this is the second time this has happened to me: I stopped at a beach access to relax & look at the ocean, turned car off but left key in as was staying in car. When I decided to leave car would not start, dash lights would come on but that was all. Hit power button again lights went off but could not get key out of ignition. After several tries I call AAA, they charged something under the hood & said I needed a new battery. The first time this happened was several months ago & I never replaced the battery. When I got home I did the self check of the voltage & it was 12.8 & car is starting fine. Is this some kind of a computer glitch?
No, it is either a bad battery OR a loose main battery connection. Why do you not believe that the battery is sick ?? Check the voltage again after it sits unused for a couple of hours.
It takes three readings to check the 12v battery. Without and with a load (use the headlights) the difference should be only a few tenths of a volt and neither reading should be below 12v. Your charging voltage should be about 14v in "Ready" mode. JeffD
Those are classic weak 12V battery symptoms. Unfortunately, voltage alone is not a good indicator of a battery's health. Let the car sit for a couple hours after driving it, turn the lights on bright (without starting it (press the start button without pressing the brake)) and check the 12v battery after 5 minutes. Report the results here.
So the first time this happened, what did you do to recharge the battery? If you did not fully-charge the battery overnight, then another no-start incident was just a matter of time. As previously suggested, it is past-due for you to replace the 12V battery now.
Took everyone's advice & took it to dealership, replaced battery. Thanks for the advice. I also have trouble with the latch on the trunk, sometimes I can not get it open. They said I need a new latch, anyone else have this problem?
Sometimes I have to push down on the hatch and press the release to get it to open. That relieves pressure on the mechanism. JeffD
Do you need a new latch, or do you need a new hatch opening switch? I posted on how to replace the latter in this forum. Model years 2007 and 2008 apparently got a batch of switches with defective rubber.
Yeah....it would be good to know if the switch is firing when you press the rubber in the back or if maybe it's all just gummed up. A whole new switch assembly can be had from eBay for about $70. If it's just the rubber, you can DIY with a little help from this site. I've done our 08 Prius and also an 07 Scion tC rubber replacement now. Not that hard.
