(!), ABS, and VSC warning lites on ('08 Prius)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by steelva, Sep 8, 2019.

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  1. steelva

    steelva Junior Member

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    Hello, am a newbie here. A few weeks ago, my car unexpectedly ran out of gas in downtown DC of all places. Once towed to a gas station and a few gallons of gas were inserted, these 3 orange warning lites were on: (!), ABS, and VSC. This 08 Prius was at ~108K miles.

    Local firm who specializes in Toyota pulled the codes. Of course, P1393 was one code for out of fuel. Got a few other codes: C1256 Accumulator Low Pressure, P0A0F engine failed to start, C1310 Brake booster solonoid, and P0A93 inverter cooling system fault. They re-set and asked me to drive it and see if the lites came back on.

    After perhaps 5 uses, these 3 warning lites came on, along with (at or very near the exact same time) my low fuel lite came on, and altho I had 4 "dots" of fuel, now it showed just one. Worried, I gassed up, but the car would take only 5 gallons, meaning I was nowhere close to being low on fuel.

    Any-hoo, I am not sure if these issues are inter-related....perhaps someone may have some experience in this regard. I'll be taking it back to the same mechanic this week for a no-cost further diagnosis. Thanks in advance to anyone who may be able to assist.
     
    #1 steelva, Sep 8, 2019
  2. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat!!

    The gas gauge is a known weak link in the US gen2. I've had issues with pips displayed and lack of gas before.

    Best to top up the tank after its half empty
     
    #2 SFO, Sep 8, 2019
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  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I think your car has two separate problems:

    1. The inverter coolant pump has failed and needs to be replaced. This is indicated by DTC P0A93. Look at the inverter coolant reservoir when the Prius is READY. If you do not see fluid turbulence in the reservoir, that is further evidence the pump is not running.
    When the inverter overheats as a result of the lack of cooling, it shuts down. When it shuts down, the 12V battery will rapidly discharge. As the voltage on the 12V bus drops because the battery is losing charge, the fuel gauge will reset which results in the single blinking bar on the fuel gauge.

    2. The other problem is you allowing the Prius to run out of fuel. If you find that your fuel gauge cannot be trusted, fully fill the tank. Then refuel after you've driven 300 miles. If you keep running out of fuel, you will cause other problems downstream, like the high voltage traction battery may fail sooner than it otherwise might due to excessive discharge.
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Sep 8, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2019
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  4. steelva

    steelva Junior Member

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    Good feedback, Patrick. Thanks! Yes indeed, will assess this inverter coolant pump.

    I agree, I need to avoid runnin' outa gas. Was on a maniacal series of 7 different calls leading up to the fuel being out...... just got too involved with work and failed to hear or see the low fuel alert. Will def avoid this from occurring again !
     
    #4 steelva, Sep 8, 2019
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  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    #5 Patrick Wong, Sep 8, 2019
  6. steelva

    steelva Junior Member

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    Excellent info, Patrick. Mega appreciated!
     
    #6 steelva, Sep 9, 2019
  7. BLNT

    BLNT Junior Member

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    Your ABS actuator might be faulty but you can only tell for certain if there are warning lights on the dash and when diagnosed, the following codes appear: C1253,C1256,C1311,C1313. C1256 and C1313 match in your case, so the ABS actuator might be faulty.

    Often what kills the ABS actuator is the not frequent brake fluid change. These are the warning lights I had on when the ABS actuator went on mine:

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    #7 BLNT, Sep 12, 2019
  8. steelva

    steelva Junior Member

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    good info BLNT. Much appreciated. Oddly enough, the shop just contacted me and said the ABS actuator needs to be replaced. Their P&L quote is $2646. Anyone know if this is fair & reasonable? Many thanks.
     
    #8 steelva, Sep 12, 2019
  9. dex3703

    dex3703 Member

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    I have had this same problem. It was due to the little 12v battery being weak/bad.
     
    #9 dex3703, Sep 12, 2019
  10. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If the P0A93 code still exists, that needs to be addressed before worrying about any skid control ECU DTC. The latter DTC may be caused by low voltage on the 12V bus.

    The price to replace the brake actuator is high because of the price of a new part. An alternative is to install a used part.
     
    #10 Patrick Wong, Sep 12, 2019
  11. steelva

    steelva Junior Member

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    Thanks, Dex. So, to clarify, you simply replaced the 12V battery, and all was well ?
     
    #11 steelva, Sep 12, 2019
  12. steelva

    steelva Junior Member

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    Good info, Patrick, thanx. A brief 'net search found a remanufac. actuator for only $619 at Partsgeek, which might cut the mustard .
     
    #12 steelva, Sep 12, 2019
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