For the past month or so my 2001 Prius began having problems when I try to start it in the morning after not driving for a day or longer. Prior to this the car worked great. Lately I would put the key in the ignition and notice all the indicators either light up with a delay or some not lighting up at all - the main screen often lights up after a minute or so - symptoms immediately made me think that the battery charge is low. My temporary remedy is to keep the key in the second ignition position (that normally turns on the main screen and the clutch letters) for several minutes. Then I turn the key all the way and the engine turns on without any warnings. The car appears to work fine for the rest of the day. After reading some posts here I thought that I might need to change the auxiliary battery. I called the dealership here in Seattle and they said that it is strange that the car would start after a while and that I should bring it in for diagnostics, which would cost a minimum of $110. My question is should I pay for diagnostics to see if the problem is elsewhere or is it pretty obvious and I should just buy a new auxiliary battery? And where would be a best place to buy it? Thanks for any help.
How old is the 12V auxiliary battery? If it is more than 4 years old I would go ahead and replace it now. It seems silly to spend $110 to be told that you need to buy a new 12V battery which should cost ~$140 or so at the dealer. You may also have to buy the battery bracket and terminal connectors kit, if the original equipment GS battery is no longer sold and you need to upgrade to the Panasonic battery which is physically larger and consequently offers greater capacity.
You might use the search function and look for "12V battery" for past threads. Over the years, the options have ranged from: ~$25 - lawn tractor battery ~$75 - various auto battery kits ~$140 - Toyota replacement ~$200 - Rugged batteries, Optima, Odyssey Bob Wilson
The original setup has a vent tube running out from the trunk compartment. The lowest-cost replacements will not have that. Although it has already been denomstrated that Prius can do fine without such a vent tube (no hydrogen gas explosions, no puddle of sulfucirc acid in the battery well, etc.) the majority of owners will probably want to stay with the original design, even though it costs more.
Are you talking about a second or so of delay when you turn the key all the way? I experience this everytime I start my 2003 and, me still being new to hybrids, I told myself that it is normal for hybrids?
Best I recall, a one-second delay is about the longest that one would accept without becoming interested in the condition of the 12-volt battery.
I have also experienced that delay before and learned to ignore it as it seems consistent over the years and seems to be by design. My issue looks more like a dead battery with very little juice and takes a few minutes for the car to launch its electrical devices.
Good points. The battery has not been changed since we bought the car so replacing it is a reasonable first anyway, as it is definitely time to replace it. By the way as the weather warmed up in Seattle, the car stopped having this problem. At least for now...
Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. The original design lasted for nine years, so I wouldn't mind paying extra for something that has already been proven as reliable.
