My little blue Prius drove into my life in February, 2003. It was a 2002 model with 17,000 miles on it when I got it from Marquardt Motors in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Just what I needed to replace my worn out Ford Escort that had faithfully carried me over miles and miles of northwest Wisconsin for nearly five years at that point.
I liked the Escort. It was a stick shift and it performed well, getting 45 miles to the gallon on a regular basis while taking me to see insurance clients around Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Clark Counties.
Life was starting to change a bit by this time, and I was reading about new vehicle technology in cars with hybrid engines. I was intrigued, but when I asked the guys at the Ford dealership in Osseo - the guy talking to me dismissed the concept. Since Ford had discontinued the Escort - I was looking for a car that would be dependable and get me at least as good gas mileage.
Yearning for a new car, but having it out of range of the price I wanted to pay, I found a demonstrator and with a test drive was excited to get behind the wheel of this new kind of car.
Being the nerd I am, I liked the idea of a car with two engines and the ability to shut down the gas engine when it wasn't needed. More than that, the frugal part of me like the idea of getting close to 50 miles to the gallon.
There were concerns. I remember hearing the warnings - "Do not jump-start this car!"
Why? I had jump started cars before. But something to do with the high voltage electricity from the large battery array and the possibility of error (which, in the Manual could include explosions!) resulted in the practice being very discouraged.
So, I didn't. Never had to try.
The same 12 volt starter battery and much larger battery pack came complete with warning labels.
The car drove me all over North Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the tune of 3,000 miles a month. It made the trip to Indianapolis and around the state chasing after Covered Bridges.
It started in hot weather. It started in Artic-like weather.
Until this past Monday. The Artic Vortex caught the Prius in it's clutches and choked the gasps of electric juice right out of it.
I was hopeful. I tried to start it every day. Then, Thursday morning when it was a little warmer I tried again and this time nothing happened. No glimmer of light in the dash panel or in the overhead light. No flashing red light signaling the alarm system was working.Lil' Blue was dead.
The car has served me well. I have more than 255,000 miles on it. It's averaged over 45 mpg throughout the time I've had it and has crested 50 mpg on tanks of gas many times through warmer months. It's 11 years old and mine for 10.
But, I don't want to put big money into it.
I checked on the prices for the 12 volt starter batter and thought I would wait for warm weather before making a decision.
Still nothing.
Friday morning in an internet search, I learned that (with caution) it was OK to try to "jump" Lil' Blue.
On the way home from work I bought a new set of jumper cables.
The starter battery is in the trunk. I had to remove an auxiliary battery guard that was screwed tight into the floor.
Connecting the positive clamp to the positive post on the battery in the running car to the positive post in the Prius. Then the negative/black cable to the running battery and to the grounded metal in the Prius' trunk.
It sprang to life! Nothing exploded.
Lil' Blue is back. The radio pre-sets were no more. The clock was wrong.
But, it's running. The radio was re-tuned and the clock adjusted.
The Artic Vortex hasn't beaten her yet.
On we ride!
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