How To Charge A Prius Battery
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at wikiHow where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundations Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University.There are 21 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 28,018 times.Learn more…
If youve got a Prius, you may be wondering how to keep your hybrid vehicle charged. Or, you may be a seasoned Prius owner whose car suddenly wont start. In either case, it helps to know how to charge your Prius. Toyotas line of Priuses have two batteriesthe primary main battery that powers the engine and an auxiliary 12-volt battery responsible for starting the vehicle. While the auxiliary battery charges itself every time you brake, you can accidentally drain it by leaving your lights on. In this article, well explain how to jump the auxiliary battery on a dead Prius, and how to keep your Plug-In Prius fully charged.
What Drains A Prius Battery
The most common reason of a Prius battery dying is that the cells have lost their capacity to retain a charge after lying idle for too long. If youre going to be gone from your automobile for a lengthy period of time, ensure sure the battery is completely discharged and recharged before leaving town.
How To Charge Prius Battery While Driving
If you have a Toyota Prius, chances are you want to know how to charge the Prius battery while driving. After all, this is one of the most popular features of this hybrid vehicle. Heres what you need to do: First, make sure that your car is in EV mode. This can be done by pushing the power button until it says EV on the screen. Next, find a flat and level surface on which to park your car. Once your car is parked, put it in neutral and set the parking brake. Now, locate the charging port on your Prius. It should be located near the front passenger-side wheel well. Plug in the charging cable into this port. The other end of the cable will plug into a standard household outlet. Finally, turn on the charger by flipping the switch located next to the charging port. Youll know its working because a green light will come on. Now all you have to do is wait! In no time at all, your battery will be fully charged and ready to go again.
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Locate The Vehicles Jumper Cables Or Battery Charger
There are two ways to jump off a Prius battery. The first is to use the emergency jumper cables stored in the trunk. Jumper cables will require another vehicle to get your car running again. The second is to use a battery charger. It is a good idea to keep one of these in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
How Do You Start A Hybrid Car With A Dead Battery
How to Kickstart a HybridFind another operational vehicle and pit it against yours. Switch off the other vehicle. Make sure the parking brakes on both vehicles are engaged. Both cars hoods should be opened. Pull out a set of jumper wires. Attach a red clip to the positive terminal of your 12-volt battery in your automobile.
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Maintaining Charge Between Significant Breaks In Driving
The one time trickle charging is useful is when you need your car battery to maintain a charge over a long period of time, where you arent driving it.
Because trickle charging recharges the battery very slowly, to match the rate of battery drain, thats the only time you would consider using it.
So if you plan on leaving your car undriven for a few days or even several weeks, trickle charging is the way to go.
But how exactly do you do it?
How To Charge The Prius Prime
With a Prius Prime, you can top off the battery anytime youre parked, at home or around town, instead of making a separate trip to refuel. Topping off your Prime helps give you as much range as possible and makes each charging session shorter. It takes just a few seconds to plug in, and then you can go about your day while your Prime gets some charge.
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Use A Portable Car Battery Charger
Another option for starting a Prius with a dead battery is to use a portable car battery charger. This is a device that can be plugged into a wall outlet or cigarette lighter and used to charge the battery of the vehicle.
What is a Portable Car Battery Charger?A portable car battery charger is a device that can be plugged into a wall outlet or cigarette lighter and used to charge the battery of the vehicle. It is an easy and convenient way to charge a dead battery.
Steps to Use a Portable Car Battery Charger1. Locate the cigarette lighter or 12V power outlet in your Prius.2. Plug the car battery charger into the power outlet.3. Turn the charger on and set it to the correct voltage for your Prius battery.4. Let the charger run until the battery is fully charged.5. Disconnect the charger from the power outlet and remove it from the vehicle.
Safety PrecautionsWhen using a portable car battery charger, it is important to take certain safety precautions. First, make sure that the charger is rated for the correct voltage for your Prius battery. Second, never leave the charger unattended while it is charging. Finally, always disconnect the charger from the power outlet and remove it from the vehicle before attempting to start the engine.
Prius Charging Methods A Simple Guide
The Toyota Prius is powered by a parallel hybrid system.
