Wow, a whole bunch of lights came on at once!

Are these lights on when you're driving or just starting up the car? Do you still have the original 12v battery in the Prius? One sign of the 12v going bad are strange dash lights. If the battery is still original, replace it.

 

Check the 12V battery.

Tom

 

I agree that the 12V auxiliary battery is the likely root cause linking failures of the disparate systems that you noted. If you can get a ride to the Toyota dealer's parts dept, buy a new 12V battery and install it yourself, that would be the least expensive way to resolve the issue.

 

i'm skeptical that the 12v battery would cause all this nonsense. sounds like a bigger problem.

 

Another possibility might be a failing DC to DC converter (maybe the inverter coolant pump failed), resulting in abnormally low 12V bus voltage. If the OP has a digital multimeter and can read battery voltage when the car is IG-OFF and when the car is READY, this would help to narrow down the problem.

You would expect to see 13.8V when the car is READY. After the car has been IG-OFF for an hour or more, you would expect to see 12.6V or better if the battery is fully-charged.

 

PW, i hear that speculation a lot on the prius boards, yet DH rarely if ever saw that situation go down in real life. if the lights all came on at once (no warning of the inverter overheating before any of the other stuff went nuts) then it's hard to imagine a cause-effect relationship like that.

 

I agree with the possible 12V battery problem. But..... Why go to the dealer? There are lots of better warranted batteries out there for less then you will pay at the dealer, and if you can install it yourself you are even farther ahead of the game.

 

If you don't have a voltmeter use the built-in self test procedure given by jdenenberg here:
PriusOnline.com • View topic - how to put 12V battery in sleeping mode?

 

Wrong!

 

Had a very similar situation. And it was the 12V battery.
Toyota replaced it and everything is fine now.
Not saying it is what is happening with yours, but it definately fits.

 

If you know of an aftermarket battery that fits perfectly we'd love to hear about it. The difficulty is finding one whose terminals will fit the clamps, and that will fit the vent tube. The correct low-cost option is to use the same Toyota battery.

The Optima/eLearnaid solution is more expensive, but the battery construction should give it longer life, and the eLearnaid kit makes it a perfect fit. If you do this, note that you will need every tool they list and, if you don't have a bench vise, considerable hand strength to take apart the Toyota positive clamp assembly.

 

Change the 12V battery. It is the most likely cause.

 

Last night our master warning, ABS, VSC and check engine lights all came on at once as we were driving over the mountain. All at once, WOW!!! Very scarry...

Sounds like my problem may be similar to yours. Maybe... Any ideas?

After reading posts here we have decided to continue on our trip and stop at the next toyota dealer on our way. We have over 100 miles until our next toyota dealer...

Please let me know if anyone has had this experience before. We will check our email every chance we get @ wi-fi hot spots along our way.

Thanks,
Forrest

 

You might get an answer if you post your year and model Prius in your profile.

 

Oops, hadn't realized That info. was missing... Thanks Vincent.:rockon:

:focusoes driving to the next clossest toyota dealer sound ok?

 

I'd say that the DC to DC converter is OK then. I again would suggest that you replace the 12V battery, as this is relatively inexpensive (~$160 if you buy from the dealer parts dept and replace yourself) and will rule that part out as a cause of your problems. As you disconnect the battery to replace it, this will also clear all existing fault codes, thus giving your car a fresh start.

Hi Forrest,

I advise using extreme caution if you continue to drive the car, as the braking system will be impaired. In your case the inverter cooling system may have failed. Does the MFD show any warning icons within?

If you see the red high temp warning light come on, stop the car & let it cool off before continuing, or else risk permanent damage.

Pls let us know what is diagnosed in your case.

 

We will post diagnostic as soon as we get it.

ABS and VSC lights went off as soon as we restarted the car.

Currently the only lights on are the master warning and check engine.

Ok, we are now off on the road heading towards the next toyota dealer.

Wish us luck... I sure love this car

 

OK, this isn't so bad. You should be able to make the trip if you don't see other warnings appear. Good luck on your journey.