Hi guys! I have a weird issue (I think) My Prius (2005) has been having issues for a bit. I will need to jump start it again and again, then for a month or so I won't have to jump it at all. Or I'll jump it and drive it around for half an hour and shut it off and instantly I'll need to jump it again, or sometimes it will hold a charge. That's the first issue and has been happening for about 9 months now. I carry a little ever ready jump box that I plug into a usb port, and most the time that works.. unless its been months since we've needed to use it, then it drains itsself out and we are left begging for a jump. WELLLL.... my son was getting gas and shut the car off (it started right up when he went to the gas station, no problems) When he was done fueling, it wouldn't start... our charger was dead, because its been about a month and a half since we needed it.. so he asked for a jump. (i know, scary next to the pumps.. spark..BOOM) He was in a hurry because he doesn't like to waste other peoples time with the jump start and hooked up the cables correctly on their car, but backwards on the prius.. just wondering the correct steps to take to try and figure this ALL out. I've looked some stuff up and it seems like it could be a fried battery on our end, or a fuseable link? I don't know.. Any help would be much appreciated Lance
Prius never does well sitting especially in that part of the country in the winter a month really wow I guess y'all have better vehicles for that area to drive obviously the first thing to check is the 12 volt batteries capacity most O'Reilly's AutoZone's Menards and what have you can do this I doubt anyone's going to pass this battery but we'll see there's a bunch of fusible links fuses one at the battery a little one refuses up front all those need to be checked maybe take the battery out of the system remove the cables get a new one if that's what Menards or AutoZone tells you that's where you start if there are any lights on we need to have a capable scanner to get the codes It is necessary.
Well I'm kinda stuck where Im at since its my only car. But Ive looked on youtube, and thats where I came up with the fuseable link idea. But Ive done research and Oreillys and Autozone neither carry the part. I think I have to get it directly from toyota. My car never sits, its my only car.. so the issue wit it starting or not, and sometimes starting ... and sometimes in the same day it starts and then it wont, makes me think its not a battery issue as far as that goes. It will go sometimes a day, sometimes a week, or a month without needing a jump.. just didnt know if anyone had any ideas on that issue
It's either the battery is past its use-by date or you've got loose connections to the battery. Either way, if you had attended to the problem 9 months ago you'd be golden. A stitch in time and all that. There are some good threads here that detail the steps needed to see what needs to be replaced after a cross-connected jump start. Use the 'Advanced Search' feature (by clicking on the 'More...' button in the search box at the top of any forum page. You can then limit your search to only Gen 2 (and child) forums so you get information relevant to Gen 2s. The fusible link is not the only fuse that needs checking.
Sounds to me like the 12v battery has a loose connection or is in a perpetual low state of charge and never really has the "charge time" to get to a healthy state. If you don't find a loose connection, at least get the battery tested. If it's marginal, it's probably best to get a new one. As for the reverse jump, it's very likely the main fusible link is blown in the underhood fuse box, plus 2 or three of the normal circuit fuses. Look through the clear plastic cover to inspect the upper right corner link. That's the one that normally melts for a reverse jump. There're several threads about replacing that fusible link, and even how to get around it temporarily while waiting for repairs. It can be a pain in the *** to replace but it's DIY do-able. I have about 15 of them on the shelf in the garage.
Checking fuses after a reverse jump, don't forget to check the small 5 amp one in the fuse block attached to the + 12 volt battery post. That can be blown, and will cause a DC/DC converter code if it is. Even a dealer can sometimes be fooled by that and say you need an inverter replacement in addition to the fuses. I hear sometimes the converter really does go south. But be sure to check that fuse before giving up on it.
replaced the battery, got juice.. we bypassed the fuseable link and it turned on, then it kicked the motor on per usual.. then died about a minute later.. any thoughts? Yes its got gas in it
