I'm Too Old To Fix These Things

I probably asked this before, but is Techstream the next investment I need to put into this? Can it help narrow the issue and does it work with other brands. I only have a cheap Autel autolink AL319. I'll need a different reader, right?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I want to tell everyone who has been so kind trying to help me that I haven't forgotten you. I gave my word I'll let you know what happens and I keep my promises. I've had almost a month of the worst depression I've ever experienced (why I'm on disability) and I can't force myself to work on the car even though we desperately need it. It seems clear there's a short or fuse or something because the alarm has started going off on its own and it can't decide from one day to the next if it's going to start or not. The good news is I somehow found a multimeter and a clamp meter so hopefully soon I can do as I've been told. Bottom line is my illness is embarrassing and I'm really good at pouting, but I always want to be better at being grateful. You guys have made that second part much easier. Thanks, and I'll be back to report as soon as God says it's time.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Exactly what I've been preaching about this forum being so altruistic. I'm glad you lived through your experience. It reminds me of a common quote in the Christmas Light forums. Basically, whenever you're on the 30th step of a 29 step extension ladder always remember your wife is only a small nudge away from your life insurance payout.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated, but I have total confidence as soon as I can get back to the tremendous advice I've been given here I will get this done.
I feel a responsibility to respect everyone's input by finishing what I've started, and for me that type of motivation is a very good thing.

Thank you all.

 

I need help on something that's probably going to make me sound stoopid. I've used multimeters for years and years and I can finally spell AC and DC. I know constant, voltage, switch, continuity, etc. Today, just looking at continuity and/or voltage (live/switched) I went through the fuse boxes under the hood, under the dash, and in the rear. I may have gone brane ded, but I couldn't get any consistency with the fuses. One time I could touch one side of the fuse and I got my beep or number, but sometimes I could not. Sometimes I would come back to the same fuse with another meter (I have three plus a test light) and sometimes I would get it to work on the opposite side of the fuse than before. Almost never both sides. So I pulled a bunch of them out and just checked for continuity. There was one bad, which I replaced with a happy new fuse, but every one of the rest performed perfectly across blades with instant feedback. So I would put them back in the box and I got this dumb inconsistency with almost every one again. What bothers me most, and that's considerable, is many, many times I got a reading only as I removed the lead from the meter. So I started over with that one and next time one side of the fuse might work, the other side might work or nothing at all. Have I forgotten something basic? Admittedly I'm much more accustomed to testing lights instead of fuses so I'm willing to be exposed as a total idiot.

So I eventually got to the main in the back and when I pulled the harness clip off I found the wire barely hanging on. Clearly, it was only making sporadic contact and looking it up I saw it was labeled "hybrid". I found it!!! I took plenty of time replacing the wire, triple checked the results, quintuple insulated it, and had everyone in the neighborhood inspect it for goobers before I put it back. Everything was back in place so I started the car and there's the red triangle. I ran the OBD, and some odd thing I never saw before came up. I read about whatever it was and the internet said it was a common error so I reset it and everything but the check engine light went away. Looked that up, tried to reset it with the scanner and no luck. Checked every fluid and whatever my feeble brane could think of and nothing. Car runs and sounds great again, so I looked up how to reset the CEL online. Nasty little process, but I had done it before, except even that wouldn't work this time.

BTW, did I mention the fuse cover under the dash didn't match the online manual? Every fuse was one step out if place. Now the car seems very happy, but the CEL won't go off and the passenger side window won't go up. I looked everywhere for the correct fuse and the internet and guide was so different I just gave up. There's my wife's car sitting in the driveway wanting to be useful again but with the window out and that CEL, I'm afraid I may have done more harm instead of good.

You guys have to be tired of my long stories, but I'm giving it all I've got and I'm less than a hair's width from going with it when I run it over a cliff. Did I do something wrong? I'm ok with missing something every two year old learns at Bible School.

Help?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Thank you. I knew he had sent that and I looked and somehow glazed right over it. My back needs a rest from twisting under the dash so I'll use this time to study his stuph. I do have one other question. Why do they put fuse boxes under the dashboard where only circus performers can work with them? I can reach them, read them, pull or replace them, but not all at one time. I am learning, though.

Thanks again.im going back and read that post.

 

Thought I posted this earlier.
Like at total dumbhead I was looking for the download, not the links. From what I see it won't be hard to do. BTW, if anyone ever needs to remove the engine covers, front bumper, and right side headlight of their second gen I think I can do that and put it all back in 30 seconds.

Don't ask.

Thanks again.

 

Both of our vehicles are down now and I have the van in 2 million pieces, but I traced it's problem and tomorrow I get to fix it.