In simple terms, it can run both on electric motor and a gasoline engine. When you want to drive your car, you will have to fill up the tank with gasoline as you would normally do whereas the battery pack can be charged in different ways.
The way it worked was different in older Prius models. However, in the newer Prius models, you donât have to entirely rely on regenerative braking to charge the battery. There are plug-in versions of Toyota Prius knowns as Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid or Prius PHV or Prius Prime.
The battery can go from zero to full charge in 5 hours and 30 minutes. You can choose to charge it by using the charging cable in a 110V power outlet which is applicable only for newly released plug-in hybrid Prius models.
If you live in a different country where 240V is the standard or available in public charging stations, the charging period is cut down in half to just 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Level 2 stations can provide 12 miles of coverage for an hour of charging but it works only if there are charging stations on your route.
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Use An External Power Source To Start The Prius
Finally, it is possible to use an external power source to start the Prius. This involves connecting an external power source to the cars battery in order to provide it with enough power to start the engine.
What is an External Power Source?An external power source is a device that can be connected to the cars battery in order to provide it with enough power to start the engine. This can be done with a generator, a solar panel, or a battery pack.
Steps to Use an External Power Source1. Connect the external power source to the Prius battery.2. Turn on the external power source and make sure it is providing power to the battery.3. Try to start the Prius. If it does not start, increase the output of the external power source and try again.4. Once the Prius starts, turn off the external power source and disconnect it from the battery.
Safety PrecautionsWhen using an external power source to start the Prius, it is important to take certain safety precautions. First, make sure the external power source is rated for the correct voltage for your Prius battery. Second, never leave the external power source unattended while it is providing power to the battery. Finally, always disconnect the external power source from the battery before attempting to start the engine.
Can You Replace A Prius Battery Yourself
For starters, its exceptionally dangerous. There is high voltage involved, so if you dont have the right expertise and experience dealing with such a replacement job, you could be putting yourself at risk. Plus, trying to perform the replacement without the proper diagnostic equipment can lead to problems.
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Do All Prius Models Require Charging The Battery
The Prius is a popular hybrid car, and there are several different models to choose from. Potential buyers often have one question: whether or not all Prius models require charging the battery.
The answer to this question depends on the specific model in question. The Prius Prime, for example, is a plug-in hybrid. This means that it can be used as an electric vehicle and be plugged into an electric outlet to charge the battery.
When using this method, the Prius Prime has a range of 25 miles when operating solely on electric power. Other Prius models, however, are not plug-in hybrids.
These models often have a lead-acid or AGM battery and do not require charging, as the gasoline engine charges the battery. So if youre wondering whether or not youll need to charge your Prius battery, it all depends on which model you choose.
My Standard Prius Battery Is Dead How Do I Charge It
The best way to get your standard Prius running again is to jump-start the vehicleâs battery. Once you jump off the battery, your battery should charge as the car is running.
If you have a short drive to your destination, you may want to leave it running a little longer to ensure your battery gets a good enough charge. If your battery is frequently dying without a cause, it may be old and need to be replaced.
Always check your ownerâs manual before finding a new battery for your vehicle. Jumping your Toyota Prius battery off is a simple process if done correctly. Follow these steps, and your Prius will run again in no time.
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How Do You Charge A Prius Hybrid Battery At Home
Without much talk, let me show you how to charge Toyota Prius hybrid battery at home as you thoroughly study the procedures below!
- Get your Prius hybrid battery charger from the trunk.
- Plug the charger end into an electric outlet.
- Open the charging port opposite the side of your Prius vehicle gasoline tank.
- Connect the charger to the charging port, as you will feel a click once the cable is open.
- Press the trigger on the back of the charger to ensure charging. Although, a green light should illuminate at the bottom of the charging panel, indicating charging.
- It would be best if you allow it for 2 to 3 hours for a complete charge. However, if the outlet to which you connected your vehicles charger is 120 volts, your battery would charge for 2 hours 30 minutes if drained entirely to 100%.
Note: To reduce the charging time at home, contemplate upgrading a 9-level 2 charger setup.
- If the battery is 100%, press the small button as you disconnect and replace your charging cable into the trunk as you close the charging port cap and the charging panel.
