The blog that's gotten one comment ever! Thanks mom!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Driving the Jeep today

Apparently, if the 12v battery on the 2nd gen Prius (which is in the trunk, by the way) gives up the ghost, your whole fancy car will pretty much stop working. The 12v battery, as opposed to the much higher powered drive battery, boots the computer than starts up the hybrid drive. So no computer means no drive. And because Toyota used a Japanese-style battery, you can't buy replacements except through the dealer, who'll happily sell you one for upwards of $150. So I've spent the same amount on a battery and conversion kit that will let me use Mazda Miata batteries instead. Easier to replace in the future, and last longer than the Toyota battery in any case. In addition to changing out the leads that plug into the battery, the conversion kit also includes a special hood, as the battery is hooked up to a cooling system.

I know all of this because I was stranded in the grocery store parking lot last night. Thankfully, I've got plenty of awesome friends, and one of them (thanks Tim!) was kind enough to come out and let me borrow some juice from his car's battery to boot my car's computer to allow me drive home. Thank goodness I had a fifty year old Jeep in the garage. Now, to all of you people who get stuck behind me on the drive home, I promise you, I'm going as fast as I safely can. Please be patient!

No comments:

Have you read my blog?