1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Brought my C back to life after flash flood

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ncben, Sep 14, 2021.

  1. ncben

    ncben Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2012
    7
    7
    0
    Location:
    New York
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    One
    My C was flooded during the flash flooding caused by Hurricane Ida in NY city. Car was parked and water got up to about half way of the HV battery (I know this because the bottom half of the foam around the battery cooling fan is soaked with water but upper half is dry) but quickly receded, but as expected car would not go into ready and shows "Check Hybrid System Stop Vehicle" message.

    TIS error code:
    P0B60 Hybrid Battery Voltage Sensor "H" Circuit Low

    I took the HV battery out and verified that there is no damage and all battery cell block voltages checked out fine. The only damage I saw was a shorted out voltage sensor.

    Steps I took to restore my C:

    1) Remove backseat, backseat metal frame, disconnect 12V battery
    2) Remove HV safety disconnect, unplug all cables, remove bolts and take the battery out
    3) Unplug the orange cable from battery voltage sensor, found corrosion in bottom half of the pins
    4) Opened the battery voltage sensor and took the electrical board out, found evidence of a short/corrosion
    5) Remove battery metal covers, inspect for visual damage in battery, none was found
    6) Check voltage across all battery blocks, all were normal (15V+)
    7) Replace voltage sensor 89892-52010 (bought used from eBay for $130)
    8) Remove all carpets and foam pads underneath, and vacuum out all water and air dry
    9) Reassemble everything, making sure the HV orange safety disconnect is pushed upward after inserted (or it will cause a P0A0D-350 error as shown in the screenshot)
    10) Start car, run combustion engine to spew out all the water from the exhaust
    11) Run TIS and clear DTC from the Hybrid system

    Hope this helps someone who is in similar situations. $130 and about 5 hour of work later (2 hr cleaning, 3 hr on part replacement), my C is back to normal. I'm handy but not a mechanic and I've ever only replaced oil/filters/belts/tensioner on cars, but I found taking out and putting back the HV battery a very easy and straightforward job. I also don't see any danger about high voltage because all the parts you will ever touch is plastic, and you're not touching the battery terminal. Flooded Prius C does not mean total loss! My 2012 C has 90k on it and the only maintenance I've done is oil/filter/wiper changes. This car has given me zero problems in the past 9 years and I would hate to replace it with any other car.
     

    Attached Files:

    #1 ncben, Sep 14, 2021
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2021
    minkus, Pri3C, skayaks and 1 other person like this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,278
    50,109
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    congrats, well done! (y)

    thanks for the tips, pics and write up, more storms coming!
     
    #2 bisco, Sep 14, 2021
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,955
    16,251
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Nice work!

    Don't rest on those laurels; with that water level in the car, you'll find good information in this thread, where posts 14 and 20 refer you to a Toyota TSB (the number is in post 20) all about quickly classifying your car as to the kinds of consequences you need to check for according to what areas the water occupied.

    The sooner you get on that, the better your chances of avoiding long-term headaches. While you were quick on the high-voltage battery situation, the car's 12-volt electrical system goes everywhere and is not immune to flood risks; corrosion can develop over a period of time, with results on a spectrum from annoying glitches to fires. There are also things other than electrical also in need of checking.
     
    #3 ChapmanF, Sep 14, 2021
    minkus likes this.
  4. Colorado Boo

    Colorado Boo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2021
    307
    202
    8
    Location:
    Monument, Colorado USA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    LE AWD-e
    Great job! Might also be a good idea to drain and refill the CVT transmission fluid....almost as easy as an oil change.

     
    #4 Colorado Boo, Sep 14, 2021
  5. Mike fig

    Mike fig New Member

    Joined:
    Monday
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    Orlando fl
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Base
    I have a 2012 that was flooded also. I dry everything up. but unable to get the dash to turn on. Radio, headlights, blinkers were working. Interior lights were flickering. I took the main ecu out clean it replay all the fuses. But no life yet.
     
    #5 Mike fig, Nov 26, 2024 at 11:09 AM
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,955
    16,251
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    The thread linked in the post you quoted, and the TSB referenced there, will provide important advice.
     
    #6 ChapmanF, Nov 26, 2024 at 12:33 PM
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)