Stability control light staying on and car won't start

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by kopite88, Dec 1, 2021.

  1. kopite88

    kopite88 Junior Member

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    Hi all,

    This morning when I turned on my car, I noticed that the stability control warning light turned on and stayed on. I am unable start the car to move in either direction. Any idea what the issue was and what I can do to fix it? If there's no easy fix I would get it towed to the shop.
    It's a Prius 2103.
     
    #1 kopite88, Dec 1, 2021
  2. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    When was the car last driven? What's the resting voltage on your 12V auxiliary battery?
     
    #2 Air_Boss, Dec 1, 2021
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  3. kopite88

    kopite88 Junior Member

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    It was driven just 30 minutes prior.
    I'm not with the car right now - had to call a friend to drive me home for a meeting. I should be able to get to it later today to do a battery check. Do I need to test it with a multimeter or can I just do it via the diagnostic mode instead?
    Is there a way to start the car if it turns out that the 12v battery is discharged?
     
    #3 kopite88, Dec 1, 2021
  4. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    I would check for north of 12.7 volts resting at either at the battery terminals or at the under-hood jump points. You can jump the car at those points if necessary to start it, but I would first see if application of a solid 12V jumper cable clears the VSC warning. Can be driven with it on, of course.
     
    #4 Air_Boss, Dec 1, 2021
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  5. kopite88

    kopite88 Junior Member

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    I don't have access to a multimeter right now. Can I just use the value shown in the diagnostic mode or would that not be accurate?
     
    #5 kopite88, Dec 1, 2021
  6. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Can't say. I've never used the diagnostic mode, in part because it is only available after the car has booted up, so the 12V was under load.
     
    #6 Air_Boss, Dec 1, 2021
  7. kopite88

    kopite88 Junior Member

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    I read somewhere on the manual that the problem could be with the key fob so I came back with the backup key and it just worked... So strange because I could use the other key earlier to lock and unlock the car and usually I would get the message "Key not detected" if there's something wrong with it.
     
    #7 kopite88, Dec 1, 2021
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  8. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    When you have the car at home, try it again with the previous fob. If it doesn't work, then something very strange is wrong with that fob and you should think about replacing it (after having all the systems on the car scanned with a capable scantool) . If it does work, then you should the car scanned with a capable scantool and have the 12V battery properly load tested.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #8 mr_guy_mann, Dec 2, 2021
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  9. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    In my experience with several Prii, the voltage reading shown on the vehicle signal check screen will be in the neighborhood of half a volt low. (It's probably not "wrong", it's just measuring the voltage that arrives at some internal circuit in the MFD.)

    That makes it a conservative reading ... if it looks ok on that screen, it will look even better elsewhere. You just have to do extra work tuning out the PriusChat posters who obsess over the decimal places after the 12.
     
    #9 ChapmanF, Dec 2, 2021
  10. gromittoo

    gromittoo Active Member

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    Can I assume your car is 2015 or newer, and trim level three or higher? Older Prius v's don't have that "Extra Info Screen", as 2015+ Prius v "twos" don't have it either.

    Knowing the miles on the ODO would be helpful. Check with the dealer if your fob is under warranty.

    QUESTION:
    Does the non-working fob work if you hold it over the "Power / Start" button? The Fob has a backup mode that uses RFID, in case the Fob battery is not strong enough to use Bluetooth to unlock the car. Does the "Ready Light" come on?
     
    #10 gromittoo, Dec 6, 2021
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