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Posted by mark_digital© on February 24, 2007, 5:44 pm
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>> I'm aware that the manual says I can get my Prius Jump started if the
>> batteries are completely run down in the Prius. However what's a
>> Prius's capability (at least from experience) in jump starting other
>> vehicles that are stuck? Mine in particular is the 2006 Prius. Thanks!
>>
>
> A Prius' 12v battery shouldn't be jumpstarting another car's battery.
> (Too easy to blow the fuse on your donor Prius.)
>
> The Prius' 12v battery is smaller than an average car's 12v battery,
> because it never has to start an engine. So, if you do a traditional
> jumpstart/boost, you can overpower the Prius' 12v battery, and
> potentially blow the 100 amp fuse that charges it (from the hybrid
> battery).
>
> The preferred method of jumpstarting another vehicle, using a Prius
> is:
>
> Turn off both cars.
>
> Take the keys of the car to be jumped, so that the owner doesn't try
> to start their car on your donor Prius' battery.
>
> Connect up the jumper cables per the owner's manual of the car that
> needs to be jumped. It's probably best to go direct with the Prius'
> 12v battery terminals, found in the trunk/boot, but if you have a
> NHW20 (2004 and newer) Prius you can probably use the under-hood jump
> points in the fuse box. Watch that polarity!
>
> Turn on the Prius to READY, so that the gasoline engine can charge the
> hybrid battery, the hybrid battery can charge the 12v battery, and the
> 12v battery can charge the dead car's battery. Leave like this for at
> least 15 minutes to recharge the dead car's battery.
>
> Turn off the Prius, and disconnect all the jumper cables.
>
> Try starting the dead car using its own somewhat charged battery.
>
> Drive this car around for a while to let it recharge its own battery
> more.
>
> This'll only work if the dead car's battery is merely too weak to
> start the car. If it has any damage or an internal short, it won't
> work (and could be dangerous to charge it).
>
>
> The real preferred method, other than having an auto club come out, is
> to have a portable jumpstart kit for your car. Less than US$50, you
> can get a jumpstart kit that also has other neat stuff in it, like a
> compressor for tire inflation, or hazard lights. Something worth
> having in your car toolkit.
>
>
> Jump start procedure if needing to jump your own Prius is in the "in
> case of emergency" section of the owner's manual.
>
> In a traditional car, you'd have to drive around for a while after a
> jumpstart to get your 12v recharged, because the alternator is run off
> of the gasoline engine. In a Prius, which doesn't have an alternator,
> you just have to leave the car in READY to charge the 12v battery off
> of the big hybrid traction battery. (But, if your car is on, you might
> as well drive it somewhere...) A good 30min drive somewhere should do
> the trick.
>
>
> (Don't forget that US 2001-2005 (and maybe 2006 if you have the right
> paperwork) Prius come with 3 years/36,000 miles of Toyota Roadside
> Assistance, which includes jumpstarts. If you have the Toyota Extra
> Mile package (Southeast or Gulf States Toyota region) or if you bought
> the Prepaid Maintenance package, you may also have the Toyota Roadside
> Assistance.)
>
Many times disabled vehicles aren't parked in such a way that running kits
to one another is a solution. Furthermore, if someone can't maintain their
own car battery chances are they can't maintain another lead-acid battery
backup.
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