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Toyota Prius: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Nothing happens - that's why the gasoline engine is the primary motive force. It just means you won't have the extra umph from the electric side until it gets back in the green. Most folks who have encountered this have had it occur only on long upgrades at full throttle, but the point is that the car is NOT primarily an electric vehicle - it IS primarily a conventional internal-combustion driven car, after all....
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "It just means you won't have the extra umph from the electric side until it gets back in the green. "

    Always remembering that the Prius will not run at all if the battery is below 20%. The software is supposed to keep it above this level.
  • jrottjrott Member Posts: 1
    I had the recall done on my prius in november. I filled my gas tank after I left the dealer. I immediately went from 42-43 mpg to 35- 38 mpg. I am very disappointed with this car. I wouldn't have bought this car had I known I would get such lousy mileage for the privilege of paying 6000.00
    more than a Corolla which gets about the same mileage. I would like to hear from other people who have had the recall done to reprogram the ECU.
  • danjammdanjamm Member Posts: 5
    I sat for 2 hours learning the computer, phone, GPS and other accessories in the IG-ON mod which drain the battery to one bar. So, I drove to the store and by the time I was back home I had all the bar's back but one. 10 minutes around trip. The manual says the car will not charge in neutral.
  • danjammdanjamm Member Posts: 5
    My best of 3 tank fulls is 48mpg (mostly freeway). I calculate when I fill the tank not as I am driving. The light is explained in the owners manual. Red is the IG-ON mode. One up from accessories only. To avoid this only press the button with your foot on the brake.
  • danjammdanjamm Member Posts: 5
    I have been trying to find out how to turn the beeping off. How did you do it? The dealer won't help. Safety reasons.
  • seahorse1seahorse1 Member Posts: 9
    FYI: My 2005 Prius fell victim to N. Calif's recent flooding. Result: The electrical system, harnessing & connections were compromised & point to on-going, chronic problems due to corrosion. As a result, my insurance company just declared it a total loss.

    Granted any car that is flooded may be a total loss, but for me the bottom line is: as much as I like the (fair weather) mileage (definitely suffers in colder weather), the Hybrid technology is still vulnerable, and I won't be getting another one right away. My only hope now is that my Prius held its value & it's worth more than I owe ~ :sick:

    Happy Motoring Prius owners - it was fun while it lasted!
  • hondamatichondamatic Member Posts: 26
    I have been trying to find out how to turn the beeping off. How did you do it? The dealer won't help. Safety reasons.

    I'd like to know too. Wasn't mentioned in the owner's guide. Starting to get self conscious every time I back out of a parking space. Thanks in advance.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    if you were to google:
    +prius +beeping +reverse

    i'm sure you'd find hits that address disabling this safety function.

    the issue is, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

    i presume the warning exists to make sure you are attentive to the fact that the drivetrain is engaged, perhaps because the engine is quiet and you have good cabin insulation from the engine compartment.

    if i owned one of these cars, i think i'd leave it enabled. i spend perhaps 0.1% of my driving time each day in reverse.

    anyway, if someone outside the vehicle could hear it (?) and cause them to look, that would be safer, and also might get more people to take notice of an advanced technology vehicle.
  • cro1cro1 Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had success playing their iPod in a late model Prius with an FM transmitter or a car stereo interface? I have an 05 Prius that was manufactured around June 05 and an iPod nano. I can't get my FM transmitter (made by monster cable) to work.
  • hondamatichondamatic Member Posts: 26
    Actually, I found the answer in the Prius forums right here, under the "Prius Owners: Accessories & Modifications" thread:

    vmccaul, "Toyota Prius Owners: Accessories & Modifications" #30, 1 May 2005 11:44 am

    the issue is, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

    i presume the warning exists to make sure you are attentive to the fact that the drivetrain is engaged, perhaps because the engine is quiet and you have good cabin insulation from the engine compartment.

    No, there's a gear indicator on the dash that tells you what gear you're currently in, like many other automatic trans. cars. If I'm the one driving and not know which gear I've selected, then I've got serious problems. If the car makes it hard to tell, then *it* has issues.

    anyway, if someone outside the vehicle could hear it (?) and cause them to look, that would be safer, and also might get more people to take notice of an advanced technology vehicle.

    I think the beeping is there for the same reason dump trucks have them, to compensate for rear view blind spots.
    Now the Prius's rear blindspot is nowhere as bad as that of a dump truck and I want my car to be noticed for its unique styling, not because it reminds people around me of construction sites.

