Red Triangle - 2008 Prius w 90,000 Miles

I’d start looking into the C2318 code.

We’re there any other codes and did you look at any other screens on Techstream?

 

What version of Techstream are you running?

 

Maybe try a newer version (like 10.30.028).

That’s what I use on our 2010 and have used it on various Prii that were newer and older.

It cycles all the menus and allows for viewing various screens and menus for troubleshooting .

When you get the other codes, post them back up and we’ll see what we can help with.

 

At this point I'd be a bit more concerned about all the Uxxxx codes that are "lost Communications" codes. Maybe you have a faulty cable. If it is a Mini VCI, that could be a possibility.

I don't think your version of Techstream is anything about which to worry – version 7.xx.xxx, 8.xx.xxx or 9.xx.xxx all work fine with Gen 2 Prius.

 

Check the 12v voltage in the morning with a volt meter, don't start the car or use MFD. See what readings you get.

 

What gives is Mini VCI cables suck. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. The VXDIAG cable is much more reliable.

The U codes match what I have seen caused by a failed ABS computer.

 

This is what I would do for now.

1. Buy a new 12v battery
2. Check all engine fluids and make sure it's not low.

Then see how things go

Edit: I see you're in Los Angeles. Which part?

 

You are just out of warranty, bring it to the dealer and ask Toyota corporate for a goodwill warranty on the hv battery. Hopefully they'll give you some help.

They want to replace your 12v battery again. But if you bought it from a Toyota dealer within the last couple years, it should be replaced for free

 

Take it to the dealer first, then after they confirm the battery failure, you call corporate. You can also ask the dealer to make this request for you, they'll call

 

Clicking on the little blue snowflakes next to the codes will bring up detail pages with more information. This is also where you will find the sub, detail, or info codes.

I'm not convinced that your hybrid battery is bad. You should run a forced discharge and charge test. Click on the Hybrid Battery heading on the left side of the screen. From there you can get to the live data list. Then you can see the individual battery block voltages while charging and discharging. Is your car running well enough to run this test?

If this were my car I'd plug in a different ABS/skid control computer. There is enough slack in the cables to connect a new computer without removing the old. Replacing the computer is an exercise in contortionisim. I keep spares around because they do go out. It's the U codes that point towards the ABS computer. A bad ABS computer can make your car seem possessed .

 

Do you have warning lights on now? The dealer will need to diagnose the car to determine the failure. Only then can you request a goodwill repair. The diagnostics will run around $130 an hour

 

I had those lights pop up on my 2008 Prius Tspirit (UK).
I was alarmed initially, and the only thing that really seemed affected was....the vehicle dropping out of cruise control when the lights lit up on the dashboard. I drove my Prius for a week, with the lights lit up. Nothing seemed actually wrong with the vehicle - except cruise control wouldn’t work when the lights manifested themselves.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to go to a stealership.
A friend brought a Toyota Prius “Guru” to my place to trouble shoot the problem.

What he revealed after plugging in his diagnostics device will surprise you, methinks.

The Prius 2nd Gen does appear to have a small Achilles heel problem concealed in the rear baggage compartment (behind the cladding on the left hand side) - just under the lip of the rear hatch left side.

There’s a wire loom with a plastic joint, in the rear quarter body of the vehicle (cargo bay) just under the left side of the cargo bay door lip - you’ll need to pull the inner cladding away from the body.

In there is this wire loom and the plastic plug.
It seems Toyota skimped on filling in the holes where the wires go into the plastic plugs (with a water proof wax substance).

As a result, condensation forms on the cold metal body above the wire loom plastic plugs and drips on to them! This results in the wires in that plastic plug CORRODING and snapping off.

The affected wire caused the error codes / lights flashing up on the dashboard. It erroneously gives the impression the ABS module unit is faulty and needs to be replaced.

There was nothing wrong with it!

The Guru dude predicted what the problem really was, opened up the location in my cargo bay, showed me the corroded wire, yanked it out, reinstalled it in the plug properly after cleaning it out.....and the problem was solved.
No lights, no error codes.

That was 4 months ago! No problems since.

The Stealership would likely have charged me up to £700 for a replacement ABS unit, labour included - while probably knowing what the REAL problem was. Nice little earner!

I paid Guru dude £80 for his kindness.

Now you know.

This may, or may not correspond to the problem mentioned in this thread - but I’m putting it out there, in case it does solve a problem for anyone else

p.s. First mysterious fault ever, in my Prius!!!


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