Anna Stopa/Demand Media
The Toyota Prius is equipped with two types of batteries. The first one, found in almost all automobiles, is a lead-acid (Pb-A) 12V accessory battery. The second battery is designed for hybrid vehicles and is a Panasonic Metal Case Prismatic Module. The latter battery charges by running the on-board generator and by regenerative braking; it is not designed to be charged manually. The lead-acid (Pb-A) 12V accessory battery is charged by obtaining current from a battery charger or by jump-starting with another car.
Step 1
Open the Prius's hood by pulling on the handle located on the bottom left of the steering wheel. Hold the hood open by hooking the metal "I" rod on the inner part of the hood into the small hole on the side of the hood.
Step 2
Open the plastic protector to the battery on the top right-hand side of the engine and open the small red plastic lid covering the positive port to the battery.
Step 3
Hook the positive cable, which typically has a white line painted on the rubber, to the positive port of the car giving the Prius current. If using a battery charger, hook it to the positive port of the Prius.
Step 4
Hook the negative cable (all black) to the negative port of the car giving current, making sure the opposite end does not touch any other metal before connecting it to the Prius, because the cables may already be electrically charged. Note that the negative port in the Prius is simply any bolt located above the battery in the rim of the hood. If using a battery charger, hook the negative cable to the negative port of the Prius.
Step 5
Turn on the car giving the charge and press the accelerator slightly to pass enough current to spark the battery in the Prius.
Step 6
Turn the Prius on and drive for a minimum of 20 minutes without turning the engine off; this will re-charge the battery enough so it won't go dead when turning off the engine. If using a battery charger, start the Prius and leave it charging overnight.
References
Tips
- Make sure all the car lights are off when turning the motor off, to avoid depleting the battery.
Things You'll Need
- Battery charger
- Jumper cables
Writer Bio
Ana Cassis began writing professionally in 1995. She has been published in the magazines "Cancunissimo," "Mesa Visions" and in online heath publications. Cassis is a nutrition counselor and herbalist with experience in fitness, nutrition and yoga. She holds an Associate of Arts in architecture from San Diego Mesa College.
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First of all, you will need some kind of battery charger. It can be any type of battery charger with a positive and negative lead (Red and Black grips).
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You may also need an extension cord in order to connect the battery charger to a nearby power outlet.
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Before beginning the procedure, make sure all your lights are off.
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Unlatch your hood by pulling on this level, located underneath the steering wheel.
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Reach under the hood and find the lever that releases the hood. push up on it and lift the hood.
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Unlatch the metal rod and place it in the designed area so it will hold up the hood.
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Remove the cover off the fuse box by pressing the 2 tabs on the bottom and left side of the box
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The second tab is located on the lowest part of the fuse box, and can be rather hard to see. The orange arrow points to where the tab is located.
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Flip open the plastic red cover with a plus sign on it.
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This is the positive terminal, and this is where the red lead is going to attach to.
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Attach the positive RED lead to the positive terminal
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If there is a small spark, it is okay, there is nothing wrong with that.
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DO NOT let the red and black leads touch each other. This may cause an electric shock.
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Attach the negative (black lead) to some metal surface, preferably a large bolt.
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Once again, if there is a small spark, it is completely okay.
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Once your leads are connected, you can lower the hood (Don't slam it down) so that the cables do not get damaged.
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Leave your car to charge for at least 3 hours, or even overnight! keep in mind that if you only charge it for 2 or 3 hours, you will need to drive it around (or just leave the engine running) for another hour so that the engine will finish the charge.