Getting more life out of a car battery in a hybrid

Maintenance/Repairs
,
1

Does taking the fuse out of the fusebox for the battery when the car is sitting for a long period of time (weeks) help to maintain the battery? One of the mechanics told me to remove that dome fuse when the car would be sitting a long time, but another said that was ridiculous. Which is true?

2 
 First let's talk about which battery you are talking about.  The motive battery (the big expensive one) is one thing, but I believe you also have a conventional 12V battery.  I suspect they are talking about the 12V battery.  

 I don't believe either mechanic told you the right thing.  

 If the dome light was causing the problem, it should be fixed, removing a fuse, does not fix the problem  Under normal conditions there dome light is already turned off and not using power. 

Now how about telling us why you are asking the question.  I would guess that you have had some problems with battery(s) going dead.  If so it would be nice to tell us more about your car. 

Make model and year to start with.  Then the total miles on it.  Any prior or current electrical issues with your car.  How often do you drive your car and how far. (per week or month).  How long have you had the problem. Have you ever replaced the battery (give us as much history as possible. 

Now the bad news.  It can take a lot of time to track down the cause of an otherwise good battery going dead.
3

It’s a 2005 Prius - it has 45,000 miles - it is the 12V battery we are discussing. I travel quite a bit and the car sits for several days at a time. Otherwise, it is used mostly for pretty short rides around town, stopping and starting - only once in a while out on the highway - maybe once or twice a month.
The car had sat for a long time last year and after 3 years the battery went dead. The battery was replaced and the mechanic at Toyota suggested to keep the new battery in better shape I should remove that 15A fuse (dome) when I was leaving the car for several days. I am totally unknowledgeable about cars and simply do what I think professionals who know what they are saying tell me to do. Please give me your feedback and I will follow through! Otherwise, the car is in terrific shape, maintained regularly, etc.

4

Try a Prius forum. The following is excellent.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-2004-2009-toyota-prius-forums/?daysprune=-1