What do you do when the battery dies inside your Toyota Prius? Jumping a Prius or another Toyota Hybrid isn't much different than having to jump-start a gas-powered vehicle. To jump a Prius, you will need jumper cables, an assisting vehicle, and a solid metallic point. Once you have these items, check out Chicago Northside Toyota's guide on how to jump a Toyota Prius.
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Jumping a Prius: The Steps
Before jumping a Prius, make sure both vehicles are parked with the engines off. When you're ready, simply follow these steps below:
- Step 1: Open your car's hood and look under the fuse box cover to find the jump start terminal.
- Step 2: Connect the red positive jumper cable to the positive terminal in your car.
- Step 3: Connect the second red positive cable to the positive battery terminal on the assisting vehicle.
- Step 4: Connect the black negative cable to the negative battery terminal on the other car.
- Step 5: Secure the second negative clamp to a metallic point that's a safe distance away. The metallic point should be unpainted and unmoving.
- Step 6: Start the engine on the other vehicle and let it run for five minutes.
- Step 7: Start your hybrid car and wait for a "Ready" notification.
- Step 8: Disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse order of how they were connected.
Signs You Need a New Hybrid Battery
No matter the drive system, the signs of a dying battery are similar, but there are a few red flags that are exclusive to hybrid vehicles. If you notice any of the following signs, schedule a battery inspection with the service department at Chicago Northside Toyota:
- Lowered MPG
- The gas-powered engine is working harder than normal
- State of charge fluctuations
- Battery bar drops
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If you have any questions about how to jump a Toyota Prius or you need to replace a dead battery, contact the service department today! Don't forget to check out our current parts specials and service coupons for great saving opportunities.
By Bumblebee Batteries
A Toyota Prius has two types of hybrid batteries. The first is run by the onboard generator and regenerative braking. Essentially, the engine serves as a power generator that recharges the battery, and regenerative braking is the process by which the kinetic energy that your vehicle has while moving is converted back into the battery’s stored energy. This battery requires no manual charging from you.
However, the second battery does require your attention. This is the 12-volt battery that helps start the vehicle.
There are two ways you can go about charging the 12-volt—using a battery charger or jumpstarting it with cables connected to another vehicle’s battery. While the former simply involves the connection of a charger, the latter is where more direction will help.
To begin with, you’ll need to pull the lever inside your car on the driver’s side to pop the hood open. From there, you should open the plastic protector and the plastic lid covering the positive port of the battery. Once you’ve done so, you can connect the positive cable to your Prius’ positive port, while connecting the negative cable to the negative port of the vehicle that is providing the jump. As you’re making the connection, be sure to avoid touching any other metal in the Prius with the opposite end, just in case the cables are already electrically charged.
Once you have the positives connected in your Prius and the negatives connected in the other vehicle, go ahead and start up your engine. Your Prius will start and once it does, you should drive it for a minimum of 20 minutes. That way, the battery is recharged enough that it won’t be dead once you turn the engine off.
Learn More From Bumblebee BatteriesIf you want to speak with an expert to learn more about how to charge your Toyota Prius hybrid battery, contact Bumblebee Batteries today. We would love to help get your hybrid from point A to point Bee however we can!