UKC

My wife's 2008 Prius is showing all the signs of a dead(ish) battery (the 12V battery, not the main hybrid battery) . ie.it won't start, unlocking is difficult etc. Toyota caution against jump starting.
Does anybody know if there is really any significant risk of causing damage by jump starting.I suspect Toyota are just covering their arses.

In reply to Postmanpat:

Advice here from a US Toyota dealer:

http://www.toyotaofnaperville.com/steps-to-safely-jump-start-a-toyota-prius...

Found pretty quickly using Google...

In reply to Martin W:



Thanks. I had googled it but I still want to understand what the risk involved is given my dealer advises against it but can't say why. I am hoping the AA (I am on the other side of the country) will know the special requirements involved with the Prius.

In reply to Postmanpat:

Why don't you just get a new battery?

In reply to Postmanpat:

The AA will probably just sell you a new battery. I think they carry them in their vans.

In reply to OwenM:


I probably will if the AA man has one, but if he doesn't I have to make a decision whether we risk jump starting it and then go and get a new battery, or whether we have to get the AA to load it onto a trailer to a Toyota garage and wait until they will install a battery.

In reply to Postmanpat:

The AA will be able to jump start or you can do it with a battery pack fairly easily. Lots of instructions online, can be done under the bonnet ( positive connected, negative needs to just be grounded) or from the boot ( more tricky if battery so dead boot release doesn't work)

I recently had the AA replace the battery in my Dad's 2004 prius at my house. They jump started but it wouldn't hold a charge.

In reply to Postmanpat,
Just deleted my post because I realised I was essentially talking out the wrong hole , but will be interested in the outcome .
But (!) my advice would be not to do owt that allows them to dodge any warranty .

In reply to Postmanpat:

Successfully jump started on occasion over past 5 uears(e.g. after interior light left on) and not had problems until the 12 year old battery finally gave up the ghost this year.

In reply to Postmanpat:

I have had a Prius for ten years and leave it for several months at a time in a garage. I have had to jump start it about half a dozen times over the ten year period. This usually works with a second battery connected to the subsidiary battery. Only once did this fail to work and that was when the subsidiary battery was dead beyond recovery.

In reply to Postmanpat:

Thanks all. I'll get AA to jump start it and hopefully they will have a replacement battery

In reply to Postmanpat:

The AA man will almost certainly have a replacement battery, battery problems make up a good proportion of their call outs and selling and fitting replacements on a call out is good business for them.

In reply to The New NickB:

Might be a overpriced mediocre battery mind you...

In reply to Postmanpat:

If you don't need it urgently you can order a battery online and have it delivered next day for a lot less than I imagine the AA would charge. Fitting batteries isn't hard (usually!).