2005 Prius. 293,000. Replacement of 12v battery within last 2 years. Original hybrid battery. Odd occurrence Sunday am, car parked in garage, locked. Unable to unlock with fob. Would not start, dead as door nail. Monday pm red security light blinking, green light around key slot on, doors unlocked fine. Car started ok. Clock off. Temp outside in teens. A few weeks ago on lunch, drove home (5-10 min drive) car dead when I came back outside to return to work. Jump start with no issues. I do not believe door was left open or lights on. Few times past 6 months freeze up with starting. Dash on, no turn over.
Welcome to PriusChat!! and with 293K, nice run you're having Do you have a way to test the 12v battery voltage? How many hours per week is this vehicle driven or in 'Ready' mode?
Yes I tried the key and was able to get it open. That’s when I discovered it was dead. My assumption would be have the 12 v tested and if ok then make plans for new hybrid battery I am planning on having a friend look at the 12 v for me. I will also have the fuses checked too. Any other suggestions?
You may not be using the vehicle enough to maintain a healthy 12v battery, do you have an AGM compatible trickle charger? If you don't have the tool to test the 12v health, you can try one or more of the local auto parts stores/chains. Often they will have the time and can do a 12v battery health check for free. If the clock reset itself upon starting on Monday, that would indicates an issue with the 12v battery health or connections to and from. Check the connections around the 12v battery and make sure everything is tight. Then find a way to test the 12v battery health if the no start condition continues. Please report back what you find out, and we can take it from there.
I would confirm a good 12V battery first then if there are still problems go from there. Don't forget to check the ground connection where it attaches to the body. It is fairly common that they come loose over time or maybe corrosion. Just out of curiosity, have you ever had water in the spare tire well?
AGM Toyota Prius Auxiliary Battery | Prius 12V Battery $160 https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NBE9851P $183 Pick up today at 1425 W Burnham St Milwaukee, WI 53204 (all I have to go on is Wisconson, I just decided you were in Milwalkee to find a store that was 'local')
So you know how cool it is to be one of the people no one messes with if they want their stuff to work. The stories I could tell ... One of my supervisors years back had been an Air Force aircraft electrician. He was one of the smartest people I've ever known and was by far the best boss I ever had.
my mechanic said the following: “I changed your oil and filter, it was close for being due, everything else looks good. I also tested your battery and it tested good but positive terminal was very loose so I'm going to say that was probably your problem!” I am so happy!
Ground connections, not turning the car off properly, dying key fob battery, 12V battery connection loose, cold weather, extended periods of sitting and not driving -- all possible causes. If this occurs frequently, invest in an inexpensive Amazon 12V battery monitor. Plugs right into your cigarette lighter, has USB connections so you can still charge your devices, and helps keep you aware of your battery's voltage.
