2004 getting red triangle but no check engine light

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by dpeverhart, May 20, 2014.

  1. dpeverhart

    dpeverhart Member

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    Vehicle:
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    This Prius is an '04 with 156k and it will only start with a jump box. I went into the display and found the 12 volt battery reading 12.2 volts after sitting for 4 hours. When driving stop and go around town I will get the red triangle of death and vsc lights but NO check engine light comes on. Using a Scangauge it shows no codes, system ready. I look into pending codes and there is nothing. However when I force clear pending codes the triangle goes away.

    It's strange there are no codes associated with this fault. Has anyone seen this condition and have a suggestion. I'm thinking to drive it and not force clear the pending codes and maybe a code will show up eventually but I'm not sure.

    Thanks
     
    #1 dpeverhart, May 20, 2014
  2. Epiphany2000

    Epiphany2000 Member

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    I don't have a Scanguage, but I seem to recall that it won't detect all DTC's. You need something that will read DTC's that are specific to Toyota (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Techstream software + a compatible ODBII reader will do the trick. You can pick up the cable & software from Amazon for under $28.00.

    Just be aware that it must be run on a 32-bit OS unless you want to hack your 64-bit OS into running 32-bit drivers. An old laptop with Windows XP will do the trick, as will Windows 7 (professional version or above) running Techstream in a Windows XP virtual environment. The solution is not perfect, but it beats paying up the wazoo for a Techstream license and/or taking it to the dealer and paying for shop time.
     
    #2 Epiphany2000, May 20, 2014
  3. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    could low oil level/pressure do that?
     
    #3 Former Member 68813, May 20, 2014
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I think that you should start by replacing the 12V battery, then see what symptoms remain. It is likely that battery is bad.
     
    #4 Patrick Wong, May 20, 2014
  5. Epiphany2000

    Epiphany2000 Member

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    I agree. Although access to Techstream is great, it seems pretty clear that the 12V battery is the issue. How old is your current 12V battery? Being that your car is 10 years old, I would expect that the battery has been replaced at least once. If you are still using your original battery, I'd say that it has had a very long life, and it is definitely time to replace it.
     
    #5 Epiphany2000, May 21, 2014
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