235K 2001 Prius Dead?

I'm not one of the experts here and haven't seen screens like you've posted before - have you pulled the codes yet? For example, if that screenshot suggests that one of the modules is failing, it might just be the wiring harness inside the battery. You can buy a new one for $100 or so, and it only takes a few hours of uncomplicated work to replace it. Or, if it's just one module failing, you can buy a single module for less than $100, and that's just a little bit more work to replace. That might be a temporary fix; once one module goes out, you should probably expect others to go out before long, but if $100 gets you a few more months of use, and you like the car, that's pretty cheap transportation.

You also don't say how many miles are on the vehicle. There are many cases of people getting well over 200k miles, some are over 300k and I've read one owner here over 400k. If you're significantly below 200k, and for $1500 can get a rebuilt battery that will last another 3 years (the warranty provided by some vendors), again, that's cheap transportation. Granted, you might have other problems - if you've not replaced the inverter pump, that would be recommended ($150, 2 hrs max labor in your driveway).

That alternative is not real good for the simple fact that the NADA/Kelly Blue Book valuation of these cars is real low, but that's because so many are sold in non-operating condition due to the batteries, just like you're considering. The average owner gets the triangle, takes it to Toyota, and it doesn't matter what's wrong with it (i.e. maybe just a harness), Toyota says it needs a new battery and they quote a very high price plus $120/hr labor for simple work. Like you're thinking, those owners don't think it's worth the investment and sell the car for whatever, which isn't much because it doesn't run.

You might check and see what you can sell it for, but IMHO, even if you just go buy a used battery from a recycler (LKQ gets about $700 and provides a short warranty), and then sell it, you'd recoup that investment over what you'd get for it with the orange triangle. It helps if you're willing to do the labor - it's not complicated and requires almost no tools (10m, 12m, and 14m sockets and ratchet w/extension, flat screwdriver. swapping the harness/modules also requires an 8m, and being careful not to get shocked. I'm an idiot and have done several).

 

That particular Gen 1 error display over the years has confused more people than a William Barr statement:



What you're really seeing here:

• The power steering (PS) does not have a problem.
• The main battery (MAIN) does not have a problem.
• Some other condition (!), detectable by the HV ECU, exists.

You'll find out what the other condition is when the trouble codes are read. It doesn't have to be anything especially expensive, necessarily.

 

By your display you clearly have one module pair over charging, and one no longer taking a charge. By rearranging modules to equalize voltage, replacing 2 to 4 modules, and ideally hooking them all up in parallel for a couple days to balance i think you would be in great shape. It's a relatively low cost and moderate time investment to get another year or two out of the car.

 

Apologies, didn't see that you listed the mileage in the thread title. Everything I said is still valid, with just slightly more risk of other future problems besides the battery. Bottom line, these cars are cheap transportation.

 

I don't see any serious red flags in those battery snap shots (like overcharge or not taking charge). The DSOC is obviously red-flagged, but that can come and go momentarily. If you track those things while driving they're all over the place. Two screen shots don't say anything.

Not all red triangles are about the hybrid battery. I'm guessing that you don't have a Tech 2 knockoff scanner or you'd have said so and posted something about it. Search the forum for that and see if you want to get into that. Without an error code scan, no one can say what to do. You could have something as simple as a bad ground.

 

This does not balance the modules, it equalizes them. It has been shown to offer no real benefit and it is now accepted that you should not waste your time with equalizing modules. It is far more important to make sure they are charged to the same level at the get-go.

It is more important to make sure any new modules match the capacity (as best you can) with the others with which they will need to play nicely.

Your time and energy would be best utilized reconditioning all modules, not just the 2 - 4 you are replacing.

That's if doing any of this interests you, or you think it would be a worthwhile investment of your time.

 

Good to know, will save our time and effort on that then. Thanks!

 

Since the display on the MFD is telling you the car doesn't think there's anything wrong with the PS or the battery, only some other condition the HV ECU is detecting, one way forward would be to worry less about the battery or the PS, and just ask the HV ECU what the other condition is that it's detecting.

 

Seven years on a reconditioned battery... cool. Are you able to take the battery apart? Look at the condition of the copper plates that connect the cells. They may need to be cleaned. An HV battery hates bad connections. I have fixed 8 myself.

 

As the OP has already posted an image showing that neither the power steering nor the battery have problems, it could be possible to devote too much attention to the battery and not enough to finding out what problem the car is reporting.

