Reader Q (Sept. 21, 2017)

Here’s the latest reader question, along with my reply:

Sue asks: I obviously love my 2012 Prius C. What 12V Battery do I get for this car? I can’t find it anywhere for the DIYers! Thank you-  great site. I’m of the age where I remember tuning up my car and changing my own oil with my dad! I now have MS. Got a friend who will put in the battery, but I can’t find what kind, anywhere.

My reply: You should replace the battery with the one Toyota recommends for your car in terms of case size, capacity (amps) and so on; any auto parts store or repair shop will be able to easily and quickly look that up for you. The information is also probably in the owner’s manual; look in the index under battery. If you are certain the car has its factory original battery, you could also remove it and take it to an auto parts store and show it to them, telling them it came out of a 2012 Prius C. They will look it up in their reference guides and pull a new battery off the shelf; you can then compare the old one with the new, make sure it’s the right physical size and so on.

As far as removing the old battery:

Unlike the regular Prius, which has its 12V starter battery located in the cargo area, under the floor, the Prius C’s battery is located underneath the rear passenger seat (right side) behind a plastic cover that is easily removed to gain access to it. You won’t need tools to remove the plastic side cover but you will need the usual tools (sockets/wrenches) to remove the positive and negative battery cable connectors.

It’s a pretty easy job but if you are not able to remove the battery yourself, many auto parts stores will do it for you at no charge if you buy a battery from them.

Here is a video I found on YouTube you may find helpful:

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Got a question about cars – or anything else? Click on the “ask Eric” link and send ’em in!

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