Gas engine stops working while driving

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by hokirob, Apr 12, 2013.

  1. hokirob

    hokirob Junior Member

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    Hi everyone. 2006 Gen II Prius with 105k miles. Last Thursday while driving, all the warning lights came on. Saturday we replaced the main battery pack in the back. The 12V battery seemed OK at the time and the car ran a few days successfully.

    Yesterday leaving work the lights randomly came on again and the car wouldn't go in gear. I disconnected the negative terminal on the 12V for a few minutes to clear codes, and then reconnected and it was OK. I drove home, and after ~10 miles, suddenly, the internal combustion engine just totally stopped working (at 25mph in a neighborhood area). I disconnected the negative again, and returned later than night.

    I ended up replacing the 12V in the dark, started the car and drove ~1 mile home no problem. This morning though, the emergency lights return and the car won't go into gear.

    So I've replaced both batteries and now I'm thinking it's something else electrical. The radio has been known to flick in and out as well. Any recommendations on where to check the electrical? (or another idea!) Thanks.
     
    #1 hokirob, Apr 12, 2013
  2. nklb

    nklb Member

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    What codes is it throwing?

    Tentatively from your description I suspect it may be the windings on one of the motor generators.
     
    #2 nklb, Apr 12, 2013
  3. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    New or used?
     
    #3 fotomoto, Apr 12, 2013
  4. hokirob

    hokirob Junior Member

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    Sorry, don't have the codes. Battery was used with a 30-day warranty. Worse case I could swap it out. Hoping there may be a couple other sanity checks I could do first. After driving it 4 days with no problem, it was quite a surprise to see the "red triangle of death" returning to the dashboard.
     
    #4 hokirob, Apr 12, 2013
  5. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Man, codes would really help. Can you at least get it to an auto parts store that will read the codes for free (call ahead to make sure). Most national chain stores offer this service.
     
    #5 fotomoto, Apr 12, 2013
  6. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    You replaced the hybrid battery pack without checking what codes its throwing? Auto stores can't read hybrid codes.

    Did you have the Inverter pump replaced under recall yet and if not is yours running as evidenced by turbulence in the inverter reservoir while in READY.
     
    #6 edthefox5, Apr 12, 2013
  7. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Take It To A Toyota Dealer, and have him read *all* the codes. Otherwise you're just blindly throwing money and effort at the problem.
     
    #7 richard schumacher, Apr 14, 2013
  8. hokirob

    hokirob Junior Member

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    (sorry, out of town all weekend and borrowed a code reader from a friend on Monday, did the scan last night)

    Tried to get codes with a scan tool, but didn't seem to get much (Autel CAN OBD2 model MS300). At most, I got a "Not Ready" reading for the Evap and O2S descriptions. It came back with nothing for DTC codes.

    edthefox5 -- borrowing a code reader from an auto store and trying again isn't going to work on the hybrid for some reason? I wasn't aware of this. Is there a type of code reader an auto store may have that would at least give me a bit of information?
     
    #8 hokirob, Apr 16, 2013
  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    A generic OBD-II code reader typically will be able to read DTC produced by the engine ECU. However the Prius has many ECUs. In particular, you need to read DTC produced by the hybrid vehicle, traction battery, and skid control ECUs when you have a powertrain problem where more warning lights than the check engine light are on. A Toyota dealer service department can read those codes.

    Also, it would help for you to be specific about exactly which warning lights appear in the combination meter and the multifunction display. Perhaps you could take some sharp photos and post.
     
    #9 Patrick Wong, Apr 16, 2013
  10. hokirob

    hokirob Junior Member

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    Ultimately phoned a local shop who recommended the dealer. Got the car towed to the dealer. They recommended replacing the 12v auxillary battery -- which I had had just changed and drove ~1-2 miles (total) on it. However, i did let them do the work -- mostly for the "insurance" that they would stand behind their analysis & work. They road tested and cleared codes and I picked it up.

    After pick up, I drove <1 mile, worked my day job, and left for the day. At that point, the car would not start again! That did make me a little more happy that I paid for the 12v battery change solution they recommended. Ultimately I got the car back to the dealer and after more analysis, they tightened some wires and fixed some non-grounded wires and I have the car back. Hopefully when I move to leave the office today it will work....
     
    #10 hokirob, Apr 26, 2013
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