec 7, 2016
    Brian in Tucson and MDNHW11 like this.
  3. Brian in Tucson

    Brian in Tucson Active Member

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    Our little cars live or die by their batteries! I would bet that if you tucked a little heating pad (Walmart sells a nice little one for $10) in next to the aux battery, you wouldn't have any problem getting it started. The little pad @ Walmart is a single setting switch and about 1/2 the size of a normal one.

    I grew up in Western Michigan, Oh the hoops we had to jump thru to keep or cars starting in really cold weather. My dad used to cover the warm engine up at night with an old wool army blanket.
     
    #3 Brian in Tucson, Feb 6, 2017
  4. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    Most likely the 12 V battery is failing.

    There are about a million threads on here about this already.
    You have been on here for 3 years and haven't noticed that ??
    Sorry, it just gets kind of old seeing the SAME questions over and over and over..........
     
    #4 Sam Spade, Feb 6, 2017
  5. MilkyWay

    MilkyWay Active Member

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    I have a battery charger with 3 settings: slow, medium, fast....I did a slow charge over night and it fixed the problem.

    However, I sold the car (buyer knew about "issue"). Buyer took to Toyota and spent $120 on a used car inspection. They found various things.

    Front axle? Battery...brakes....Mainly...Plus rust.

    He actually spent the $250 that Toyota charges for a new battery...I sold it for $2000 it was really clean inside and outside was nice aside from rust bubbles here/there....underneath I'm sure was rusty!
     
    #5 MilkyWay, Feb 6, 2017
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