Red triangle of doom, VSC and a couple other check engine lights

Hello Friends!
Long time lurker, first time poster. I have a 2007 Gen 2 with 205,000 miles on her in Portland, Maine. I have an Apple phone and laptop, so no TechStream, just a basic OBDC2 using the ELM app which is supposed to have some Prius compatibility. It is reading no DTC codes, though yesterday, driving almost 80 miles an hour, the triangle, exclamation point (not tire), VSC and check engine light came on (photo attached). I pulled over in terror. Stopped and restarted, VSC went out. Used my reader to try to read (none) then clear the codes because I had just had 2 weeks of autobody and thought they may have run my 12 volt down. It was not until I reached high speeds again that the lights came on. Cleared when I got home, did a short low speed trip, still runs perfectly, and the lights stayed off.

Read a bunch of threads on here, and I checked, and I think I see no turbulence in the inverter reservoir. In your experience, if the car is running, is there turbulence? I only started it, and then looked. Didn't run for a long time. Nothing. I believe this may be the problem as perhaps low speed, low heat, doesn't trip the code.

Does anyone know where I could perhaps get my stored codes read other than the stealership, lol?

I already looked into battery replacement, worst case, because of the triangle, and having to pay a stealership for labor to have a code read, after how they rake you over the coals on a hybrid battery replacement is sort of the last thing I want to do. Thank you so much!

 

I did look in and remove the cap. There was no movement. Very suspicious, except no limp mode!
I can check the tire pressure (all the same model) but usually I will get a light when one is low. I have like 14 volt meters, not sure where they keep coming from. The 12 volt is only a couple of years old, but you never know.

 

Thank you! I should mention that the VSC light never has come back on; just the initial time. When I restarted the car, it went out and never came back. All the rest of the lights have returned (at higher speeds, off all day today).

I was traveling at a high speed, though I noticed no vibrations. I don't have a windows laptop, will keep my eyes open even though I know installation of techstream can be a little tricky. My amazon search for a toyota code reader other than the mini VCI with Techstream didn't turn up anything. Thanks for the term ECU code! I didn't have that in my vocabulary. Maybe I can call around auto-parts stores.

 

Thank you so much! This is very helpful about the code reading. I will look for the thread on importing Torque PID files, Carista looks like it only offers basic OBD2 data for my model Prius, though that may be enough for a check engine light. Now that I have seen the term ECU codes, I am no longer sure what data toyota communicates through OBDII! Would it describe the hybrid failure light? I think not. I cleared my codes and haven't had the lights come up yet again; I may not have to hit highway speeds, or temperatures, as the case may be.

Which brings me to your other point, Jerry, that there really does seem to be no movement at all in the coolant after putting the car in Ready mode. I assume that pump failure can be diagnosed by a regular garage without a code... I don't want to hurt the inverter trying to make it code again! Unless the code is stored somehow after I cleared it with my rudimentary device. I did read on the forum of a man who had very similar, frightening lights come up, and it was not the Hybrid battery, but merely this pump, so I checked it to the best of my ability. Car still runs perfectly fine!
Thanks again. I appreciate your input!

 

Thank you Dolj! I appreciate hearing from you. I have read your sage advice on other threads many times. I'll go give her an Ig-On observation in order to better bolster my confidence that this is the issue and I can buy a part without the benefit of a code! I have a handy friend who I believe might be willing to tackle it... I found this thread (even my model year in the vid) that seems a good resource! A mechanic wants $600 it sounds like from the post, I'll offer my friend 3. I don't expect anyone to know a reputable Prius guy (ahem, cheaper) near Portland, Maine.

Replacing Inverter cooling pump | PriusChat

I'll report back!

 

Thanks for the info, I checked out EngineLink, the reviews don't seem too great, only 2.5 stars. Don't yet see info about the PIDs and how to load them, but I may have to take your word for it! Now I have to figure out what kind of wifi OBDCII reader I have, someone gave it to me!

 

Wow, thank you! This really helps! Ironically, that is the reader that I have!

 

It finally got hot enough in Maine for the check engine lights to reappear! I took the prius to Advance Auto Parts and their free scan did indeed pull the P0A93 code. I went ahead and ordered the pump from Amazon.

I am going to try to replace it myself.

 

It took a little under two hours, and I finally got to hear what the pump sounds like in IG-ON mode. Hooray! Nice to see the turbulence in the coolant. I only broke one little plastic tab on a black part that the bumper connects to. But since it's an old car I just bolted it back on. Thank you everyone so much for your support in this! If anyone finds this thread down the road and has any questions of me, I will be monitoring!

 

I definitely feel fortunate that this time, Advance Auto Parts could read a legit code for my problem! I think it is a shame that the dealership charges labor for this. I'll keep my ear to the ground for a windows laptop, for sure.