Please give me suggestions and help

The generic warning icons you're seeing can refer to literally pages and pages of possible things that could be wrong. The car's computers have specific codes that can be read to narrow down the search. If you are not near anyone with Prius-capable code scanners, your best bet might be to order one of your own, searching this forum for information on the possibilities. If you have an old laptop that can run Windows, the MiniVCI is becoming a popular choice. A code scanner is a very smart investment because for pretty much everything that can go wrong in a Prius, the first question is "what codes are you getting?"

I see a fair number of people new to PriusChat who come with some problem they're having, don't get the codes scanned, and start a PriusChat thread that grows to dozens of posts describing hours of taking the car apart, trying this, trying that, guessing at what the problem might be, all "because I need to save time and I don't have a code scanner." Usually it would be less time and hassle to fix the not-having-a-scanner problem first, then ask the car what seems to be the trouble.

But before we even go there, about this warning screen you're seeing. There are three icons on it. There are always three icons on it - power steering, main battery, and car-with-exclamation - and almost everybody who sees it thinks "OMG I've got the power steering, main battery, and car-with-exclamation warnings!"

That was just a bad design idea. On that screen, the only warnings you have are the icons that are highlighted in red. Which ones are those?

Cheers,
-Chap

 

This sounds like you high voltage battery is going out. To do anything on the car yourself the first thing needed is a Mini VCI cable and Toyota Techsteam software. You need a Windows laptop to run the software. The cables can be bought on ebay or Amazon for about $25. Working on high voltage batteries is dangerous! You will need to study allot!

On Portland Oregon Craigslist a battery rebuilder has several adds for batteries and installation.

Brad

 

If you already have a windows XP (32 bit) or Windows 7 (32 bit) laptop then you can get this mini VCI to read the codes, else you can go to any local mechanic and they should read the code for free.

 

To me this sounds like a weak 12V battery. The key to the Gen I is you have to look for consistency when it comes to warning lights/DTC's. You do not have consistency. Inconsistent warning lights usually indicate there is no problem or the problem is in its initial stages. I'm betting that you have no problem (other than maybe a weak 12V battery).

Another thing that could cause these lights on a Gen I is: If you put the car in R or D before the engine starts, you will default into OutOfGas Mode. The lights will come on and the engine will not start. If you accidentally do this, don't start driving, simply turn the car off and restart, wait for the engine to start then go to R or D. The lights will stay on for four or five cycles of the ignition but the car will drive normally.

If I were you, I'd test the 12V battery. If its even close to defective, I'd change it out. The Gen I can be a little finicky especially for a new owner. After a while, you will get use to its quirks and learn how to deal/avoid them.

 

Your car has one conventional-looking, 12 volt battery like any other car, except it's behind the left rear wheel well. The other battery, sometimes called the traction battery, or the hybrid battery, or the HV battery which can stand for hybrid vehicle or high voltage, is the thing that takes up the whole front of the trunk floor just under the rear seat back. It is 274 volts (nominal, meaning over 300 when fully charged).

As you can see, through the magic of PriusChat, you've already got one person saying it sounds like your 274 volt battery is going, another saying it sounds like your 12 volt battery is going, and all before any of us even know what trouble codes your car is reporting, or even which of the three icons on your dash display might be shown in red.

It would be most useful to find a code scanner, but meanwhile, it would help if you could let us know which of the dash display icons are red.

-Chap

 

Our Prius is operated by a half-dozen computers we call ECUs (Electronic Control Units) and we tell them what we want. For example, the accelerator pedal operates a pair of variable resistors and the Hybrid Vehicle ECU tells the engine ECU what to do and it actually operates the throttle plate and fuel injectors.

The miniVCI or other Prius-aware scanners talk with the ECUs to find out what is going on. Then we can understand what is going on. We're suggesting the error lights are like smoke detectors ... they complain to let you know something is not right but not what it is. There is a good reason why we call them 'idiot lights.'

Bob Wilson

 

if it's not your 12 volt battery, you may have corroded bus bars on the battery that just need a little cleaning up.

 

Many mechanics use ordinary scanners designed to identify emission problems like bad spark plugs. A Prius-aware scanner can report the 19, voltages in the traction battery. This how we check the traction battery health.

