Prius Gurus: I have a weird one that I can’t find anything similar posted...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Lady Riggs, Aug 27, 2019.

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  1. Lady Riggs

    Lady Riggs New Member

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    While driving the other day, out of the blue, red triangle of death, the brake system light, and the VSC light pop on (picture included in case I’m naming the warning lights incorrectly). However, nothing changes with the car, everything is driving perfectly normal.

    UNTIL, I turn it off. I turn it off after this happens, and suddenly all dash lights come on except READY, the 0 speedometer reading isn’t there, and I can only shift into neutral (second pic).

    Per other threads, I tried unplugging the negative terminal for a few minutes, this seemed to do the trick, and the car turned on normally. About five minutes of driving, then first three lights pop on again, but still car runs normally until stopped. Rinse and repeat: negative terminal maneuver and it starts normally again, but inevitably the same lights pop up while driving, sometimes within 30 seconds and sometimes after 25 minutes, without really any indication as to why it sometimes happens instantly, and other times it takes a while.

    I’ve tested my 12V, which tested good but since it kept happening I bought a new one anyway. Put in new one, same thing happened after a few minutes of driving. ​

    I made sure the orange voltage service plug was inserted correctly, removed it and it looked normal, went through a whole process of different “resetting” protocols with putting it in, disconnecting battery, reconnecting battery, pulling plug out, etc. Same issue persists. ​

    I’ve figured out the it has to be some start up sequence issue that removing the negative terminal for a few minutes helps me bypass, but after starting it those original three lights pop back up eventually, and then the car won’t start again without the negative terminal removal work around. Other than that, once started, the car drives just as normally as ever.

    Do any of you Prius masters have a clue what’s going on here???
     
    #1 Lady Riggs, Aug 27, 2019
  2. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Lady,

    You symptoms are similar to that seen for a HV isolation fault, but it could be other issues.

    Your most reliable path right now would be to get the actual codes read. If you could do that, and post them here, I'm sure we can help you more reliably. Without that, we'd be guessing for the most-part.
     
    #2 TMR-JWAP, Aug 27, 2019
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  3. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Year?
    Mileage?
    How long owned?
    Traction battery ever been replaced, repaired?
     
    #3 Skibob, Aug 27, 2019
  4. Lady Riggs

    Lady Riggs New Member

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    So sorry! I’ve been so confounded with the whole thing, I forgot to add the basics.

    It’s a 2006 with just over 200k miles, and I’ve only owned it since March. However, it was meticulously kept up by the previous owner; the battery reconditioned, and tons of other preventative and normal maintenance done over the years, with receipts to back it all up. So, despite the high mileage, it’s been very well looked after. I will check the records for evidence that the traction battery has been worked with in the time before I had it. Thank you!
     
    #4 Lady Riggs, Aug 27, 2019
  5. Lady Riggs

    Lady Riggs New Member

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    Thank you so much for the idea and the feedback, my step dad had actually mentioned purchasing a code reader ourselves to help diagnose as these problems arise. Do you know if there’s a certain model or type specific to, or best used for, Prius?
     
    #5 Lady Riggs, Aug 27, 2019
  6. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Find an old laptop with windows XP on it and get a mini VCI and copy of techstream. Install the techstream on the laptop and your ready to test. Techstream is the same program the dealer uses.
     
    #6 Skibob, Aug 27, 2019
  7. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    #7 Skibob, Aug 27, 2019
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  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    How was the hv battery reconditioned? Or was it replaced with a reconditioned battery?
     
    #8 Raytheeagle, Aug 27, 2019
  9. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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    To retrieve the diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) stored in the car’s computers that control the hybrid system and brakes, you need a Toyota Techstream diagnostic system—the Techstream software, a PC with Microsoft Windows, and a vehicle interface cable—or an equivalent device. A generic scan tool made only for OBD II engine and emissions diagnosis wouldn’t be sufficient.