    Toyota did so many things right on this car, but they've really screwed up on this one reverse beeping thing. First, was leaving it on by default. Second, they made it so ridiculously convoluted to toggle it on or off. (Read the link above and you'll know what I mean). This pretty much ensures once I manage to turn it off, I would not likely turn it back on again. So the few times when I might actually want it on, such as in a crowded shopping center parking garage during Christmas shopping season, I won't have it available. *Grumble* :(
  • booliebumpskiebooliebumpskie Member Posts: 1
    I am new to this forum and way of communicating so please bear with me. I have a 2002 Prius that has been in the shop numerous times. the expense of repairs has greatly offset any savings I was getting on gas. I just recently reviewed my repair record and discovered that in May/June 2004 I had strut mount front suspension replaced and electric link assembly replaced. there was no charge at that time. Then in July/Aug of 05 I was buying shock absorber and same support front suspension parts Is this right?! I just realized this and will bring to dealers attention but should this part of the car go bad so quickly and so often? I have had other problems also and am just now having to replace fuel tank and a relay and computer. A warning signal and check engine light came on so I brought car straight to dealer. The fuel tank is not covered so I am paying for this in spite of the fact that I am not convinced that anything is wrong with fuel tank. Mechanic says that is what is recommended. Obviously I am not knowledgeable about cars so I go with mechanics recs. There is less than 40,000 miles on this car.
  • b767b767 Member Posts: 6
    So the few times when I might actually want it on, such as in a crowded shopping center parking garage during Christmas shopping season, I won't have it available.
    May I point out that the beeping is not heard on the outside, shoppers wouldn't hear anything anyway.
  • hondamatichondamatic Member Posts: 26
    May I point out that the beeping is not heard on the outside, shoppers wouldn't hear anything anyway.

    Serious? Then it's useless on TOP of annoying.
    What was Toyota thinking? :P
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I just finished polling three major dealers in the San Francisco area and they report customers' MPG from 28.5 to 54.5. That average out at 41.5, which is just about what all the long term tests have come out to in the major auto mags. So you're only about 8% off a very large database average. Maybe a few more pounds of air in the tires could fix that.

    If it's any consolation, your Prius is to be admired not so much for fuel mileage but the lack of emissions. Regardless of whether the Corolla can come close to your fuel mileage, it will never come even remotely close to being as clean-burning and environmentally friendly.
  • dingding1dingding1 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2005 Prius and like the car very much, but I am getting rid of it. On December 9th, we got a snow storm, and there were about 4-5 inches on the ground at the time. I was trying to get up a hill on a road that hadn't been plowed. When I was about 3/4 of the way up, the slip indicator icon came on, and the car would not move. There was NO power. I backed down the hill and tried again, but had the same result. As soon as the front wheels started to spin, this indicator came on, and there was absolutely NO acceleration, even with my foot to the floor. I had to abandon the car and borrow a friend's 4 wheel drive vehicle. Subsequently, I spoke to my dealer, who said the car was designed to do that as a safety measure. Toyota Corporate said the same thing- that the engines were supposed to shut down, so the electric motor wouldn't burn out. It was suggested that I get snow tires (which wouldn't help in that type of situation) or chains (totally impractical). In my mind, this is a real hazard. If I had been on a highway going up a hill and I lost all power, I'd be in real danger of getting clobbered. In my opinion, there should be a way to switch over to the gas engine for power in this kind of situation. To have no power at all is ridiculous. Has anyone had a similar experience?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Has anyone had a similar experience?

    A poster last winter in New England said the same thing happened to him. He just parks his Prius in the winter and drives his SUV. I think the problem is the skid control won't let the wheels spin. I'm sure there are others that drive their Prius in the snow. Not many have complained.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "I spoke to my dealer, who said the car was designed to do that as a safety measure. Toyota Corporate said the same thing- that the engines were supposed to shut down, so the electric motor wouldn't burn out."

    Yup, it is even more interesting for the HH and RX400H owners with AWD. The rear electric motors will stop functioning if they get too hot, which is why those vehicles are not really meant for off-roading.

