Prius shut-down problems

So by run do you mean the engine will kick on, then off? Or are you saying it appears as if they completely shut off? When it exhibits this behavior are there any lights on the dash? Is the speedometer on displaying 0 and the ready light on?

 

I suggest that you will need to plug an OBD-II code reader (which is compatible with the Toyota CAN protocol) into both vehicles, and see what DTC are logged.

Regarding the "main battery key", if you mean the orange interlock switch on the driver's side of the traction battery, note that on 2G Prius the switch must be put into a vertical position, then it needs to slide to lock into place. If you do not slide the switch, then it will cause error codes to be stored and the hybrid system will not work.

 

Does the "Ready" light appear on the dash?

You do know that the engines are not supposed to run continuously, right?

 

All I can say is, good luck. A salvage Prius is not a hobbyist car except for people who have a lot of time, money, and the complete shop manual.

 

Could be the fuel pump. To check for sure take the air cleaner off (or the "neck" that goes to the air cleaner) and spray some carb cleaner or starter fluid in it pointing toward the motor. If it runs for a second that tells you there is a fuel delivery problem. You might want to start by checking the fuse to your fuel pump. Sometimes the obvious can be overlooked.
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A Real Auto Dude Drives Safely

 

I know that there is an AC charger designed to give the traction battery enough charge to let the car operate by itself, I'm not sure of what happens if the battery is not charged enough but the behaviour you describe might be it...
1 purple bar should be enough to start the car, it will then not stop the engine until the battery is charged enough to at least 2 purple bars...

 

Hi Mike,

My guess is that both of your vehicles have logged DTC codes that go beyond ABS and airbag issues. One clue is that you say both vehicles have spongy brakes. In that case, the skid control ECU should have logged a DTC. Your vehicles may also have traction battery ECU and/or hybrid vehicle ECU codes that your scanner has not picked up.

What warning lights appear on the dashboard? Do the cars become READY?

If the issues were limited just to ABS or airbag, the cars should run. If your scanner does not allow retrieval of the other codes, you may need to have the vehicles towed to a Toyota dealer.

To answer your question, both Prius and Highlander Hybrid have a feature where serious fault codes will prevent the car from running. A fail-safe chart is provided in the diagnostics portion of the repair manual for each drivetrain-related ECU. That chart shows how the car will respond, given a particular DTC.

When you say that the traction battery SOC is low, how many bars are appearing? Please note that it will not be easy to have the traction battery recharged - I understand there may only be one charger available per Toyota sales region.

 

well, this is a shot in the dark here (as are any other guesses made without the actual diagnostic codes) but the engine room wiring harness is susceptible to damage in front end collisions. my husband replaced 1 in each toyota hybrid model one week due to front end collisions.

i really hope that's not the case here, because it's an expensive part and a major pain in the nice person to replace.




re: the HV charger, the likelihood of getting a regional rep out to recharge an out-of-warranty battery is nil, cost is about the same as a new battery pack but with about 1000x the hassle.

 

Hi Galaxee,

Amazing photos...how much time does that job take, and can you pls estimate the cost of the wiring harness?

 

where did these cars get hit? its most likely the hybrid vehicle control ECU triggering codes. If it got hit in front the harness plugs by the electric motor may have been damaged, these can be purchased as connectors and using electrical wiring diagram can be repaired.


do not run the vehicle if it does not charge the HV battery, this can result in low SOC and the vehicle would never start after that unless you get one of those rare "toyota chargers"

this happened to me on my 01 prius, i ended up having to create a charger for the HV battery and charged it up, most likely the problem you describe is a issue with the high voltage system.

if you could provide more info on where the cars were hit, and the pictures if possible.

i have worked on the 2001 and 2005 prius both crashed, pretty severe.
and both are now on the road fine.

 

Out of curiosity... Wouldn't it be possible to use another prius as a "charger?"
I mean, perhaps someone would be willing to temporarily connect the troubled battery to their own prius to allow it to charge up? Bam, no regional rep required.

 

Um? If his car won't work with that battery, why would someone else's?

Or are you suggesting finding a way to connect jumper cables between the two high voltage batteries? Unfortunately the car with the good battery would have no way of monitoring the temperature or the charge on the individual cells of the bad battery while charging it. Seems risky.

 

Im talking about if his HV battery gets really low such that it needs to be charged ASAP. Which is impossible without the toyota special charger, which has a nearly impossible likelihood of helping him out.

Theres nothing in this topic that suggests that the battery itself is bad. I think the problem is that the engine fails to start, although it sounds like its started due to the battery spinning the engine. Does your tailpipe smell like exhaust?

 

You know it frequently frustrates me when someone throws their opinion into a topic without first making sure they know what has been discussed. It frustrates me even more when I'm that someone. :bolt:

 

sorry for the delay.
the wiring harness was ~$2500. DH billed 14 hours for the r&r. his first time doing the one on the prius, it took about 10 hours. the other 2, he wasn't as familiar with and took closer to the 14 hour flat rate time. the hihy had a lot more damage than just the wiring harness.