Leaving Prius Unused For Long Periods

[Wiley T]

I need to leave my Prius unused for three months. Are there any tips about leaving it or about problems I might meet?

[Chris Dance]

Try to get someone to run it for you at least once a week

. If this is not possible I think I would disconnect the Battery. If the car is not garaged I would purchase a cover for it but ensure it cannot blow about and damage the paintwork. A light spray of WD 40 in the engine compartment would prevent dampness.

My son leaves his RAV 4 for several months in a garage but he always disconnects the Battery.

On return I would suggest a full tyre pressure check is needed.

[korat102]

Your 12v Battery will almost certainly be flat by the time you get back if you leave it connected for that length of time without charging it. And, as some of us have found to our cost, if that Battery goes flat it's life is dramatically reduced. You could either disconnect it (as Chris suggested above) or use one of those Battery conditioner units that can be left connected almost indefinitely. Something like a CTEK Multi XS 3600 for instance, I bought mine from Amazon. I don't leave it connected for long periods of time, I just use it to top up the battery every so often when I'm not using the car much, but it can be left connected for months, at your risk of course :)

Usually, the only (electrical) issue you'll find when you get back is that the automatic switch on the drivers window won't work, it forgets how far to wind the window when power is lost so it just doesn't bother! You can reset it by lowering the window to about halfway with the switch then raising it all the way up and holding the switch for at least a second after the glass has stopped rising.

[johalareewi]

I need to leave my Prius unused for three months. Are there any tips about leaving it or about problems I might meet?

This post on Prius Chat might be of use.

http://priuschat.com...-months.107231/

If you do find that your 12v Battery is flat on your return, make sure you read the user manual to find out how to 'jump start' a prius properly. If you call out Toyota rescue to do it, make sure they know how to jump start a prius.

[BassaJay]

Having left my Yaris HSD for 3 weeks I was pleasantly surprised to find that the HSD Battery was still showing the plenty of segments on the display, in fact it had hardly moved during that time.The 12v Battery was left connected to my CTEK XS3600 conditioner so that was kept fully charged and in peak condition. I believe you Prius folk have a charge/jump start post under the bonnet by the fuse box ? No such luxury with the Yaris and its batteries are well out of site beneath the rear seat with fiddly access via plastic covers. I have a" CTEK Comfort Lead " permanently connected to the 12v Battery with its traffic light type battery state indicator end protruding from under the rear seat. It is then a simple job to connect the CTEK conditioner to it if required and the 'Comfort Lead's' indicator lights always inform me the battery's condition. The new Auris will have its batteries in the same situation I believe.

[korat102]

Oh yes. Something worth mentioning since it caught me out when my Battery went flat.

If you've only ever used the remote to lock and unlock the doors, you may find the key operated lock on the drivers door has seized up. It's a very good idea to use that physical key every so often to prevent that happening. Far better to find out when you can still unlock the doors remotely. I had to squirt a load of WD40 in there and use a pair of pliers on the key to get it to turn. A bit hair raising and probably something best avoided if possible.

[Wiley T]

many thanks for the replies. Very interesting and useful.

[Opifex]

I believe you Prius folk have a charge/jump start post under the bonnet by the fuse box ? No such luxury with the Yaris and its batteries are well out of site beneath the rear seat with fiddly access via plastic covers.

I read the jump start instructions some time ago but don't remember anything about jump starting under the bonnet. Don't have the manual with me at present so can't check just now.

I reverse into the garage with the boot hard against the back wall and I've wondered a few times what would happen if the 12v Battery went flat. To get at the Battery I would have to move the car, but to do that you need to be in 'N' or 'D' position, and to do that the HSD would need to be started, but it can't because the Battery is flat. Ideas anyone?

[korat102]

My 2005 Prius has a 'post' under a red cover in the fuse box. You connect your donor Battery (or whatever) positive to that. This image below shows the red cover in the fusebox under the bonnet. Sorry it's a bit small... Anyway, as long as you can get either the bonnet or the boot open, you can charge or jumpstart. This is my 2nd Generation Prius, dunno what the later ones look like under there...

That photo was taken from my mini Prius blog at http://prius-in-mk.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/2005-prius-flat-battery.html, think it was a 2010 post. Anyway, there's not a hell of a lot there because the car has been so reliable. I keep looking for things to add to the blog but so little goes wrong. It's all a bit boring really...

[timberwolf]

I believe you Prius folk have a charge/jump start post under the bonnet by the fuse box ? No such luxury with the Yaris and its batteries are well out of site beneath the rear seat with fiddly access via plastic covers.

I read the jump start instructions some time ago but don't remember anything about jump starting under the bonnet. Don't have the manual with me at present so can't check just now.

I reverse into the garage with the boot hard against the back wall and I've wondered a few times what would happen if the 12v Battery went flat. To get at the Battery I would have to move the car, but to do that you need to be in 'N' or 'D' position, and to do that the HSD would need to be started, but it can't because the Battery is flat. Ideas anyone?

You have a Jump Start point in the fuse box in the engine bay. I'm not sure if the boot floor and under storage tray can be removed with the hatch down?

The car can not be moved with the front wheels on the ground, and if the car was dragged with the front wheels on the ground it is very likely that the Hybrid transmission would suffer damage (I seem to recall reading about that happening to someone).

[Opifex]

$.......image below shows the red cover in the fusebox under the bonnet. Sorry it's a bit small...

$$.........so little goes wrong. It's all a bit boring really...

$

Size doesn't matter.

Useful information. Thanks for posting.

$$

That's the sort of boredom I can live with.

You have a Jump Start point in the fuse box in the engine bay. I'm not sure if the boot floor and under storage tray can be removed with the hatch down?

The car can not be moved with the front wheels on the ground, and if the car was dragged with the front wheels on the ground it is very likely that the Hybrid transmission would suffer damage (I seem to recall reading about that happening to someone).

Thanks timberwolf.

[korat102]

For info: You can open the hatch without power if you can get into the car. You need to remove the floor cover, take the tray out and you'll find a tiny metal lever right under the hatch lock mechanism. This picture is of a 2nd gen Prius but I'm informed that the later models have the lever in the same place - just a little more awkward to reach with an extra cover or something.

[kithmo]

Gen 3 has a small removable plastic plate in the rear of the boot tray, the lever is behind that. Although if you've gotten as far as getting into the car you can just pull the bonnet and attach jump leads to the above mentioned jump start point, which is in the same area as in the Gen 2 pic.