    Just out of curiosity, wasn't the ICE motor still driving the wheels?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Put snow tires on the car in the winter, and go anywhere. The OEM Goodyears are useless in any kind of snow. Get a tire/wheel package from Tire Rack or one of the others who offer same, and enjoy the car year round.
  • jonpnjjonpnj Member Posts: 52
    Had those integrity tires on a Lexus I once owned. Useless. I met someone in m office who said he has a 05 leftover Prius that he put different tires on (not sure which). He said it is awesome in the snow. Tires mean everything
  • texvegastexvegas Member Posts: 17
    I have the same problem with my 2004 Prius. I am retired and do not have to leave the house in snowy Syracuse if if choose not to. I love this car and have achieved 54 mpg summer and 47 mpg in colder temperatures. I do not think the extra investment in snow tirea and extra rims is worth it. Pure and simple, this car, as delivered, is DANGEROUS on slippery and winter conditions! I have owned FWD and 4WD vehicles in the past and find the Prius strictly an April through October car if you live in the snowy Northeast.
  • jonpnjjonpnj Member Posts: 52
    According to what I have read, some people have put different tires on with pretty decent results. If you drive with the OEM tires, you're asking for problems. Like I said before, worst tires on the market are those Integrities. Look at tirerack for owner reviews.
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    I have the impression from your post that you got into a virtual zero traction situation. You said this happened as soon as the wheels started to spin (zero traction). Even if the engine and or motor had stayed on, the car most likely would not have continued up the hill.

    While I agree with you that the engine should not have shut down (okay for the motor to turn off), I can also understand the reason - in a sense. With no traction from spinning tires, steering capability (directional control) is reduced and maybe cut to nil. Therefore, in this sense, stopping the wheels from spinning can make directional control better - a positive safety decision.

    Taking away all driver control of the engine seems, to me, to be too drastic, especially since it apparently has a rev limiter.

    I had a low traction situation several years ago in a 300 hp FWD car with traction control. Wet conditions and too much gas pedal. As soon as the wheels broke free (very low road speed), engine power was drastically reduced and the car seemed to stop accelerating, but at least the engine kept running.

    I also agree with other posts that better tires would probably decrease the chances of this happening. The rim protectors the car comes with are not noted for great traction.
  • andre_nausandre_naus Member Posts: 1
    Last december I bought an icelink plus at a Best Buy store in Atlanta. Plugged it in the radio's cd changer connector and it works fabulously. I can control my video ipod from the steering wheel; have song titles on the prius computer screen etc. No problems whatsoever after more than 3 weeks use.
  • dingding1dingding1 Member Posts: 3
    Sorry, I don't know what an ICE motor is, but all I can tell you is that the electric and gas engines shut down altogether. I had the unpleasant experience of driving in the snow again today, and I could barely get out of the parking lot where I work, until I used a shovel to clear all the snow around the tires. People are saying I should get snow tires, but I really don't think that's the answer. I agree with the guy who said the car is dangerous in the snow. It shouldn't be sold in the Northeast. As a matter of fact, I am trading it in for an AWD Matrix.
  • thaispicethaispice Member Posts: 3
    After joining the Prius owner community this month, I promptly bought a Bluetooth-enabled Motorola v360 mobile phone. I am able to establish a Bluetooth link between the phone and my car. However, whenever I leave the car, the Bluetooth link is broken, and when I re-enter and restart the car, the phone does not automatically reconnect to the car, even though I have "Auto-connect" selected on my Prius Bluetooth settings and Bluetooth "always on" selected on my phone settings.

    Please, does anyone have any advice on how to maintain the Bluetooth connection?? I of course would rather not have to buy a new phone.

    Also, a friend suggested that my problems may exist because the 2006 Prius supports only version 1.1 of Bluetooth, whereas my phone might be v. 1.2. Any thoughts?

