Had Prius 2 days...won't start - HELP

Sounds like a problem with the 12V battery - lots of threads hereabouts on symptoms and possible solutions. "Search" is your friend, and I'm sure many other readers will chime in with suggestions! Good luck! …and Welcome to PriusChat!!!

 

Welcome to the site. First, check the voltage of the 12v battery. If you can't open the hatch then hook up a trickle charger to see if the battery will take a charge.

Did you try both fobs? If the battery in the fob is dead you'll have to use the mechanical key to unlock the door. Push the start button with the fob to get the computers booted up.

 

Since you say you are not equipped to replace the 12V battery, the least costly approach would be for you to jumpstart the car (making sure to observe correct battery polarity) and drive the car to the service location of your choice.

Of course if the jumpstart is botched you may end up with a four-digit repair bill if the inverter is destroyed so you must be sure about what you are doing. A mechanic is not going to come out to you for this purpose. A tow truck driver would do so but may screw this up.

If you have any concern about being able to correctly jumpstart the car, then have the car towed to a Toyota dealership for diagnosis and repair. They will probably charge you ~$300 if in fact the 12V battery is at fault.

If you were to DIY the cost of a replacement 12V battery would be ~$200. Hence the difference between those two choices is going to be $100 plus the towing charge.

The way to determine whether the 12V battery needs to be replaced or not is to apply a 4A charge to the battery overnight, and see if the battery holds the charge or not. If the battery is more than 4 years old, in your locale with very cold winters, the battery should be replaced regardless. The age can be determined by observing the manufacturing date sticker on top of the battery (if original equipment). The battery bracket needs to be removed to see the sticker.

 

did you spend any time in accessory mode? that can kill the 12v.

 

ready or ready mode, correct. a single light overnight will also kill it. but don't tell him that. if he's anything like me, he'll just dig his heels in.

what you need now is a jumpstart, trickle charger, digital voltmeter, or a good mechanic.

 

Regardless of anyone's certainty -- his, yours, or some sneaky 'not me' gremlin -- this is always one of the top suspects. And if this is what happened, a simple jumpstart should get the car running, at least in the short term. Longer term, if the car still has the original factory 12V battery, its is aged and may need replacement soon.

If your household has a car battery charger, or a portable 'jumpstart pack', or can borrow one easily, this is the easiest way to get going. Given your admitted lack of car savvy, I'd steer away from any car-to-car jumpstart. The Prius is much more sensitive than traditional cars. As Patrick pointed out, botched jumpstarts are very ex$pen$ive. Too many new members have joined here just after experiencing such a problem.

In the future, drained batteries from lights left on can be reduced (but not eliminated) by changing the offending lamps to low current LED models. While these will still eventually drain the battery, it will take more than one night to do so.

 

Don't relax yet. A jump start doesn't revive a battery that's been significantly drained. A good drive will help, but ONLY a little. You may be back to square one, soon. You need to do one of the following:

1. Get the battery tested by professionals.
2. Get a digital multimeter (cheap ones can be acquired for around $20), and see what voltage the battery has, for starters. Then try hooking it up to a smart charger in the 3~4 amp range, let it run to completion, see what it's verdict is.

 

Smart meter? Perhaps you meant Smart charger? (…sorry, to be anal, but the devil is in the details, as I'm sure you know!)

 

Welcome to Prius Automotive Shop 101. The assembled faculty is always willing to help. A few basic tools aren't expensive and will pay for themselves.

I like a BatteryMinder trickle charger. It is easy easy enough to "permanently" install, it can be found in a number of places, and is inexpensive. It will prolong a battery's life but but it resurrect a dead one.

A digital multimeter is needed to check a battery's voltage. They are inexpensive and can be found just about everywhere.

There are a number of replacement batteries to choose from. It is easy enough to shop around. Consider the warranty and the price. The battery is not heavy and can be swapped out in about half an hour with some basic tools.

If you want to be self reliant there are many things that you can learn to do your self. You'll get a sense of accomplishment and will save yourself some money. There is also nothing wrong in paying someone to fix things. Some can make that choice but others can't.

It is easy enough to inadvertently leave a light one. You may want to leave the one on the deck OFF. It doesn't throw a lot of light and it is the most likely suspect to drain the battery. Focus on identifying the problem and the solution. No one wins in The Blame Game.

 

Change the 12V battery. Period. Age plus at least one deep discharge mean it's probably toast & will be unreliable even if you can get it jumped and running now.