# 2008 Prius **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** prius\ **Created:** [March 12, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664 "2009-03-12T19:27:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cynsaul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@cynsaul](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cynsaul)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/1 "2009-03-12T19:27:41Z")
We are not going to use our car for 2 weeks. The dealer said we would probably have to have it towed to the dealer to recharge the battery so it would be driveable. This seems very strange to me. Couldn’t AAA do the recharging? ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/2 "2009-03-12T19:37:16Z")
It should be fine sitting for 2 weeks. The battery shouldn’t discharge in that time. ---
**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/3 "2009-03-12T19:37:35Z")
I don’t think AAA has the setup to recharge a Prius battery…they can’t recharge a car battery either, all they can do is jump a dead one. By the same token, I find it hard to believe two weeks of non-use will discharge a Prius battery. A regular car battery wouldn’t even blink. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/4 "2009-03-12T19:43:17Z")
It seems very strange to me too. Your dealer is full of it. It should be perfectly fine sitting for two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/5 "2009-03-12T19:55:30Z")
My former neighbor sold MG sports cars. He knew how much I liked these cars. He had National Guard duty on week-ends and told me that it would be bad for the car to sit and not be driven over the week-end, so he would give me the keys to his MG demonstrator so that I could give it the proper exercise. If you lived in my neighborhood, I would gladly take your Prius out for its exercise. Perhaps the dealer wants to use it as a free demonstator so that your Prius gets its exercise. I’m certain that resting for two weeks won’t hurt your Prius. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/6 "2009-03-12T19:58:31Z")
I don’t see why it would be necessary. The drive batteries may be low after two weeks, but the regular battery should be OK and if I remember correctly that is the one that starts your gasoline engine. That engine will just start charging the drive batteries. Don’t take my word as an authority here. I don’t have enough experience with hybrids to be considered an authority. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/7 "2009-03-12T22:14:10Z")
The dealer should know better! I go on trips of 2 weeks or more and leave my car at the airport or at home. The Prius has a huge battery compared to a regular car and a very robust electrical system. In any case I would not trust the AAA to work on my Prius, since this will be a new experience for them. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/8 "2009-03-12T23:36:59Z")
Boat payment? I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure that many Prius owners let their car sit for more than 2 weeks and had no trouble. Have you ever heard of anyone having this problem? ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/9 "2009-03-12T23:39:34Z")
Is a battery maintainer an option? ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/10 "2009-03-13T01:49:09Z")
…probably not for the batteries that run the electric motor. You would probably need one of those expensive kits that turns it into a plug-in hybrid. ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-prius/27664/11 "2009-03-13T02:27:45Z")
The hybrid battery pack voltage is 274 volts. I don’t know of any maintainers that go to that voltage.