Prius (Gen 2) :: 12V Battery Water Leak?
Jan 20, 2015
2004 Prius
Replaced my spark plugs today, and when I disconnected the 12V battery, found a surprise
2004 Prius
Replaced my spark plugs today, and when I disconnected the 12V battery, found a surprise
I am getting a leak in both the drivers side and passenger side when it rains (by my feet).
I searched on the forum and it seems most people with a water leak tend to be from the A/C hose, but mine is not related to A/C since I can run air con all day and no water appears, but when it rains heavy I get leaks on both sides of the car.
I opened the hood and checked out the section under the windshield wipers (drainage area) to see if there was any debris, but it was clean - even the drain hole was clear.
I was thinking perhaps the seal between the windshield and the plastic section that is used to move the water might be leaking, as I noticed one area was slightly torn, but it was very, very small. Perhaps an adhesive to firmly attach the plastic drainage to windshield?
Have a water leak on the drivers side and the passengers side?
I got a shoe full of water when I backed up and stepped on the brake exiting my drive. Cleaned it up and felt around up under the back of the firewall/floorboard and found that the parking break and the break pedal had water dripping down. Also the carpet/padding up on the firewall was wet.
Checked the passenger side and it was wet too. I was thinking it might be a window leak because water was condensing on the front corners of the window throughout the day.
I just found a HUGE water leak in the back of my 2004.
View 12 RepliesSo when I got home this evening I decided to tackle something that I was concerned about- the state of the HV battery fan. As I took apart the back right of the interior to get to it, I noticed that there was moisture on the inside of some of the trim pieces where I wouldn't have expected it- but I discounted it because of how much moisture had been in the car after having it detailed.
As I got further in though, to my annoyance it started to rain, and I had to stop (since I was working in the driveway). When it let up a bit and I went back out, I was dumbfounded to find a lot of water splashed over the 12V battery. At first I thought it was from the lift gate being open when I had been working on things, but it was no longer raining and there was still water dripping down. After getting a towel to put over things to catch the water, I tried to track back where the water was coming from, and found that it was dripping from a formed hole on the underside of the upper 'sill' (along the side of the glass in the lift gate) from inside the body from sources unknown (well, I know the water was coming from the rain, but not how it was getting into the car...)
I recently discovered that the compartment where the 12 volt battery is located had water inside. I checked for leaks none found. I also found a drain plug underneath, to drain the water out. Where might the water be coming from.
View 1 RepliesWhen I turned the AC on, I get water leak inside. The water dripped from inside of the center console where shifter sits right above.
The water sift into the driver carpet area and front passenger area. If I don't take up the mat, the inside smell like mildew.
I took the car to the dealer and they said the drainer is clogged by the leaves and the water from the AC gets back up into the cabin.
I had the engine replaced in my 2003. I know they had to remove the windshield wiper tray. Is this why rain water is entering the passenger floor?
Someone unfamiliar with Prius design did the work. If there's something that would have to have been resealed, I'm sure he didn't do it.
Any pointers to find or fix the leak?
For a while now I have been getting water in the trunk of my old 2001 Prius. Its dripping from the left side (driver's side) cutout in the upper part of the trunk.
I tried resealing the rear window and I am confident there is no openings there. The only thing I can determine is that I need to replace the trunk gasket. Having a hard time finding a replacement seal for that model, 2001 Prius?
Just changed out my 12v battery in my 2008 Prius, I found water in the battery compartment. There have been heavy rains this past weekend but it should not have entered the car.
View 11 RepliesAfter trying to check the water level in my auxiliary battery and not getting a clear view of any place to add water, I decided it was time to remove the battery so I could get a better understanding of how this was to be done. I went through the whole process of dismantling all the brackets, clamps and wires that were in the way, removed the battery and, to my surprise, read the warning on the top that said "Never add water" and "Do not attempt to remove cover". Oh well, I'm supposing this is an agm battery and I'm going to let "sleeping dogs lie".
View 13 RepliesThere is water sound under dash. I read about clogged drain so I tried sticking up a thin rod from drain line and gets stopped after some length. Should I force it up (push, hit harder) or will that break something? Is there a angle bend?
I did not get a water leak on carpet yet but the sound is getting more so more water collecting? What should I do next?
I am considering purchasing a 2010 as an upgrade from my current 2008, I have been reading recently as these last 3 days of constant rain made me check my current one for leaks and like normally the battery tray was filled with water.
View 3 RepliesMy toddler spilled an open bottle of water from her rear facing car seat on the passenger side of my brand new Prius III. From what I can make out, her car seat and the sides of the passenger seat took most of the damage. But there were a few drops of water on the spokes of the battery vent. I cleaned it up and tried peering inside the vent to see if water got in but I couldn't tell much as it was dark out. We had to drive it back home as we were 20 miles away. What should my next steps be? Should I take it to the dealer in the morning to have the battery checked out? Can I remove the vent cover and wet vac it?? What signs should I look for? Am I looking at having to replace the battery!
