What type of battery is in a Toyota Prius?

Toyota hybrid vehicles typically utilize either a Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) or Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. One or the other. A 2021 Prius uses both. Time to analyze.

What charges the 12v battery in a Prius?

Unlike normal cars, the Prius does not charge the 12 volt battery via an alternator spun by the engine. This vehicle charges its 12 volt battery from the hybrid system, so if you are unable to take the car out for a run for any reason, just switching the system on for a while will do the job.

How do I know if my Prius 12v battery is bad?

Signs of a Weak 12-Volt Battery in a Prius

1. Failure to start up or no response from the power button when attempting to start.
2. Dim interior and exterior lights before starting that then brighten after putting the Prius in “Ready” mode.
3. Loss of radio presets when turning on your Prius.

Why does my Toyota Prius have a 12 volt battery?

The 12 volt battery is not used to crank the gasoline engine in the Prius but it does supply all the 12 volts circuitry which includes all of the computers in your car. If this battery fails, the computers will not start and the Prius will not start. A weak battery can also pull the 12 volts power down to a lower voltage.

What’s the best price for a new Prius battery?

Most auto parts places are more than willing to price match, especially in this economy. Most of the time you can expect to spend about $250 for a new 12v Prius battery. Anything better than that is a pretty good deal. Taking the time to call around is your best friend, and we all know that time is something we have right now.

How can you tell when a Toyota battery was purchased?

All batteries have different tags on them to signify when they were manufactured. They also have quite a few different ways of figuring out (when there is no receipt) to know when the battery could have been purchased. For instance, this picture below shows month and number dots that are supposed to be removed when the battery was sold.

When to replace a 12V battery in a Toyota?

For me to work on the car, I needed to replace the 12v battery that was four years old at this point. It would no longer hold a charge, and it would not even take charge when I put it on my battery conditioner. Doing this process is different than reconditioning a hybrid battery just so you are aware.