Buzzing, Rattling sound during charge when battery is low. HELP!!!

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by DW247, Aug 8, 2015.

  1. DW247

    DW247 Junior Member

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    Hi all, Im a fairly new member here who has yet to post. Here's my first. About a yr ago I bought a 2010 Prius with about 36,000 miles on it. Now I'm just about to crack 50,000. Late into the winter I began hearing this sound and thought it was odd. I figured it had something to do with the fact that it was winter and the engine/battery were working together to warm the car up as well as charge the battery. I took it to Toyota this past week and ofcourse the "Service Experts" claimed this was "normal" as one of the managers owns a prius and claims they all do this. I know this to be false due to having owned one for a yr now as well as reading up on a lot of the great info poster in here. Now in the defense of the mechanic that day, my battery was pretty well charged. The sound isnt nearly as harse when the battery stays at or around half way charged. Today while doing some cleaning inside my car i left the air on. As a result my battery drained low enough for the battery to began charging. This brought on that miserable sound that continues to get louder and more noticeable with time. Here is a video of my experience. Please advise on what I should do from here. Keep in mind that my Powertrain warranty last another 10K/4months(whichever happens first)and plenty of warranty on the hybrid system.

    LINK BELOW
     
    #1 DW247, Aug 8, 2015
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    :eek: is the a/c on? kinda sounds like the compressor is ready to blow. definitely not normal.

    go back and ask them to bring around a new one to listen to.

    edit: if i read you right, the battery has to be charging, so the engine is running? how is the oil level?
     
    #2 bisco, Aug 8, 2015
  3. DW247

    DW247 Junior Member

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    At the time it was on. It does seem to be louder when the ac is on, however I believe the noise still exist without it on. What all can you tell me about the ac compressor? Cost to fix, is it covered under powertrain warranty.
     
    #3 DW247, Aug 8, 2015
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    a/c is high voltage electric. the compressor is very expensive to replace, as is the whole system. not sure if it's the 12/12 or 3/36. should be in the manual, but you're out of luck either way.

    make a video with the battery charged and the car ready but engine and a/c off with the hood open please.
     
    #4 bisco, Aug 8, 2015
  5. caedward

    caedward Junior Member

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    Bad inverter and/or pump would be my guess.
     
    #5 caedward, Aug 8, 2015
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i hope so, that would be cheap compared to the a/c.
     
    #6 bisco, Aug 8, 2015
  7. DW247

    DW247 Junior Member

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    At this time Im not at home, I most likely wont be able to make a video until tomorrow. Lets say it is the compressor. How will it affect the performance of the car overall? Is it a must fix right away?
     
    #7 DW247, Aug 8, 2015
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no, it's just for a/c. but if it's really, really hot out, the battery does like a little cool air flowing past it. so don't overburden it if the a/c stops working.

    if it's the inverter, the car will stop. but i don't think there are any moving parts? you can check the inverter pump by making the car ready and removing the inverter coolant tank cover. the coolant should be swirling.

    there are several other parts under the hood that could potentially make a noise, like the brake accumulator, maybe the engine water pump, radiator fans, idk, that is quite a racket.
     
    #8 bisco, Aug 8, 2015
  9. DW247

    DW247 Junior Member

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    Yes the noise was obnoxious. That was the loudest Ive heard it. I just happen to be outside my car and happen to over hear it. Is the inverter coolant tant cover the same as the regular coolant cover? If it is the pump/inverter how much am I looking at for repairs? If youre me, what steps do I take from here? Is it safe to say based on what you all heard that this isnt powertrain/hybrid related?
     
    #9 DW247, Aug 8, 2015
  10. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    does the car have oil in it?
    have the ac compressor checked

    poor car sounds like its in pain
     
    #10 Beachbummm, Aug 8, 2015
  11. DW247

    DW247 Junior Member

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    Had oil change about 2500 miles ago. I can check the oil this evening.

    When they check the compressor what exactly do they do? How much do you think it'd cost to check compressor?
     
    #11 DW247, Aug 8, 2015
  12. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    if you put your hand on it while running you will feel it rattle and knocking if its bad...
    my gen 2 a/c sounds like a jet starting up but nothing like what you have..
     
    #12 Beachbummm, Aug 8, 2015
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    they all make a buzzing sound to one degree or another. inverters are cheap in the junk yard, and easy to replace. to find the inverter coolant tank, look at the pictorial descriptions in the beginning of your o/m. it is not the same as the engine coolant, they are separate loops.
     
    #13 bisco, Aug 8, 2015
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  14. Jeremy Kim

    Jeremy Kim Junior Member

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    Did you figure out what the problem was back then? How much was the repair?
     
    #14 Jeremy Kim, Jul 9, 2018
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