    Once you know the DTCs, you can post them here, as @TMR-JWAP kindly suggests. Each DTC has a one-line “fortune cookie” (@ChapmanF's apt term) description, but the parts mentioned there may not always be the cause of the problem, which is why the Repair Manual (more info) provides a step-by-step troubleshooting procedure for each DTC.
     
    #9 Elektroingenieur, Aug 28, 2019
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  10. Lady Riggs

    Lady Riggs New Member

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    Thank you for all the replies! I went and got the codes ran today and there are two current issues:

    C1241- Low Battery Positive Voltage or Abnormally High Battery Positive Voltage

    C1310- Malfunction in HV System

    So, it appears the guess at the HV system was correct, thank you! Is this enough information to diagnose the problem that needs to be resolved, or do I need to use the TechStream software to get more information to find out exactly what’s going on?
    Additionally, if I have to use the TechStream method, do I need to purchase a key or license to use the software?

    P.s. I also just want to say, thank you so much for everyone’s help! I am a single mom with next to no knowledge about advanced vehicle problems, and very little money to waste on taking my car to the mechanic just for diagnostics. Finding this forum has been a life saver for me!
     
    #10 Lady Riggs, Aug 28, 2019
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  11. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    The link I posted is a cracked copy. You can even download and install it before you get a mini VCI. Just to make sure you can properly install it.
     
    #11 Skibob, Aug 28, 2019
  12. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Before you do something expensive, consider that C1241 refers to the 12 volt battery, and a low 12 battery might cause C1310 as well.
    Make sure your 12 volt Battery is healthy before spending thousands on the big battery
     
    #12 JimboPalmer, Aug 28, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2019
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  13. Lady Riggs

    Lady Riggs New Member

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    Thank you for the tip! We had the 12v tested, and it tested fine, it’s only two years old. But to be on the safe side we bought a new battery anyway, and installed it, and the problem still persisted exactly the same way, with both batteries. So, unfortunately, I don’t think it’s the 12V. I wish it was!
     
    #13 Lady Riggs, Aug 28, 2019
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you probably have corrosion inside the battery case. if you can't load tech stream, get the codes read at a dealer.
    are you near tampa or titusville?
     
    #14 bisco, Aug 28, 2019
  15. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    This has to be the most abused repair advice in the history of almost any car ever built. No matter what the problem is, the first thing anyone ever says is change the Prius 12v And it works. About 1% of the time.
     
    #15 Skibob, Aug 28, 2019
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  16. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    The 'problem' is that most of us do not recognize the symptoms of a bad battery if we never hear that slow starter sound. (which we won't in a Prius) So a bad battery, loose connections to the battery, etc. do not show symptoms to me that 50 years of driving may have prepared me for.

    Here is a 'not quite" 12 volt battery issue with a C1241, if you have 'subcodes' they give more detail here the problem is.
    "Do you have the detail code on your paperwork for C1241? It would be a number 81, 82, 83 or 84. 83 points directly to the brake backup power supply (capacitors in the trunk next to the 12V battery)." - 2006 Prius with error codes C1241 and C1378 | PriusChat
     
    #16 JimboPalmer, Aug 28, 2019
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  17. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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    DTC C1310 comes from the brake system, and as Toyota writes in the Repair Manual, “This DTC is output from the skid control ECU when the hybrid control ECU sends a malfunction signal to the skid control ECU.” ECU means electronic control unit, one of the car’s computers; the skid control ECU is the computer that runs the brake system. In other words, one computer is reporting that another computer told it there was a problem, but without information from the latter computer, we still don’t know the actual problem.

    It’s likely that the scan tool that was used wasn’t designed to communicate with the hybrid vehicle control ECU, so it wasn’t able to ask it directly for stored DTCs. There are some third-party devices that can do this, but Techstream would be the best option.
     
    #17 Elektroingenieur, Aug 29, 2019
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  18. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    What he said. (y):)(y)
     
    #18 dolj, Aug 31, 2019
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  19. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    +1

    Only because 0% is about 1%. ;)
     
    #19 strawbrad, Sep 1, 2019
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