I took my 2015 Prius to the car detailer for an interior cleaning. A couple of hours later, they called and said that after cleaning, they tried to turn the car on to move it, but it wouldn't budge. It's giving the "Check hybrid system" error message. I bought my Prius 4 years ago and haven't had any issues with the car before, aside from replacing the OEM 12 volt battery about six months ago. It has high miles, around 165K, but is otherwise in good condition and I've kept up with regular oil changes and maintenance. A mechanic took a cursory look and ran the codes which brought up "high voltage system interlock". The 12 voltage battery was low on juice at 10 volts (likely because they kept the doors open with interior lights on for several hours while cleaning) so he charged it but that didn't help the "check hybrid system" message. He noticed that in the trunk, both the 12 volt battery and the wires and connections that lead to the hybrid battery were wet. He called the Toyota tech line and confirmed that the most likely issue is that something got wet that shouldn't. Has anyone experienced this? How likely is it that the wires and connectors can dry and go back to normal? Or do I likely need to replace a big expensive part? Also, any advice about how to hold the car wash place responsible for the damage? Not trying to get litigious; I just don't want to have to shell out $$$ for repairs due to their negligence. Please help!
I would suspect your errors originated from a low 12v battery charge. Now that it's charged up, you should erase any codes remaining and start the car. See if there will be any codes that return (if it returns)
There's almost nothing an auto detailer can do that will cause an expensive repair to the hybrid system. As mentioned above, I suspect that all the interior lights being on when the car was cleaned likely drained down the 12v and putting it on a charger should of been the first thing the auto detailer should of done. And if you bought an Optima battery a year ago, you bought a fake battery that needs to be replaced... As for the error code details, first thing I'd check is to make sure the Orange safety plug didn't get bumped and is still slid down after it is inserted and folded over. If both those check out, it's possible they left the car on with it in neutral and so the HV battery wasn't allowed to charge up with the engine when charge got low, in which case you'd simply get a high voltage trickle charger to charge up the pack. You can buy a consumer product that does that from Maxx Volts & Hybrid Automotive or save a huge amount of money and build your own: Build Hybrid Battery Maintenance Gear For Under $100 | PriusChat
I think I'd read & record the current codes ...then clear them... ...and see if anything comes back. I agree with @JC91006, it's likely not a code set from a real problem, but it would be good to have a record just in case. There are a few threads about water intrusion near the top of the rear hatch. I don't know much about that problem; ours is a different body style without that particular feature. Welcome and good luck!
Can you be sure it was the detailer's fault? It might be hard to prove negligence. Just to play Devil's advocate: water may have got in from behind the tail light or the top of the hatch while the car was being washed - either way, this is hardly negligence on the detailer's part as they would reasonably expect a car to be waterproof Other than that...follow JC91006's advice above
In the Owners Manual for my ‘22 Toyota warns about getting that area wet, but then again, what do they know?
I had my car fixed for a dent. They had it detailed. The detailers did a great job. But they also drained the main Battery! Detailers tend to leave the car in the "on" position as they take their merry time scrubbing everything down with a toothbrush. Don't get me wrong, they did a great job, but they don't get how Prius cars work.
Right, especially anywhere near the traction battery. The spilled water may have shorted something, possibly high voltage wiring to ground. Leaving doors open too long will indeed badly drain the 12-v battery, but that should take a least a day with a healthy battery. Less if any interior lights are on, but still not within a couple of hours.
Interior detailers should: 1. Hook up a low-amperage smart charger, as step one. 2. Never spray anything directly, say onto dash, windshield.