 

It's up to the OP.
But I think I'd be just the opposite.
At this point, with a 18 almost 19 year old 1st Gen Prius? I'd really be inclined to try to keep it going. As much as a Prius can be a "Classic" that Prius is becoming unique.
I'd just be enticed or encouraged to see if I could still be driving it for another decade.

 

odbo255 could take the car to auto zone and have them read the codes for free. Is the car driveable? I forget, not every body has an obdII reader that reads toyota prius codes. Look at the dash picture, the brake light is also lit (to the right of the check engine light). For me, that always mean there is corrosion on the terminals. I clean the HV battery terminals, reassemble it, drive it, sometimes the problem goes away. If not, I take the battery apart again and look for weak cells, change them out, car runs fine. Only one time did I get a prius where the owner never changed the transmission fluid. The engine would not turn over. the code said the HV relay was at fault. Guess what...that was wrong. I took the transmission pan off and the slug in the pan was covering the pick up screen. The poor little car only had 170,000 miles on it. I separated the engine and transmission and the engine spun freely by putting a 3/4" wrench (19mm for metric lovers) on the harmonic balancer bolt. It would not turn over before. Gen 1s have a "fixed" clutch plate. When I took the trans apart i found the planetary shaft was locked up. One of the four gears was in pieces. Another was missing its center shaft. Then I decided to look at the questionable "o-ring" on the trans screen pick up tube. It looked brand new. Change your transmission fluid people. The o-ring was fine.

 

The screen is not indicating the PS ! as stated by ChapmanF. It is indicating the CAR ! . It is still and exclamaition of death screen. Not the end of the world. Just another challenge to get through.

 

I actually got the PS! when I forget to re-attach my electric power steering wires, it came on. I was attempting to remove my fuel rail on my 2002 Prius. The Invertor or valve cover needs to be removed to do that. I was attempting to clean my injectors.

I wonder if you got the crazy "failed to start" error code waiting to be revealed? Has the car been making a lot of horrible noises in the past few days when starting?

When I've gotten those in the past I have fixed it by replacing coils on one car, cleaning injectors on another car, and having to replace the fuel tank assembly on another. (fuel tank because on a Gen1 you cant buy just the fuel pump. It is part of the fuel tank assembly).

 

error code P3191 is the cruise control malfunction. Really is the "failed to start" error. It basically means the car did not start after the MG1 turned the engine over for to long of a time.

 

Failed to start can be a lot of things. For example on my 2001 Prius (220k miles or so, pack rebuilt by me at 150k) the 3191 was caused by the COP (Coil over Plug) igniters going bad. They have a limited life span, are on top of the engine right over the cylinder, and have been sparking since new. Yes they go bad.

When I replaced one of them with a factory toyota (NEVER USE THE $30 KNOCKOFFS ON EBAY. THEY ARE CHINESE GARBAGE) one the 3191 went away along with the P0420 (Cat converter error) that used to drive me bonkers. It's worth it to try replacing them and see if the problem goes away.

 

I have been getting these same lights, but the car RUNS GREAT and STILL getting over its usual 41mpg, higher even! But for his Check engine/fail to start, mine was cleared when i REPAIRED my pcv hose (cracked and hard, cut 1/2" off) at the TB end. THEN, I replaced the PCV valve AFTER driving it around with no return of a P0420.

THEN, on the car with ! in it, i remembered that it popped up AFTER I'd last pulled my HV battery safety disconnect in trunk!
I just took it back out, CAREFULLY squeezed (and scraped the inside contact area) the little metal contact tighter without breaking plastic orange holder, and firmly reinstalled it. I'll repost if MINE comes back, as I've been reading this forum for a week looking for an answer and there's very little info on the 'hybrid system warning' alarm.

 

I got my 3191 to go away for now by using new plugs and cleaning all the road dirt off all 4, and using dielectric grease around the boot on reinstall. Sorry, I wanted to replace them and still will if they fail me again, but so far I'm lucky. Which is lucky b/c buying 4 new Toyota coils is more $ than I have at this time.

 

Dang it, my Car + ! came back after one trip, when I got back in and started it from grocery store 3 miles away. Anyone know a free place I can get hybrid codes scanned? I have a buddy who knows a guy but not sure yet on that. Can't afford my own scan laptop setup yet. I get no P codes, and Oreilly's scanner can't read them, or I don't know how to use it correctly.....