2005 Prius will not turn off, lights all on

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by artbart, Aug 16, 2009.

  1. artbart

    artbart New Member

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    2005 Prius
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    My Prius will not turn off. This morning we started it as usual and got all the dashboard lights on, including the triangular red warning light. The electrical system was on, but not the information screen. We could not turn the power off again. We tried inserting the smart key, but now that key is stuck and cannot be removed. We finally had to leave in another car, and left the Prius locked up manually. It was completely dead when we got home, but the key will not come out. It is Sunday, so the dealer is closed.
     
    #1 artbart, Aug 16, 2009
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If you want to DIY, I suggest that you replace the 12V auxiliary battery, as a start.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Aug 16, 2009
  3. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    #3 cwerdna, Aug 16, 2009
  4. artbart

    artbart New Member

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    Thank you for your responses! My situation sounds a little more dire in that the dashboard lights were on, and the triangular warning light was on. Only the information screen was off, and we could not change gears. Since we could not turn it off, we ended up having to lock it up with the lights still on, so now it is dead.
     
    #4 artbart, Aug 17, 2009
  5. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Do Not jump start it unless you are completely clear on how to do it. Doing it wrong can cause hundreds of dollars of damage to wiring harnesses, the inverter and computers. Have a dealer send someone to start it or tow it on a flatbed to the shop.
     
    #5 richard schumacher, Aug 17, 2009
  6. vertex

    vertex Active Member

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    I noticed a similar problem when my 12 volt battery was low. There is a jump point in the fuse box under the hood, or you could go to the battery in the back, passenger side. The only issue is DO NOT reverse the polarity. As long as you are comfortable doing that, you should be fine. You probably need a new 12 volt battery. There are several posts by Hobbit, myself and others on how to do this. Hobbits is the best for how to info.
     
    #6 vertex, Aug 17, 2009
  7. BAllanJ

    BAllanJ Active Member

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    A question.... They sell fancy booster cables that sense polarity so you don't need to pay attention when hooking them up to boost a car. Although these are fancy, they also are quite cheap. So, why doesn't Toyota put the little circuit from those cables behind the boosting point and protect this uniquely vulnerable car?

    Back to the OP.... sure hope it isn't the combination meter.
     
    #7 BAllanJ, Aug 18, 2009
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