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Wrench hit 12 volt battery while making a turn!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by AnthonyPark, Oct 4, 2016.

  1. AnthonyPark

    AnthonyPark Junior Member

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    Car is dead. There were fumes.

    I presume it was the 12 volt giving off thefumes because thats w0here the smell was emanating from.

    Have i destroyed my cars electrical system?

    Do i just need to get a new small battery?

    Whats the range of possibilities?

    The dash is currently dark no matter what i do. Foot on brake with key inside

    Or 2 taps of power button. Nothing.

    What does that mean folks?
     
  2. IMkenNY

    IMkenNY Im just being nosy

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    There is a large fuse (120A ) directly attached to positive battery post that likely failed.
    Was it a monkey wrench ? :)
     
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  3. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    Do not try to simply yank the 120 fuse out with a pair of pliers.
    The fuse itself is bolted in place. One bolt through each leg of the fuse. (8mm head on one bolt. 10mm on the other if I am remembering right.)
    The bolts are hidden underneath several layers of black plastic shielding that interlock with each other. It's a fun little puzzle to get it apart.
    Take a few pics if you feel like you might not remember how to reassemble it.

    Your local dealer can usually get it for you in a day or so. Probably costs less than $25.

    If you are lucky, this fuse blew and saved the rest of your electronics.
     
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  4. AnthonyPark

    AnthonyPark Junior Member

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    the repair place sent me home with a new battery last night that is too large for the well. i guess i dont have smart key. does that mean i have to drive another 80 miles round trip to get the correct battery?

    also Im confused about the 120 fuse. Is this in the front of the car? what color is it?
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    There are correctly sized batteries available. They need to be the correct dimensions (obviously), have the smaller Japanese size posts (positive and negative posts oriented correctly), and a correctly sized/located vent port. It also should be AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) style.

    Toyota dealerships will have the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) battery, the safest bet. Aftermarket automotive stores that are responsible will verify what your car needs. I believe there's an Optima Yellow top (battery shape something like a six pack of cans), an Exide, and maybe a few others. Second gen owners will hopefully chime in.

    As to the fuse, I'm pretty clueless, but I recall someone here digging down to it, saying it's somewhere on the underside of the engine bay fuse box, definitely not easy or fun to get to. Again, maybe you'll get some info from second gen Do It Yourselfers. @Patrick Wong in particular is the guru.
     
  6. jeff652

    jeff652 Senior Member

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    Sorry for the trouble your having. I did this once on a Honda years ago. Thankfully I only got a bunch of sparks and a black mark on my wrench. Learned to be extra careful around the battery posts.
     
  7. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    There is a fuse right at the battery end of the positive cable - the one ericbecky described. It's right in that assembly at the positive battery terminal clamp, you should see it after taking the red cover off. As ericbecky mentioned, it doesn't just pull out; there are small bolts into its terminals from the sides (parts of that black plastic clamp housing are covers that fold out).

    There is another fuse, of similar ampere rating, at the engine-compartment end of that cable. If you blew that one too, then yes, that one is located in the engine compartment fuse box and not easily replaceable, getting access to the bottom of that box is a challenge.

    -Chap
     
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  8. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    I sure hope you only blew the one in back.
    It is a bit of a hassle to get to, but nothing compared to the engine compartment.

    Feel free to call me if you need help finding it. I can probably walk you through it. Have a flashlight handy so you can really look at the end of the fuse to see if it is blown.
    I did one recently and might be able to dig up some pics for you.