HELP!! 05 Prius battery has voltage but nothing turns on!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by TimD, Jul 29, 2015.

  1. TimD

    TimD New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    This morning when I went to unlock my Prius it didn't work, so I pulled the key out and unlocked it physically. When I put the key in the dash nothing turned on (no lights or sounds at all) I figured the battery was dead so I hooked up my 1.25a charger (motorcycle trickle charger) for an hour before I thought to check the voltage. I am at 5 volts and I still get nothing when hitting the start button. I have checked most of the fuses next to the +post under the hood. Any recommendations?
     
    #1 TimD, Jul 29, 2015
  2. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,878
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    #2 JimboPalmer, Jul 29, 2015
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    113,898
    51,851
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome! a good battery is 12.5 or better, after the surface charge wears off. how old is it? i think you need a new one.
     
    #3 bisco, Jul 29, 2015
  4. TimD

    TimD New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    thanks for the quick response Jimbo, I will continue to monitor the voltage and give it another try. I figure with 5 volts there would be at least some dim lights?
     
    #4 TimD, Jul 29, 2015
  5. TimD

    TimD New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    I bought the Prius in April, no telling how old or new the battery is... when I opened the hatch in the back, the battery looks clean, but Im not going to take that as a sign of age
     
    #5 TimD, Jul 29, 2015
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    113,898
    51,851
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    nope. it's a 12 volt system.
     
    #6 bisco, Jul 29, 2015
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    113,898
    51,851
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    there's a date code on top.
     
    #7 bisco, Jul 29, 2015
  8. TimD

    TimD New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    Ill go check the voltage and date on the battery....
     
    #8 TimD, Jul 29, 2015
  9. TimD

    TimD New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    Didn't see anything that made any sense to me on the battery, although Toyota put a million things on top of the battery, so it may be under all that crap.
    On the plus side the battery is at 6v...
     
    #9 TimD, Jul 29, 2015
  10. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    8,433
    4,285
    0
    Location:
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    That is only 1 V per cell and a good battery should be at 2.2 V per cell. Your 12 V battery is pretty much history.

    Save yourself the anguish and pain and just replace it with a new Toyota TrueStart with the pro-rated 84 month warranty. As AGM batteries go, the TrueStart is good value for money and once replaced you will not have to worry about your 12V battery for quite some time.

    If you want to go non-OEM, the Exide® FP-AGM51JIS is another good option that is a drop in replacement for the SKS version (non-SKS is smaller). It can be used in a non-SKS car, but you will need to replace the battery bracket which is available from the dealer for about $30.

    Ensure your new battery is fully charged (i.e. ~13.2 V) before installing.

    Good luck with your decision.
     
    #10 dolj, Jul 29, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2015
    uart and valde3 like this.
  11. TimD

    TimD New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    Instead of walking up and down the stairs 50 times (live in a 3rd floor apartment) I decided to pull the battery upstairs and charge it on my patio. Voltmeter says I'm at 10v now. The battery is a Toyota true start with the 84 month warranty (dated 2012), will Toyota test it and replace it if the battery is not good? I was going to take it to advance auto or something, but if it's still under warranty, I figure skip the middle man right? Thanks for the post dolj!
     
    #11 TimD, Jul 30, 2015
  12. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

    Joined:
    May 13, 2012
    2,170
    751
    0
    Location:
    Delaware
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    is it possible you left something on and discharged the battery?
     
    #12 69shovlhed, Jul 30, 2015
  13. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,200
    6,500
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Yes, it sounds like your battery is dead. Bring the battery and the purchase receipt to your Toyota dealer's parts counter.
     
    #13 Patrick Wong, Jul 30, 2015
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    113,898
    51,851
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    if it won't hold a charge, they will give you a new battery at a pro rated cost.
     
    #14 bisco, Jul 30, 2015
  15. TimD

    TimD New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    Thx for the tip on the prorated cost for a replacement, seems to void the concept of a warranty...

    My wife swears nothing was left on in the car, but who knows...
     
    #15 TimD, Jul 30, 2015
  16. TimD

    TimD New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    Hooking the battery back up set off the alarm, couldn't have been happier to hear that sound! Diagnostic mode showed only 12v while accessory mode was on and 14.6 while car was running. I will be running diagnostic mode every time I turn on the car for the next week to monitor the battery, might replace it with an optima yellow top just to be safe.
     
    #16 TimD, Jul 31, 2015
    bisco likes this.
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    113,898
    51,851
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    all the best!(y)
     
    #17 bisco, Jul 31, 2015
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)