Walking out to your toyota prius car to find a dead battery is never a good start. Since cars and trucks had headlights, the rushed and careless have left them on. Most modern cars can run the radio or the dome light all night and still have enough power to start the next morning. But left on, headlights can still kill the battery. Here you can find explanation why dead battery happen to your toyota prius car.
Are Prius Batteries Different?
You'd think with a big battery bank like a Toyota Prius, there'd always be enough juice? Unfortunately, no. Your Prius starts with the same 12-volt battery as other hybrid cars. The hybrid batteries in your Prius are referred to as "traction batteries" since they are solely used to power or charge your wheels via regenerative braking.
The Prius's electrical system has various peculiarities that can cause a dead battery. While most current automobiles switch off their headlights to save battery life, some Prii (plural for Prius) will actually turn them on. The bad news is that the driver may not be aware that the lights are on. DEAD BATTERY - Requires jump start (see how to jump start a prius)
Causes of Toyota Prius Dead Battery
Here are various ways to kill a Prius battery:
The chatting error
- Stop the car and turn on the lights.
- Open the car door.
- Turn off the car completely while conversing with someone.
- Your lights are still on as you exit the car.
"Let me get that CD for you."
- Parking your car and walking away.
- Open the passenger door for your friend's CD.
- Then start the car.
- Not realizing your lights were on, you shut off the car and exited through the passenger door.
Why is this so? Why did your Prius headlights turn on or stay on for no apparent reason? In the headlight controls. If, like most modern drivers, you utilize automated lights, your Prius' logic will decide when to switch them on and off. Isn't this a reasonable request? The number of people who have experienced a dead battery due to headlamp activity suggests it is.
How to Prevent the Battery From Dying.
Avoid using the automated headlight feature to avoid a dead battery. Turn them off manually when you get out of the car and on again when you get back in. Some people dislike this solution and label it old-fashioned. When using the auto lights, keep in mind that a mishap at home or in the parking lot may result in your lights staying on until you return to your vehicle, hopefully without a dead battery.
No one knows what they did that made their lights turn on and their batteries drain. They might even repeat it. You'll pay more attention once you learn that turning off a Prius and exiting can disrupt your routine.
Toyota advises replacing your battery every 3 years to avoid damage. Cleaning your battery terminals will help keep your battery charged and perhaps extend its life. A battery that has been entirely discharged and then recharged is considerably more likely to fail than one that has been adequately maintained.