With cold months coming, automobiles tend to suffer, the most general scenario is to have difficulties starting your Toyota Prius early in the day with very low temperatures. Generally this is associated with problems recharging the battery of your Toyota Prius . There are some reasons that can show you why your battery does not recharge properly anymore, and today we will try to help you to fix this problem that can prevent you from using your car. To accomplish this, first we will show you how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Toyota Prius, and at last how to recharge an empty car battery.
How does recharging the battery of a Toyota Prius function?
Before we detail the different problems of recharging the battery on a Toyota Prius , we will show you to you how its recharging system operates so that you can understand the problems you are facing. A car battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Toyota Prius , turn on your headlights, listen to music, lower your power windows… Nevertheless all these actions will consume energy and it may deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To handle this problem, the engineers have designed a element called the alternator , this element will use the energy developed by the engine unit of your Toyota Prius to produce energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your car . Nevertheless, take into account that this process can only work when your car is running, using electrical components of your car when it is stopped will drain the energy reserve of your car. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.
Problems recharging a Toyota Prius’s battery
We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Toyota Prius you may be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is actually a problem in your electrical installation, we will now see the different situations.
Battery charging problem on Toyota Prius: My battery is discharging even if I am recharging it with a specific charger
In this first case, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , indeed, if you manage to recharge your battery with a charger and your Toyota Prius to start, the problem obviously originates from your alternator which should not be able to produce any more current.
Battery charging problem on Toyota Prius: My car shuts off and does not start even if I have charged the battery
If you have recharged your battery and you have been able to start your Toyota Prius but it switches off although you are driving and then does not start, the problem with recharging the battery of your Toyota Prius is that your battery no longer holds the charge .
Battery charging problem on Toyota Prius: My battery is discharged although it is new
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If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges although you’re driving, the problem most likely originates from your alternator. It cannot result from your battery, which is new and consequently holds the charge. The second opportunity is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.
How to fix the problem of battery charging on Toyota Prius?
We will now give you the solutions according to the problem you are facing. Here are the different problems and their solutions:
- Faulty alternator: You can try with basic mechanics to verify it with a pressure gauge to find out if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, changing it is the best remedy, based on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This fix is feasible in case your alternator is accessible.
- Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the only realistic remedy. Indeed, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be changed, count between 60 and 100 euros based on your engine.
- Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your Toyota Prius but your alternator and battery are in good condition, it is possible that you have a ground on your wiring harness and that you lose energy, a verify by a car electrician is in such a case required.
How to recharge an empty battery of a Toyota Prius
Finally, to recharge the empty battery of a Toyota Prius there are only few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient remedy, you can discover some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. Otherwise you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to begin.
To discover more tips on the Toyota Prius, take a look at the Toyota Prius category.