As for the 12V battery, it is best measured with the car off from the trunk. The acceptable voltage range is 11.8 to 12.85 V. Anything less suggests a 12V battery going bad. When the car is running, the charging voltage is 13.8-14.0V.

Harbor Freight sells a nice VOM for about $8.

Bob Wilson

 

Don't trust this mechanic. Your Prius has fuel injection - no carburetor!

JeffD

 

I'll second Bob and Jeff. There are a lot of scan tools made that can only see the legally-required emissions information from the engine computer. Your Prius has more than half a dozen computers located throughout the car and they all report diagnostic codes when something is wrong, but with that kind of generic scanner you are blind to all of those, and just trying to guess what's wrong with the car. (Even more confusingly, sometimes a generic scanner will report a code or two that didn't come from the engine computer, if one of the other computers answered first, but that's totally hit-or-miss.)

And, as you've just discovered, the kind of mechanic who thinks he can tell you your fuel-injected Prius has a carburetor, or a choke, will also not hesitate to tell you that his generic scanner can "read Prius codes."

That's why so many threads here start with a suggestion to pick up your own Prius-capable scan tool. Of all the purchases you could make to help keep your car in good running condition, the one that lets you easily find out what's being reported when something is wrong belongs pretty much at the top of the list.

-Chap

 

The miniVCI is used to test the traction battery.

Bob Wilson

 

In that order? Only if you'd be happy going to the doctor and being put under the knife to disassemble and check out random organs, before the doc ever asks you why you came to the office.

-Chap

 

Hi Laura,

The VCI is needed for testing the battery, but it is much more than that, it is the basic tool you need for asking your car what problem it has even detected when it flashes a dash light at you. That's still where we are with your car - it has flashed a light saying there's a problem somewhere with something and nobody has even asked it what that problem is yet. Maybe after asking, it will turn out to be something with the battery, and then there will be some idea what to look for.

While waiting for the Mini VCI, are you still getting the warning screen on the dash display, the one with the three icons for PS, battery, and car-exclamation-point? Could you mention which of those icons are highlighted in red on that screen? Even that will add useful information to this thread.

A funny thing that happens with the Prius is there's been so much written about it in the media over the years, and every article that's ever been written about a Prius mentions there's a big battery in it, all the articles written by skeptics were about how the battery would cost a fortune and fail right away, most Prius owners spend more time worrying about the battery than any of the other things in the car that wear out too, and every non-hybrid-trained mechanic who doesn't know anything else about the car knows at least that there's a big battery in it, and suspects that of being the cause of any problem he doesn't know how to diagnose.

I found a sticky right-front brake caliper on my car last week, and mentioned to a co-worker that I had finally tracked down something that was hurting my MPGs, and before I could even say what it was, he was asking "oh, it's the main battery, isn't it?" It's as if everybody knows a Prius has a big battery but forgets there's also a whole car attached. So far, mine has needed two wheel bearings, some brake work, and a shim adjustment on the air conditioner ... all perfectly normal car things.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure you could start a thread about any problem on PriusChat, for example, you could say that the radio blinks when you put on the turn signal (my mom had a car that did that, once), and somewhere within your first three responses would be someone telling you how to take the high voltage battery apart.

Now, in your case, maybe there is an issue with the battery. I'm not saying that can't be it. But the first step is asking the car what it's complaining about ... that will provide the direction for where to look next.

-Chap

 

It sounds like your battery is an ideal candidate for our grid charger systems . Our products allow in car charging & re-balancing of the hybrid battery cells. This eliminates the effects of cell imbalance and self discharge that regularly cause battery failures due to the vehicle being parked & unused for extended periods of time. When paired with the discharge product we also offer, the combined system allows for unlimited easy battery refurbishments at your own home for the remaining life of the vehicle.

 

It so happens the team here are good teachers too. If you are patient, we'll work with you so you can be the Prius mechanic. <GRINS>

BTW, here is a place that trains hybrid mechanics:
Auto Careers Development Center - Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Repair Training

If you'll give them a call on Monday, they can recommend folks they've trained in your area. You might also ask what sort of training materials they have for Prius owner/operators.

Bob Wilson