Charging/discharging the '05 Prius 12V battery

HI. This topic evolved within my thread about adding always-on 12V
sockets to the Prius.

I know that in the engine compartment's fusebox there's a terminal to
be used for jump-starting the car. In fact it warns it's the ONLY
positive terminal to which a jumper should be attached. That raises
some questions....

Is the high-voltage battery totally isolated from the 12V battery?

Is the main battery ever used to start the gasoline engine? With the
cost of fuel today maybe that should be spelled "gaso-lien"? :-(

Does the gas engine have a traditional alternator that charges the 12V
battery?

Does *all* the non-traction circuitry get power from the 12V battery?

Thank goodness for the knowledge in this group!

Brent

On Sun, 09 Oct 2005 10:25:13 -0400, Brent Secombe wrote:
[color=blue]
> HI. This topic evolved within my thread about adding always-on 12V
> sockets to the Prius.
>
> I know that in the engine compartment's fusebox there's a terminal to
> be used for jump-starting the car. In fact it warns it's the ONLY
> positive terminal to which a jumper should be attached. That raises
> some questions....
>
> Is the high-voltage battery totally isolated from the 12V battery?[/color]

Yup...
[color=blue]
>
> Is the main battery ever used to start the gasoline engine? With the
> cost of fuel today maybe that should be spelled "gaso-lien"? :-([/color]

Nope...12V runs down, car won't start at all
[color=blue]
>
> Does the gas engine have a traditional alternator that charges the 12V
> battery?[/color]

Yup
[color=blue]
>
> Does *all* the non-traction circuitry get power from the 12V battery?[/color]

I believe so...
[color=blue]
>
> Thank goodness for the knowledge in this group!
>
> Brent[/color]

Went to a class where the hybrids were talked about some; One of them
(either the Honda or Toyota) allows for 2 start attempts from the high
voltage battery.
Good option for when you "old school" battery is dead.



--
Stephen W. Hansen
ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
ASE Undercar Specialist


[url]http://www.troublecodes.net/technical/[/url]


"Hachiroku" <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.10.09.15.05.04.942781@ae86.gts...[color=blue]
> On Sun, 09 Oct 2005 10:25:13 -0400, Brent Secombe wrote:
>[color=green]
>> HI. This topic evolved within my thread about adding always-on 12V
>> sockets to the Prius.
>>
>> I know that in the engine compartment's fusebox there's a terminal to
>> be used for jump-starting the car. In fact it warns it's the ONLY
>> positive terminal to which a jumper should be attached. That raises
>> some questions....
>>
>> Is the high-voltage battery totally isolated from the 12V battery?[/color]
>
> Yup...
>[color=green]
>>
>> Is the main battery ever used to start the gasoline engine? With the
>> cost of fuel today maybe that should be spelled "gaso-lien"? :-([/color]
>
> Nope...12V runs down, car won't start at all
>[color=green]
>>
>> Does the gas engine have a traditional alternator that charges the 12V
>> battery?[/color]
>
> Yup
>[color=green]
>>
>> Does *all* the non-traction circuitry get power from the 12V battery?[/color]
>
> I believe so...
>[color=green]
>>
>> Thank goodness for the knowledge in this group!
>>
>> Brent[/color]
>[/color]

On Sun, 09 Oct 2005 16:12:28 +0000, Steve H wrote:
[color=blue]
> Went to a class where the hybrids were talked about some; One of them
> (either the Honda or Toyota) allows for 2 start attempts from the high
> voltage battery.
> Good option for when you "old school" battery is dead.[/color]

Must be the Honda...