I have to store my Gen III 2010 Prius for 6 months. Can I put a battery minder on to the 12 volt battery? There will be no one to start the car--it will be sitting idle for for all of those months. Any suggestions as to what to do to to make sure it remains in good running condition upon my return, would be helpful.
The best solution would be for a trusted friend to start the car about every 15 days, and drive it @ freeway speeds for about 10 minutes. Also, I see you live in Florida, where the humidity can be very high. If the car isn't stored in an air conditioned environment, you will probably have a mildew problem. Driving the car with A/C running will mitigate that also. Good Luck...
Yes, you should. My suggestions: Use a gasoline storage additive for long term storage to prevent varnish in the fuel system. If the motor oil is older than around five months or five thousand miles, then have it changed before storage to minimize internal corrosion. Put a few extra psi in the tires, and raise the car off the ground to prevent flat spots on the tires. Store the car in a cool place to reduce the risk of a self discharged high voltage battery. Force charge the high voltage battery until full, also to reduce the risk of a self discharged high voltage battery. Cover the car with a permeable fabric, not waterproof plastic.
You may not be able to do all of the recommended storage guidelines, but here they are, straight from the horse's (Toyota's) mouth... View attachment 26850 View attachment 26851
