Hi, I need help with my car, I purchased a 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid on January 24th, 2013, and it worked perfectly when I bought it, the car was parked from the day January 26, 2013 until the day March 22, 2013, and after that I tried to start the car, but it was discharged...

After that I jump started the car, and the car turn on, and I moved the car only to park inside of the auto body shop for a rear work...

The car continued discharged, because I didn't drive the car enough to recharge it...

In the auto body shop nobody turn on the car in any way, they moved the car pushing it, when I tried to turn it on again with jump starting on May 18th, 2013, it doesn't start, and in the dashboard, instead of ready light, appears a red triangle...

Since that, I tried to start the TCH, but the car simply didn't turn on, only appears that red triangle...

I don't know what to do, anyone can help me...?

 

The car have 60,041 miles...

 

You will need to get it towed to a Toyota dealer and have them charge the traction (hybrid) battery. You can't let a hybrid sit that long without running at as the large hybrid battery needs to be charged often as it will discharge over time.

What was the problem with the car that it hasn't run for 4 months?

Edit: The dealer will be just about the only people with a charger that can charge the battery in that car. The small 12 volt battery in the trunk is charged from the high voltage system.

 

Georgia, he told you - sitting at a shop for rear end work. Got wrecked or something. Or, maybe, bought wrecked and then rebuilt.

and I moved the car only to park inside of the auto body shop for a rear work...

 

Look at his timeline again. He bought it, waited 2 months and THEN took it to the body shop where it sat another 2 months. That is 4 months total. You could have an entire replacment car built in Japan, loaded on a boat and sent here in that time......

 

Could be military... When I was in the Air Force, I would be gone for 5 to 6 months at a time.

Maybe the damage to the rear is indicative of a greater problem?

 

I think he just needs to get the traction battery charged up. Limited run time for 4 months plus the time it was not used before he bought it has probably depleted it to below minimum limits that the software will allow. As you noted, there might be some damage to the battery as well with the rear end needing repair.

 

When he went to start it and move it into the garage or shop. He should have left it outside running maybe for half hour to recharge both batteries. The traction battery will show full or 80% charge when the white area of the battery indicator reaches the + sign on the MFD.

Once the car is running again and fixed I would take it out on a not so traveled road. With the traction battery full at 80%, set the cruise at 35 mph and allow the traction battery to run down to 20% then the engine will start and recharge it. This is they way you cycle a rechargeable battery other than doing it over and over for about 4 or times.

This method used to work great for the old NiCad batteries. I'm not sure if it helps these NiMh batteries that much as they don't have the same memory problem like the NiCad's did.

 

I'd suggest charging up the 12v battery first. The small battery is used to run the security system while the car is not running, and would drain down quite a bit if unused for a long time. Just put a charger at low current setting on the battery in the side of the trunk for a few hours, then check tp see if the car "boots up".

I had this type problem last year when my wife used the car very seldom for short trips. I wouldn't get the READY light on the dash regularly. I was worried that the battery had died, but charged it up and it's been working fine since.

The small battery powers the computers in the car, the lights, the climate control, the radio, and the security system, so there is a fairly good drain on it. If it doesn't get run for a goodly amount of time regularly, then the battery won't be recharged.

 

I agree with RadioTek. Charge the 12 volt battery first. Do not exceed 5 amps charging current. When it is fully charged try starting it. If still dead then yes, you do not have much choice but to have it towed to a Toyota dealer to get the high voltage battery charged. Check before you tow it to be sure they have the special high voltage (245 volts) charger needed to do it.