Car battery jump start

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mb7299

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2013
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Iowa Falls
Not my brightest moment but evidently I didnt get a door all the way closed over the weekend and my battery is dead on my Prius. Good news is that I have a portable jump starter, bad news is that the clamps are way to big to connect to the terminal, its a small area on prius's. Any helpful tips out there on tricks, Im not to mechanically inclined so I dont think Id be able to pull out the area at all or buy new clamps and wire them to my jump starter. Otherwise Im just going to have to buy another jump starter that has smaller clamps, yeah me lol.
 

Rabbuk

Well-Known Member
Mar 1, 2011
55,032
42,338
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Not my brightest moment but evidently I didnt get a door all the way closed over the weekend and my battery is dead on my Prius. Good news is that I have a portable jump starter, bad news is that the clamps are way to big to connect to the terminal, its a small area on prius's. Any helpful tips out there on tricks, Im not to mechanically inclined so I dont think Id be able to pull out the area at all or buy new clamps and wire them to my jump starter. Otherwise Im just going to have to buy another jump starter that has smaller clamps, yeah me lol.
Buy jumper cables with smaller clamps and have a friend or stranger jump you.
 

TXCyclones

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 13, 2011
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TX
ground your negative to somewhere other than the battery and hold the positive on the positive. clamps dont have to be clamped.

EDIT: Ignore what anybody here says (especially me) and follow this!

https://www.toyotaofnaperville.com/steps-to-safely-jump-start-a-toyota-prius/

Consult your User Manual. It might warn against jump starting.

"For customers that may lack a certain mechanical aptitude, you may also have the option of calling for Toyota Roadside Assistance."
 

VeloClone

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2010
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Brooklyn Park, MN
Consult your User Manual. It might warn against jump starting.

This. I have never jump started an electric car. There might be limitations with that big of a battery.

Actually, I believe most manufacturers recommend putting the negative on the frame rather than the battery, but few people do it this way. Don't put it on a painted surface.

My jumper cables have an extension on the clamp for tight areas and front mount battery terminals. I bought really good jumper cables when I was driving really crappy cars. It was a good investment.
 

Acylum

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2006
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I find it odd that that modern of a car doesn't shut down power to whatever accessories are still on after a certain amount of time from a door being ajar. Are you sure you don't have a parasitic draw going on?
 
  • Agree
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besserheimerphat

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Apr 11, 2006
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Mount Vernon, WA
I find it odd that that modern of a car doesn't shut down power to whatever accessories are still on after a certain amount of time from a door being ajar. Are you sure you don't have a parasitic draw going on?

In order to do that, there would most likely have to be a controller on somewhere else which would then be drawing power while monitoring a bunch of other circuits. Your car's computers typically stay powered on and running for 2 - 30 seconds after you turn the car off to do administrative things like write odometer mileage to non-volatile memory, ensure electronics get turned off in the proper order, etc.
 
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Acylum

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2006
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In order to do that, there would most likely have to be a controller on somewhere else which would then be drawing power while monitoring a bunch of other circuits. Your car's computers typically stay powered on and running for 2 - 30 seconds after you turn the car off to do administrative things like write odometer mileage to non-volatile memory, ensure electronics get turned off in the proper order, etc.

Right, but I think you're understating how long modern vehicles maintain power to the PCM after an ignition off/ key out scenario. Some makes (Chryslers?) I know it goes on for 15 - 20 mins. I'm speaking in terms of my own experience, where I've left interior lights on, and maybe the deck lid open. Those lights will remain on for what I'm guessing to be about 20 minutes before the computer shuts them off until the next key-on cycle. Not sure how this is schemed out for a Prius though. And if he didn't shut everything down correctly, then all bets are off.
 

cycopath25

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Sep 8, 2006
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