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ABS ECU Malfunction-Dealer wants 3300.00 to replace??

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by pkwhisker, Jun 13, 2015.

  1. Avi's Advanced Automotive

    Avi's Advanced Automotive Independent hybrid repair shop

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    I'm with JC91006, I have had several Prii in my shop with batteries is all possible states of charge and have never seen something like this happen. I also believe that had the tint shop screwed something up, the lights would have been on when it left the tint shop. On the other hand, I have seen several cases where a problem showed up at a suspicious time even though it was random.

    Avi
     
  2. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Yeah I appreciate hearing all the angles from experienced people Avi, thanks as I really need to stay objective and clear headed, because as you said, and others, I suppose anything in our world is possible.. and maybe I just happen to be picked from the line that day for that freak battery thing to happen to a Prius owner :(
     
  3. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Sorry Pam, but I'm with JC1006 and Avi as well. I just can't see problems of the nature that you had with the ABS being from a run down 12V battery, which I don't deny service people do. If there had been a botched jump start there would have been severely expensive damage, and it would have been in a totally different area - the 100a main fuse and the inverter.

    Like Avi says, some times it is just an unfortunate coincidence.

    One of the statements made by the installer that you're pooh-whoohing, "To be clear, you’re suggesting to me that it’s a new 12V battery and it drained all the way down from the doors being left open for less than an hour?" is factually correct. A 12V battery in excellent condition will not have a problem with this. Maybe your 12V is not in as good a condition as you think. And in any case, a deep discharge is not a problem as long as it is fully charged (preferably by a good, modern smart charger with an AGM setting) immediately after. Most of the problems I see is people leave their deeply discharged battery in a discharged state for an excessive amount of time, which causes irreversible damage and seriously shortens the battery's service life.

    Just my thoughts, take them as you will.

    hope this helps.
     
  4. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    That's very sound information concerning that battery .... I have been checking out all week throughout this process and it was in a very strong charged condition so that does relieve me to know that possibly that did not happen there it does sound more like a freak incident especially when you said if It was a botched jumpstart it would've have affected the areas I'm experiencing. Yikes maybe I owe him an apology.. I'll wait till after Friday its got an appointment with the stealerShip
     
  5. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    I was sure that I had heard of tinting places draining the 12V battery many times on this forum. A quick search turned up these three (and others). So yeah, it definitely happens.

    wife's prius is freaking out | PriusChat
    Cannot access vehicle--dead battery | PriusChat
    I am not sure how or why I killed my battery. | PriusChat
     
  6. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    That is interesting.. it is much more common than I realized.. so hence it could've drained the battery, caused them to jump start it, and create the 'strange lights' for days.. crazy..

    I know I shall be very vigilante to NEVER give my car to someone that could cause this to happen to me AGAIN. It just isn't worth the time, money, and aggravation. And all my friends and family saying 'those hybrid cars are too much trouble if you have to go through all of that!"
     
  7. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    PK,

    Our Prii are different from other vehicles which requires us to learn how to maintain them and protect them from "experts" who can easily cause damage. I hope that your saga has a good ending.

    JeffD
     
  8. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Interesting you said this, I was just thinking this yesterday. That although someone says 'they are experts in this or that' our cars don't fall in the same categories as others. Hard lesson learned. Thanks I shall keep you posted!
     
  9. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Yep, it's true unfortunately.

    I think they probably made some mistake when jump starting it (brushed the terminals with the wrong polarity, or maybe connected to the brake capacitor instead of the battery, or used a poorly regulated supply or somehow draw an arc or something), and then reset the codes (possibly by just disconnecting the battery for a while) before you got there.

    As you know, when you reset codes they will go away indefinitely if there isn't any real underlying problem, but will come back after a short period of driving if the problem is real.
     
  10. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    I would not be surprised they didn't do something. I thought it was strange the manager I dealt with was mysteriously gone when I came in to pick it up. After I got home I called about what happened, and they never returned the call, later I emailed them. It does seem a bit strange the way it all happened, and also it seems they were ignoring me those first few days.
     
  11. Avi's Advanced Automotive

    Avi's Advanced Automotive Independent hybrid repair shop

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    Can you please remind me how someone does that?
     
  12. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Here is a possible theory about how the window tint process may have damaged the OP's skid control ECU:

    It is necessary to clean the inside of the windows and wet the glass before applying the plastic tint. The soapy water solution was in a tray sitting on the dashboard above the steering wheel.

    Some solution spilled into the crack between the plastic dashboard panels, leaking onto the skid control ECU below. That moisture is now causing problems with the electrical wiring harness connectors plugged into that ECU.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  13. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    I must admit that when you put these two together, it does get harder to remain neutral.

    Isn't there an old saying about if something smells fishy ...?
     
  14. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    For every old saying, there is usually another old saying that says the opposite.

    Has OP got her car up and running ?
     
  15. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    Not yet, but PK will let us know.

    JeffD
     
  16. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Hi everybody! I did get the car in to the dealer this morning and just got shuttled to work. Here is the weird thing.. those lights have been going on/off CONSISTENTLY for the last two weeks (hence getting the mini vci and looking at codes, clearing codes. Getting the LF Wheel Sensor code and replacing that, continued to get that code a week later after it was replaced, then started getting different codes). Now when I took the car in to the dealer this morning, not ONE SINGLE light was on my display! The ABS is almost ALWAYS on, and usually after a few miles/minutes the Red Triangle starts with the buzzer and lose the auto-brakes. This morning. Not one light.

    I did give this (different) dealer the history and the check in advisor said they will run codes and see what the find, and can usually pin point it. I'm going to email them more of the history to have it in my file there.

    Also, WOW Patrick! You NEVER CEASE to amaze me!!! I did notice some runny places here and there on the inside of the front window so I didn't know how it was applied, and of course what a likely scenario. Easy for that to happen too as the Prius has that long dashboard and how easily for some of that so slosh down in there! I knew without a doubt, that they did something to my car as it lit up like the 2nd Coming before I even pulled into my driveway!

    If it was a coincidence, then okay, but my gut was telling me something different. Aren't we supposed to listen to our gut feelings? :confused:

    Very interesting theory.. I suspect the water leaked into those components, or they botched it when jumping it.. something.. wish i had been a fly on the wall!!
     
    #76 pkwhisker, Jun 26, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 26, 2015
  17. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    That is the way that an intermittent problem is - it is shy and will disappear when you want to demonstrate it to someone. :D

    If you had cleared the DTC and then the warning lights remained off, it is likely that your dealer tech will not find any DTC to retrieve.

    As a matter of fact, the NY Times has a recent story about how gut bacteria affects mood. I agree that "gut feelings" should not be ignored.

    Good luck, hope you get something useful out of today's auto service experience...
     
  18. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    I was thinking the same thing! Come on now! NOT NOW!!

    Oh and I did not clear any of the DTC Codes. It has been a couple of days since I did that. Yesterday the brakes were lost/lights on going in to work. And ABS lights were on last night when I drove the car at 9:00 pm. I am hoping those codes will be there, as any time I have checked on mini-VCI (just doing the general health checks) those 4 to 5 codes always displayed. I hope they see them. Surely they will as I did not touch the car since night before last.

    Interesting fact about the gut bacteria and mood connections.. very interesting!
     
  19. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Well perhaps this is a positive. If it is due to spilt water like Patrick suggested then it may become more intermittent (and hopefully go away altogether eventually) as it slowly dries out. :)
     
  20. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Wouldn't that be a stroke of good luck for me if it did happen that way (but I have a feeling that dealer is going to want a bunch of $$$ and will see those codes or want to find parts that need replacing).