I have a 2008 Toyota Prius. I think battery has never been changed.
My battery died a few days ago in a cold winter night. I jump-started and found the battery to drive actually was almost full. It seems that the battery for driving is totally separate from the battery to start the car.
I think the battery to start the car is probably low in storage capacity. Is it easy to replace myself. How much does it cost?
Thanks,
You are describing a very common problem. But your words are a little off. The 12 v battery does not "start the car". The traction battery does that (the same one that drives the car as you put it). However, the 12 v battery does run the computer that controls the car (including starting). When it starts going bad, you can get some very strange symptoms. From your description, it is very likely you are correct about it being the cause of your problems. Yes, you can by one and install it yourself. It is located in the trunk area behind some plastic panels. The battery itself is not cheap - a few hundred dollars. Replacing it is easy once you've done it before. It is one of those 10 minute jobs that takes all day Saturday. One difference from a typical car is that the battery has a vent hose connected to it. Be sure the replacement battery has a vent connection. Good luck.
I think what you need to do before you do anything else is find an owner's manual, and read it.
You have zero clue as to how your car works.
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