Can You Charge A Hybrid Battery At Home
Yes, you can charge a Prius hybrid battery at home by using the normal Prius hybrid battery charger and plugging the charger into any 120-volt household-style outlet you have at home. Although this charging method might not be the fastest way to charge hybrid car battery but will get the job done. Alternatively, to speed up the home charging a little, you can install a 240-volt fast charger station in your garage or space you deem fit. Although this comes at an additional cost it is well worth it for faster charging at home.
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Charging A Dead Battery: No
If the name trickle charging didnt give it away, the trickle charging process is not designed to charge flat dead batteries.
In fact, its not designed to really charge batteries in the conventional sense at all.
Rather, the process is intended to maintain a charge, not build one.
Technically speaking, trickle charging could eventually charge a dead battery with the proper settings, but it would take an immensely long time to get the job done.
So if your battery is dead, trickle charging isnt the answer.
Charging A Battery At All: No
So, even if your battery isnt dead, and its actually just in need of regular charging, trickle charging isnt the answer to this either.
Much like trying to charge a dead battery, while you could technically do it, it would take a very long time.
This means trickle charging is pretty much useless for regular charging like you would be doing between daily drives.
Theres really only one situation where trickle charging is useful thats to maintain a constant level of charge.
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How Do You Know If Your Prius Battery Is Dying
One can tell if their Prius battery is dying when they start observing their lights dimming both internally and externally, especially when starting the car. Or when the radio preset wipes off when starting the engine.
You can also tell the battery is dying when you start observing error messages displayed on the Odometer than usual. And another sign to tell your battery is dying out is the car refusing to start up when parked for some time or it suddenly goes off while driving.
How Do I Charge A Dead Prius Hybrid Battery
I tried to start my Prius this morning and the battery is dead. Iâve never charged a hybrid before, so Iâm not sure what to do next. How can I charge a Prius Hybrid battery if itâs not working?
drive the vehicle for about 20 minutesneed to replace the battery$2,500 to $4,500save an average of $887
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How Do You Trickle Charge A Prius 12 Volt Battery
If your Prius has been sitting for a while, you may need to trickle charge the 12-volt battery to get it started. Heres how:
1. Connect the positive lead of your trickle charger to the positive terminal of the battery. 2. Connect the negative lead of your trickle charger to the negative terminal of the battery.
3. Plug in your trickle charger and set it to 2 amps. 4. Let it charge for 24 hours or until the battery is fully charged.
Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery Overview:
Contemporarily, Priuss long-lasting leading brand from Toyota is known to be the hybrid industrys gold standard as regards overall/battery efficiency, safety assurance, and reliability to fuel economy. Although, the first and second generations of the Toyota Prius model had a 1.5liter fuel engine and 12-volt battery that powers the electric motor. As the Toyota Prius developed, the vehicle became classy due to technological advancements, and it began to use a 1.3 kWh NiMH battery pack after 2012.
Similarly, the Prius has 2 types of hybrid batteries: the onboard generator and the auxiliary battery for regenerative braking. In essence, the Prius engine serves as the power generator that recharges the battery to enhance the regenerative braking using the kinetic energy acquired by the moving vehicle and converting this energy into the batterys stored energy as it requires manual charging. The second battery is the 12-volt battery that helps to start the Prius. These modifications to Prius made all its models robust and eco-friendly, with a low emission rate and the same fuel efficiency.
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How Does The Prius Battery Get Its Charge
The Prius battery is charged through a process called regeneration. Regeneration is a process where the battery is recharged by the engine while the car is being driven. The engine creates electricity that is used to charge the battery. The battery is then used to power the electric motor that helps the engine run more efficiently.
How Fast Can Prius Charge
However, the official Toyota website lists that the 2019 edition of the car can be plugged in to charge.
The Prius is equipped with fast charging technology which works only when you plug it into a powerful charging station.
When charged in a typical home plug point, the carâs battery can be fully charged in 5 hours and 30 minutes which is applicable for the newer models as listed in the official FAQ. When you choose to plug it at a 240V charging station, the charging time gets significantly reduced and the battery takes just 2 hours and 10 minutes to get fully charged.
With the help of the regenerative braking system, the battery can automatically partially charge itself. It makes use of the kinetic energy produced every time you brake and convert it into electricity that the battery could retain. In the long run, it helps save fuel emission.
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