    Thanks in advance.
  • alcortialcorti Member Posts: 2
    I have had the problem. On a slippery slope the traction control will alternate drive tires. If the computer determines that neither tire has traction, the tires will not move and the motor shuts down thereby stranding the auto in place.
    This has to get fixed by Toyota. The wheels need to spin a little in order to get forward motion started again..
  • alcortialcorti Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2005 Prius. I notice the problem too and intend to complain the next time the oil gets changed ( 2 weeks).
    also at the time the auto is braked to a stop, if by chance the brake is momentarily released and applied again, there is also a noticeable clunk and vibration in the car. I don't think this is correct, and I think we should all write to Toyota and complain.
  • joeh4joeh4 Member Posts: 2
    Am waiting for my new 2006#2 and have read the complaints on tires. Would appreciate comments from those who have replaced their tires with good results and no loss of mpg? What tire pressures are recommended front and back for optimum mpg?
    Would like to start out with good tires instead of experiencing the troubles some have had here. Previously used Michelon Harmony tires on my 2002 Camry and they were the best I ever owned. Thank you for your comments.
  • pkorisapkorisa Member Posts: 2
    My wife drove to her club and parked the car today. The 2005 Prius has 5200 miles. She came out after 2 hours and the message panel had all sorts of lights including a Triangle with a RED exclamation mark, but the car won't start. I called tow truck who had to call his manager to figure out how to move the car. Finally, he was able to charge the auxiliary battery before the car started. Actually, the first charge did not hold, but the second,longer charge did hold. This was at 3:00 pm. I have been driving it off and on since that time, and it is stating/behaving OK. I am assuming the battery went dead, but don't know WHY? I am taking it to dealer tomorrow, and will let you all know. Bottom line, this is scary -- for the car to just drop dead and you can't do anything and it can happen without any notice -- the whole thing just shuts off!!! Any ideas? :mad:
  • pkorisapkorisa Member Posts: 2
    Just returned from the dealer. Thye tested the battery using thier computer called MID TRONIX. Battery checked OK, NORMAL. No bad codes. Their conclusion: we must have left something ON for the 2 hours. The auxilliary battery is very small, and of low power. Even a dome light left ON, could discharge the battery down compeletely, and if that happens, the car will not start. And, they also advised me NOT to even try to jump start the battery - if done wrong, it could damge the hybrid component!! We are supposed to take the car to a dealer to recharge the battery!!! I told them that's not a very good idea and that I will write a letter to Toyota. Upon return, I read the Owner's manual and it does say jumping the battery is OK as long as we take 2 precautions: 1) Slow rechatrge (@ less than 3.5 amps), and 2) disconnect the ground terminal connection from the battery (on back, right side). Let me know with your thoughts.
  • sysadminsysadmin Member Posts: 3
    I've had my 2006 Prius for about a month, but have only driven it about 300 miles total. I have similar problems with the battery charge indicator bars -- they are blue most of the time. Of all the time I have driven it, I have only seen green bars three times, and only for a few minutes, then it is back into the blue area. I've changed the way I drive it to give the battery more charging time, but still only see green bars VERY rarely. Fortunately they haven't gone pink yet, but this is a strange problem for a car that was just manufactured and came of the boat.
    Any help would be appreciated!
  • goveil1goveil1 Member Posts: 1
    Was successful in using the ubiquitous hack to turn off the annoying (INSIDE THE CAR???) beep. Works the same as previous models.
  • whisperleewhisperlee Member Posts: 3
    I don't see green bars all the time for my 2006 Prius, but definitely on a daily basis though. It seems to depend on how you drive and how the road is, ie whether you have to stop and go a lot or not... The green bars usually persist only for a very short time, then it goes down to blue.... at least in my car anyway. I am getting about 50 mpg in the city.
  • gasmisergasmiser Member Posts: 7
    Had the reprogramming done on a 2004, no reduction in gas mileage--still 47/48 MPG. Dealer also said they had no one come in complaining that the car cut off............
  • drazzstdrazzst Member Posts: 1
    I had this problem as well, and it turns out, it was my v360 that was the problem. The Bluetooth transmitter went bad. After replacing my phone, I haven't had a problem since.

    Note, when the power turns off on the car, so does the power to the BT transmitter, it will disconnect. My v360 takes about 5-8 seconds to transfer back to the phone, or, inversely, takes about 5-8 seconds to transfer to the car when i'm talking on the phone and then turn on the car. It's irritating when I forget that delay.
  • badtrannybadtranny Member Posts: 33
    Are the auxillary battery problems, that are posted on this site, resolved for the Prius??

    Where is the latest, greatest, info on the 2006 PRIUS and Civics located??.. I want/need actual user reviews, not dealer hype.

    What are you hybrid owners thinking, hearing, experiencing with your vehicles, etc..???

    I test drove a new entry level civic yesterday, before the blizzard hit. Busy suspension, not bad. I am interested, very interested.. Considering that I almost bought a new Harley for a bit more$$$,,, I re figured my plans and decided to go for a New car instead.. But, after reading about the Prius, I would like more info before committing to one model or another. Going to be one of these models.

