Common 2G Problems, and What to Do About Them...

I had this exact problem in the winter. I drove it everyday to work, less than 20mi daily trip and one day in the winter in my driveway it wouldn't start and battery seems like it died completely. I jumped it and drove off to work. No issue coming home and next day same crap. All the lights just flashed for a few secs and then died. My battery is only 3 years old.

This time I charged the battery for about 4 hours at 10amps. It's been good since. For some reason Prius drains electricity a lot in the winter and cold start doesn't help crank start either. Best thing to do is to send him a battery charger and have the battery charged to full then reset the car.

 

Thanks, very useful

 

Just to clarify, the small 12v battery does not crank start the Prius. It's primary role when starting the vehicle is to actually provide enough power to BOOT UP the electrical systems on the Prius - that includes all those ECUs that control every aspect of the Hybrid Synergy Drive. Once these systems come to life, primary power is then handed over to the HV Traction Battery, which in turn consults with the relevant ECU and then spools up the ICE by using one of the two electric motors (I'm too lazy to check which one).

You'll notice you never hear the standard crank start noise you get from a 'normal car'. The engine just seems to rumble to life when cold, and will kick in almost seamlessly when warm. It makes "Start Stop" (or Stop Start) technology in recent cars look positively noisy and ancient.

I'm sure the intense sub-zero temperatures definitely affected your 12v battery - especially as it hadn't been driven for 3 or 4 weeks at one point - the power drain would have likely come from the alarm and the SKS system.

 

pleasure.

 

Problem: Combination Meter (dashboard) does not light up
Symptoms: When the car is READY and the POWER button is depressed, the car turns on, but the speedometer and other information does not illuminate (see image attached.)
Frequency: Intermittent, especially when ambient temperature is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Diagnostic: No DTC will be posted
Cure: It depends on when it starts.
1) Within the 9 year warranty period, take it to the dealer.
This is the warranty: https://attachments.priuschat.com/attachment-files/2016/11/116604_POL_12-05_CM_warranty_extension.pdf
2) Outside of the 9 year warranty, try this (increasing order of increasing expense and fussiness):
a) FREE: Remove a connector next to the battery. This is a video tutorial about it:

I don't know if this is a permanent solution.
b) ~$150: Replace the 12v battery. You'll need to remove the same connector from the solution above, but if you have an old, high-mileage Prius like I do (2007 with 331k!), then it's a good thing.
c) $$$: You can go to the dealer and find out how much they will charge you to fix the combination meter, but I wouldn't recommend this option.

 

d.) press and hold start button until the car powers down, insert and remove the key FOB if needed.
Turn off the head lights.
Get out of the car, open and close all doors (note that the door open light does not illuminate)
Lock the car and walk 20 feet away wait 1min
Unlock the car
Get in the car and close the door
Depress the brake pedal then turn on the lights
Press the lock button on the key twice.
(Note the headlamp indicator is illuminated, if not, repeat above, if yes, you can start the car everything is back to normal)



iPhone ?

 

Those just reset the 2 computers but the real fix is 3 cap on the display board.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Hello!

I have had 180,000 uninterrupted miles of smiles. Till I went to run an errand at lunch today. The VSC, ABS and (!) came on. The small (!) without the big red triangle. I plugged in my bluetooth OBDII scanner and found no codes. I stopped at the store. Came out and started the car. No warning lights. 30 feet away. All three came on again.

Any thoughts?

TIA

 

Get a "Prius aware" OBD2 reader. Most readers can only access one or 2 ECUs. I have a "MiniVCI" which will read all codes.

JeffD

 

Thanks Jeff,

I am using Torque with the Prius extensions. I also own a bluetooth dongle for both of our cars. I would prefer to NOT buy another.

 

Problem: Trunk Switch Melted or Hardened
Symptoms: In hot climates: black rubber goo is left on your fingers after using the rear trunk switch.

In cold climates: trunk switch becomes hard and difficult to press.​

Frequency: About 50% of 2nd Gen Prius have defective rubber cover over the switch. Problem is more evident in hot and cold climates.
Cure: There is no need to replace the entire switch assembly. Simply replace the rubber cover from the outside of the vehicle.
The cover is inexpensive, can be found here on Amazon IE Works New Trunk Hatch....

 

Checking out my PCV valve and changing it did not solve my problem. When I had the harness loose, I noticed a strong smell near the injectors and when I moved them I smell the gas more. Check out how to replace the injectors

 

Check the condition of the o-ring seal, your injectors may still be good.

JeffD

 

I think you will find that the pressure sensor is on the inside of the valve stem. The tires themselves do not have sensors to my knowledge.

 

Today, on my 2008, after driving a short distance, the first thing i noticed was that the fuel consumption display froze; subsequently, the dash indicator panel went completely dark ( i.e., speed, etc); thirdly, the cat would not shut iff. I finally got the cat to shut down, let it sit for a few minutes. I then drove it again ,and none oft he previous issued occurred again. What could all of this be a symptom of?
Could it be the Combination meter assembly going bad?
Thanks!

 

It certainly sounds like it. A failing 12 V battery can exacerbate the CM failing symptoms, so check that as well.

 

thank you --will do---the 12 V battery was replaced 18 months ago--

 

Florida is tough on batteries. But either way, the battery is the low hanging fruit, so a good thing to eliminate without having to spend any money or tear your dash apart.