View 15 RepliesOK, I've been reading a lot about this problem occurring in the pre 2010 prius where there is a crack around the hatch that fills the 12V battery well with water. About a month ago, I started getting a whiff of something rotting. A mix of the dead smell and rotting fruit. I was certain one of my kids left some food in the car or something got in the HVAC vent. As time has gone by, the odor has changed to more of a rotting leaves kind of smell.
I got out my shopvac and a snake camera. I went through the HVAC system and found that the filter was pulled back a bit. I replaced it on the spot. I found a few leaves and dust and that was it. The air coming from the vents from the outside smells clean. There were lots of wet leaves in the engine bay, but it wasn't the problem.
I started tearing apart the trunk because sometimes stuff spills into the tire well. I found the spare tire had turned brown on the tread.
I opened the battery compartment and found about an inch of standing milky white water. The kicker here is that the water didn't seem to smell that bad! I dried it all up and bleached the metal to kill any mold that might be in the residue...but the odor remains. The car smells awful!
I have torn apart the back of the car but I cannot find the source of the leak. I actually think it was from the car wash or going through a puddle and water got in the rear vent. The battery fender vent vanes were flapping with gusts of wind today, but even after a heavy rainstorm no new water has gotten in.
The car was hit in the parking lot and the rear fender moved about an 1/8th of an inch from the bumper, but there are no obvious signs of water entry anywhere... in fact, I was even suspicious that it might have come from the battery itself, but I didn't touch it (used paper towels on a snake to dry it up under there). I didn't think to try baking soda to see if it was an acid, which makes bleach pretty stupid to use...but I didn't see any foaming.
TL;DR Found water in my 12V battery compartment. My car smells bad. Cleaning out water did not improve smell. Nothing in HVAC system, it is only clean air source in car. No signs of water ingress above 12v battery well. After rainstorm, no additional water found in battery well. Fender vent flaps in gusty wind, but still no new water.
I know some others have had problems with water below the aux battery. I noticed this the other day when replacing the aux battery. I tried to pinpoint where the leak was by pouring water over the seams around the hatch and roof but didn't notice any water coming in. Then I tried pouring water in the seam above the right rear passenger wheel. Pictures are posted below. The water comes through the vent on the body that is just next to the battery. How to correct this?
View 9 RepliesA warning came on the display with the words "PS Main" and a picture of a battery. I took it to a dealer and he gave me the bad news: I allegedly need a new hybrid (main) battery. The diagnostic code was P3009--I didn't know about sub-codes, so I didn't ask if there were any. P3009 means that there is an electrical leak from the main battery.
View 9 RepliesI have a 2008 prius. Usually it gets me around 52-55mpg, I've had it since January. Since a couple of days ago its not giving me anything above 49. I know thats a normal number, but considering the fact that its usually quite a bit higher I'm wondering what the cause of the drop is. Also around the same time, when I pull out of my driveway I notice what appears to be a bit of water leakage. Its under the vehicle in the front center, and it only happens when I start the car for the day and pull out of my driveway (its on an incline).
View 4 Replies93 k1500 350 has a water leak in the passenger footwell. Happens when it rains haven't had the truck long enough too test if a/c also causes leak. I checked the condensate drain line at the engine firewall. There was some gunk in it which I blew out but did not solve problem.
I'm able to reproduce leak by running a hose into the exterior cowl openings as if it were raining. As you can see in the pic the leak develops behind the blower motor. How to fix this leak??
The picture below shows underneath the passenger dash the two locations where I've seen leakage:
The test setup:
I've got an '05 Dodge Ram quad cab. The back window is leaking like crazy. I'm guessing it was probably replaced at some point and it wasn't caulked properly. Taking that window out and recaulking it seems like a big job. It's a 10 year old truck, so I'm not looking for perfection, but I can't have the whole truck smelling moldy either. What is a good way to put a bandaid on that? I'm thinking maybe some roofing tar or driveway crack sealer? On the other hand, water is pretty insidious. There are serious temperature and vibration issues.
View 5 RepliesNoticed about a gallon of coolant on my floor the last 4 days. Got it pressure tested and was told bad water pump. Had it changed with timing belt and tensioners. Got home, next day, same thing. Coolant everywhere. Also, do I really need to put G12++ in as coolant? I've been using it but the shop put some green stuff in it.
I have a 2005, V8, Phaeton with 181,000 miles. Also, my car overheated, got the coolant too hot warning, 270 on gauge, let it sit 5 minutes, no problem afterwards. Should the thermostat have been changed also?