    As far as the tires go on hybrids, I would be willing to bet that the problem is with the stock oem tires... The ones on the Civic Hybrid yesterday were Michellins avx4??? something or others.. They are AB rated with Tw OF 320.. That should tell you something right there. The rolling resistance is going to be good, and I am guessing it wasn't by chance these tires were chosen by the manufacture with increased mileage in mind. But, in NE winter months we need sticky tires, and on a light car, narrow aggresive treaded tires..

    I once had a VW rabbit that came with 195 tires. IT was a blast to drive on warm days.. The first snow storm with it I came down i91 from Bradley Airport sideways toward Hartford!! The tires were too wide for the weight of the vehicle and road surface. I stepped down to 165/75 Gislaved rubbers and then could OUTPERFORM SUV's GOING UPHILL IN 6" snow!!!! Tire choice is the key.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    dead 12v battery... door ajar?, light on?, why do 12v batteries go dead? I cant say in your wife's case.

    'Triangle of Death' event. I had one also but it was because I was driving with the 'Fill me up, stupid' flashing and the computer shut down the ICE. The key is that the software protects the Ni-M Hydride battery. It will shut down the system if there is a risk, like a constant voltage drain, of the main battery being damaged.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    You need to drive more. simple.

    The more you drive the higher will be the charge. I drive 150 mi/day and after the first 20 mi or so it's always in the 'pink'. Short trips will kill your FE and prolly never get the charge up very much.

    BTW.. the charge will never reach the top and, see posts above about dead batteries, it should never go below 2 blue bars. This is the design which makes the batteries go for the life of the vehicle. The State of Charge (SoC) is carefully controlled by the computer.

    On my 75 mi trip home I can drive the last two miles in EV mode using no fuel. The 'bio-feedback' mpg bar is pinned to 100 mpg.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Upfront... I sell them.. I have since they came out in 2001 witht the number reaching about 100 units now. By far the new Gen2 is the greatest number.... including

    my own '05 which I took home on Nov 30th past.

    For a comparo between the new Civic ( great vehicle ) and the Prius ( revolutionary ) see Edmunds here; they did it already.

    How deep do you want an explanation? My normal delivery of a Prius takes 60-90 min before the new owner takes it home. The Navi/BT features add nearly an hour by themselves if the new owner is new to Navi systems.

    Want first hand driver reactions or all the techy things to watch for /learn? There is a wealth of info on certain places, a treasure trove of technical specs etc., that I shouldnt mention here.
    Tires, pressure, diagnostics, easter eggs, driving methods, first person reviews, you name it.

    First person driving reations:
    Give me a Prius, anyone's Prius, and I will get FE ratings from 35 mpg to 75 mpg. Tell me what number you want and I'll get it for you on any Prius. On my own, I travel at ~65 mph for 140 mi everyday and coast/cruise for 10 at City speeds. I average, data posted, ~ 46 mpg in two mo's of winter driving.

    One 'Triangle of Death' event. proly my fault. The Prius drives better than any of my last 4 Camry's. I love the Electic Steering and the EV torque boost when passing. I also love the seats and position much better than my Camry's.

    The one thing I dislike is that it wanders too easily. As noted in the posters above I have the Integrity's and soon I'll swap them out for Michelins as I've done for all the Camry's. While I used to live in the Snow Belt up by you, I'm now on the ocean in NC and it's dead flat.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    For an additonal comment see Prius 2004+ Forum post#6610.
  • lesliem2lesliem2 Member Posts: 1
    Boyoboyoboy---I wish I had seen this 2 freakin' months ago!!! ON Nov. 28th, I, too, rearended a guy when my 2004 Prius brakes failed--yep, brake pedal went all way to floor, too! TWO MONTHS LATER--and only severall hundred dollars away from the insurance company declaring my car totalled (it cost almost $14,000 to "fix", not to mention my 2 grand for my rental car fees)--the dealership STILL doesn't know why my brakes failed--not exactly reassuring! I had my two kids in the back seat for crash #1--am I really supposed to wait for crash #2??? Have you discovered anything new?? Please advise, since I have to go back to the dealer this week or next, cause since I got the car back last week, I found I need an alignment and for some reason, my climate control system is set at 75 degrees air conditioning and measures the outside temp in Celsius when I start the car up. SO what can I tell/ask the dealership techs???
  • gnewmarkgnewmark Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same issue with a Toyota Sienna and Motorola v360. Did you find a solution?
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    There is a slight possibility this is a software problem, could you post this in the "Software Problems forum"? We are trying to track issues that may be software over there.
  • elrac5elrac5 Member Posts: 1
    Check the manual - the car must be started at least every 2 weeks for at least 30 minutes. The dealers don't tell you this when you buy the car (they probably don't know about this). There have been complaints on other websites about this same issue. Also, the dealer told me you can't jumpstart the battery like a normal battery because it is a 12-volt? battery. I would contact your dealership and ask for the Prius Specialist. Hopefully you don't need to replace the auxiliary battery - I was just told it would cost $140, not including the cost of labor!
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Check the manual - the car must be started at least every 2 weeks for at least 30 minutes

