Check Engine Light 2017 Prius 150 miles

Most likely loose gas cap

 

It could something as simple as a loose gas cap.
If getting to the dealer isn't a timely option, or the car out of warranty, some auto parts stores will pull the code for you. Basic code readers are cheap now, and the various scangauges and apps for monitoring the car's parameters can also pull codes.

 

Barring something unforeseen, all new cars will become old cars.

When it comes to the engine check light, which is really concerned with emissions, we are no longer tethered to the dealer, garage, shop, etc.

 

You are wrong! Many times when there is a CEL on the Prius there are Prius-specific codes that cannot be read by most off-the-shelf software.

 

Good thing for me that I am boycotting Prii then

OBDII is an universal standard that car companies agreed too, but they all still have some 'in house' codes, and did so before hybrids arrived. Are these unreadable codes for faults that would have a simple fix, or are they something that can only be addressed by a dealer or specialize shop?

Between the availability of code readers and the internet, the consumer is less at the mercy of the dealer and repair shop than it was in the past. Our Ranger suddenly had the ABS light go on with high engine revving and harsh shifting. Scangauge was already on the truck, but a search of the symptoms alone found a fix. With further research, I wouldn't have had to buy a replacement part.

 

Make it complete by boycotting this forum then. It is about exchanging knowledge of your boycotted Prii.

 

Interesting - I was told that OBD will read all the codes, just that some are PRIUS specific (and I suspect other manufacturers have specific codes if they have items which are unique to their cars. Like an ejector seat isn't normal, and if equipped, that manufacturer would need a unique code).

 

Many people in the older generation forums had codes that could not be read by the local parts store.

 

True. We had a fantastic guy at my last city, I'd go in with a part and he's say "No, don't have it, but the LandRover one fits perfectly and will last longer" - dig into a box, we'd compare it and, sure enough it would work.

I was a bit sceptical when he suggested TOYOTA LandCruiser piston rings on an old VW I had, 1/3 the price and they fitted perfectly, were still on the car 5 yrs later when I sold it.

 

Someone skipped breakfast.

My personal boycott of the getting a new Prius is over Toyota reneging on the assembly of the model within North America. It has nothing to do with the car itself.

It might depend on how the manufacturer implemented the programing and the code reader; they do come in a wide range of prices and capabilities. Even if you do pull a manufacturer specific code, chances are what it means is not publicly available.

 

I’d respectfully disagree. As far as I know, all of the diagnostic trouble codes for Toyota vehicles, and the associated troubleshooting procedures, are documented in Toyota’s Repair Manual series. (This is true even for vehicles like the Mirai that are unlikely to be serviced by third parties—P1E41-450 means your hydrogen tank is leaking.)

There haven’t been printed Repair Manual books for several years, but they remain available to the public by subscription to techinfo.toyota.com, toyota-tech.eu, or toyotamanuals.com.au, which all offer modestly-priced options for a few days’ or hours’ access; in the Electronic Technical Manual (電子技術マニュアル) discs, sold by dealers in Japan; and from third-party services that reproduce Toyota’s materials under license.

For example, many public libraries sponsor no-cost access to the Chilton Library database, which has the Repair Manual for the fourth-generation Prius sold in the U.S. It’s organized a little differently, but the text and illustrations are exactly the same as those published by Toyota.

Like other automakers, through the AAIA Memorandum of Understanding and Right-to-Repair Agreement, Toyota has committed to make the same diagnostic and repair information and tools available to owners and independent repair shops as they provide to their own dealers, and to license certain technical data to makers of third-party diagnostic tools. None of this is required to be free of charge, but any fees must be “fair and reasonable.”

As others have noted, inexpensive OBD II scan tools tend to implement only the standardized interface for emissions-related information, so they won’t be able to interface to other vehicle systems, but professional tools, such as OTC Encore or Snap-On MODIS—presumably made with information licensed from Toyota—can have coverage as broad as Toyota’s own Techstream software, though at much higher prices.

 

As ever, cool words of wisdom.

 

I should have said open source instead of public, but the internet has greatly lowered the cost for official repair manuals. The internet also has made it easier to forget resources like libraries.

 

I'm sure you've probably solved your issue by now, but I thought it worth mentioning to anyone else who might have this issue (my check engine light came on yesterday in my 2017 Prius with 10,000 miles on it) and after much googling saw the likelihood was that my gas cap wasn't on correctly. But after checking that and driving for a bit, the light was still on. So I took it to our local auto advance who used one of those code reading gadgets to determine it was a cam position sensor. I asked if it was safe to drive. He said, well, I would long enough to get it to the dealership because if it decides to seriously malfunction it can stop the car while you're driving. So here I sit, waiting to get the car repaired. My advice would be to definitely check the gas cap, but don't assume it's nothing serious.

 

Update. Mine turned out to be a wire chewed on by a rodent. Go figure.

 

Oh no - diagnosis can be quite complex at times - and rodents don't help. Hope it's good now!!

Any idea where you would have been parked when it happened?

 

I'm guessing just outside, under our carport where I usually park. Now I'm paranoid they're gonna come back and chew some more. The guys at the dealership suggested putting peppermint oil on cotton balls and sticking them in air vents! My car still has that new car smell! I don't really fancy trading that for peppermint! Especially since my research indicates that in order for it to truly repel rodents I'd have to be using a quantity that would repel me, too.