[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by rhood

I am watching a house for the summer and the owners left their Prius hybrid here for use when they come back. They asked me to drive it periodically to keep the battery charged. But, neglected to tell me if anything else needs to be done. Do I need to do anything else so the car is ready for their return in the fall? Thanks

I had two Prius hybrids prior to moving here. Maintenance and storage should be pretty much just like any car. Any car that will not be used for an extended period of time should be started occasionally to keep the engine lubricated and to keep the battery charged - the same goes for the Prius.

You might want to check the tire pressure (like you would with any car) but most cars these days have a TPMS that will alert you if the pressure is low.

The Prius has the larger, high-voltage battery for the hybrid system. While you can put a charger on a "normal" 12V car battery, you won't have a charger for the big Prius battery. It will try to protect itself but driving the car occasionally to allow that battery to charge is a good idea.