    Good point which is not known very well. Although you can take the risk to just leave it in the garage at home while in Fla for 3 mo's it's not a good idea.

    Guidelines:
    1) If you are going to leave it for more than 5 days, disable the SKS antennas with the button under the steering column.

    2) If you are going to leave it for more than 2 weeks, then take the wiring harness off the positive terminal in the fuse box and reconnect it when you return. This shuts down the entire vehicle. You will need the mini-key in order to open the drivers door, in order to pop the hood, inorder to reconnect the wiring harness.
  • eprupiseprupis Member Posts: 30
    I recently left my 2004 Prius at the airport for 18 days. I turned off the smart key but did nothing else. Car started right up on return.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    My #2 ws from a Toyota TSB but I am certain that there is a safety factor built in. It stated 'two weeks' but I doubt it would die on the 15th day.
  • devsiennadevsienna Member Posts: 70
    Most of the time my battery gauge shows 5 or 6 blue bars during normal usage. However, I have seen my battery gauge hit 8 green bars. In fact, it does it every day on my way home from work due to a moderate size hill that I have to go down.

    I have also seen my battery gauge hit 2 pink bars, usually when going up certain hills around where I live or travel. Ironically, the hill that I take to work (and back) doesn't induce this state. Go figure that one out...

    Only once I have seen my battery guage go down to 1 pink bar. This was when I ran out of gas while traveling up a hill (that same hill I take to work). By the time I got to that 1 bar, the car wasn't moving at all and was basically telling me to go stuff myself. Or rather, to go stuff some gas in the tank. A call to AAA, a few gallons of gas, and a couple of "reboots" of the car and things were fine. My point is that no matter what I tried, the car refused to let the battery be depleted further than that 1 pink bar.

    I wouldn't be too worried if your battery gauge never hits 7 or 8 green bars. I also wouldn't be too worried if it hits 2 pink bars unless you've run out of gas and are limping along in electric only. I have been stuck in stop-n-go traffic when the battery gauge hit 2 pink bars. There was no need to panic, pull over, or get off the freeway. The engine kicked in as needed to recharge the battery or provide propulsion and things were fine.
  • devsiennadevsienna Member Posts: 70
    Check the manual - the car must be started at least every 2 weeks for at least 30 minutes. The dealers don't tell you this when you buy the car (they probably don't know about this). There have been complaints on other websites about this same issue. Also, the dealer told me you can't jumpstart the battery like a normal battery because it is a 12-volt? battery. I would contact your dealership and ask for the Prius Specialist. Hopefully you don't need to replace the auxiliary battery - I was just told it would cost $140, not including the cost of labor!

    I know that in the case of my 2005 Prius I have been able to leave the car parked, with SKS on, for 2 weeks without any problems. Car started right on up.

    I also know that the car is perfectly capable of being jumpstarted normally. The procedure to do so is in the manual and specific connection points in the engine compartment are provided for this. Luckily I haven't had to do this. However, I know from personal experience that you can also jump start another car with the Prius using the same method/connections. Just hookup things up like you would if you were being jumpstarted, turn your car to IG-ON (ready mode) and let the other person start their car. I recently had to do this for a Porsche owner here at work and there was no problem.

    Remember, the 12-volt battery in the Prius is mainly there to provide power for the alarm/smart key system and essentially boot the computers that control the traction battery. Yes, it will also supply power for the radio, headlights, door lights, etc, when you are not in IG-ON (ready) mode. While in IG-ON mode, the stuff that requires 12-volt power will get the power from the traction-battery, but via an inverter (which also charges the 12-volt battery).
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