Car battery jump start

[mb7299]

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]

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.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Buy jumper cables with smaller clamps and have a friend or stranger jump you.

Sounds like that might make the news.

 

[BCClone]

Buy jumper cables with smaller clamps and have a friend or stranger jump you.

Or use the cables to act like a reducer for his jump pack.

 

[Rabbuk]

Or use the cables to act like a reducer for his jump pack.

Smarter.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

have a friend or stranger jump you.

"if you can't be with the one you love honey, love the one you're with"

 

[bringmagicback]

ground your negative to somewhere other than the battery and hold the positive on the positive. clamps dont have to be clamped.

 

[wxman1]

Any of the options above or get AAA Roadside Service and call them.

 

[BCClone]

Smarter.

Although being jumped by a stranger does sound like more fun, probably won't start the car.

 

[CtownCyclone]

Or use the cables to act like a reducer for his jump pack.

Just be careful not to cross the streams...it could be bad.

 

[bringmagicback]

just looked, looks like toyota even recomends not using the battery terminal for negative, but on the left on side has a metal stud to ground with.

 

[TXCyclones]

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."

 

[CtownCyclone]

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

I'm going to file that one away and use it on the wife when the situation presents itself.

 

[VeloClone]

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]

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?

 

[bringmagicback]

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

Prius has a spot under the hood used for jumping so you don't have to tear interior pieces out to access large battery .

 

[mb7299]

ground your negative to somewhere other than the battery and hold the positive on the positive. clamps dont have to be clamped.

Great advice, it works to provide energy. Now I just need to hunt someone down to sit in my car and start it once Ive got it going.

 

[besserheimerphat]

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.

 

[Acylum]

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]