Ok. Looks like you are correct. No reading on VC in harness, and forgive me, I don't have brane power to figure out what to do next. BTW, the car ran fine to and from work for my wife two days, but now the triangle is back and doesn't want me to reset it. Does that have anything to do with me fiddling with the wiring? If there's a chance I understand what you guys have been trying to show me, I suspect I need a new connector or harness. With no brane synapses working, can someone please tell me what exact part and/or where I can get it?

Lastly, if replacing the wire/harness/whatever doesn't do the job, my wife and son want to bar me from further mechanic work because I may have had a mini TIA in the heat working on our van. I am more brane ded than usual and I'm having trouble with the tiniest mental functions. I won't admit all of that to them unless they ask highly specific questions, but getting help may not be a choice any longer. If that's the case, can anyone recommend someone in the Fort Worth area we can trust to finish up with the Prius, not pile on unnecessary charges, and hopefully has reasonable fees? I'm fine with shade tree mechanics.

Thanks to everyone. As a Christian I have an exceptionally deep, genuine appreciation for all you have done and you've been an answer to my family's prayers. No matter what happens you've proven, once again, God listens and I am truly a very blessed kid disguised as an adult.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Be glad to, but I will need to reread it all. I'll also go back and make sure I'm following the instructions as written and make appropriate notes. Sorry I can't remember enough to help very much.

Thanks again. Taking son for oral surgery in the morning (van runs, the parking brake just needs adjusting and I need to put a gazillion pieces back together) so it will be at least tomorrow afternoon, but I'll get that info.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

It's way too hot during daytime for me to get to work on the thing because of my health. I tried running it around the block a few times and after 15 minutes or so the triangle came back, I got P0A93, and it stopped completely. I had no choice but to let it cool down a bit because no one was able to come get me. About 10 minutes later I checked it again and although the triangle was still there, the DTC was gone. So it let me limp home (about a mile and a half) and when I checked, there was very little coolant. I thought I had paid pretty close attention to that and I know for certain there isn't any leaks. Also, there's good flow through the reservoir and I can feel coolant flowing through the radiator hose. I don't have any more coolant, so clearly, I have to buy more. Is it at all possible it would be a happy car if I flush the coolant and burp/bleed it again with all new coolant AND whisper how much I love it into the muffler? For whatever reason, even simple wiring troubleshooting has me so gun shy I really believe I could just replace the inverter quicker and easier. There's this unexplainable mental block. I've been doing super sophisticated Christmas lights (the insurance company bought us 100,000 LEDs after our son's friend flooded the house and shorted out the old ones we had bought when we could afford it), programming light changes to as little as 1/1000th of a second, syncing them to music, and broadcasting it over short wave FM, etc. for almost 30 years. Chasing wire gremlins hasn't been a problem for years. I plan on pulling it as far in the garage as I have room for it and doing whatever I need to after dark. I wired 10 100W equivalent LED lights all around the garage so lighting won't be a problem.

I just realized I can and would consider it a privilege if I can help anyone learn the Christmas lights in return for all the help you've given. They're actually a lot of phun when you realize there really isn't anything you can't do with them and the cost has come down in recent years to where the lights are now cheaper than ordinary LEDs, the best software is crowd sourced and free, and there's not much hardware involved. I would genuinely be happy to teach it to anyone who wants to know even if the Prius never moves again.

I talk too much. Thanks for everything to everyone.



Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Does this help? My cheap OBD2 scanner finally showed this. It's never been there before.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I promised I would return with results, so I hope no one will object to me copying and pasting something I wrote earlier. I can't improve on it, so here it is:

*I got sick.
*Now I'm barred by my word of honor I won't do even the simplest work on the Prius
*Found a mechanic with Prius experience.
*Checked his referrals.
*He has a million dollar OBD scanner. I want one.
*Let him work on the car. He used his million dollar scanner. I still want one.
*He preferred his own troubleshooting and although I wish it were different, I understand.
*That meant all the work and advice everyone has donated was put aside
*Now the car won't start at all. The headlights and dome light come on but not the dash lights or engine.
*Even the coolant pump stirs when I push the Start button, but not the dash lights or engine.
*His diagnosis is very different from the forum. He says new computer and MFD.
*I'm open to insisting he follows the direction we were headed, but did I mention his million dollar scanner? Surely they're never wrong, plus I want one.
*My family simply cannot afford the expensive direction he is suggesting, but it's more important to say that my wife and I still consider ourselves blessed because we got to experience the greatest compassion through this forum.

We want to thank everyone for their time and although we will likely never meet, my family considers you all to be friends in the most sincere manner possible.

If you see a headline that reads something like "Dumb, Old, Fat, Bald, Gray, Ugly, Lazy, Mexican-Looking White Guy Jumps Off Downtown Bridge" I'm sure it will have nothing to do with me.

Thanks again. Be healthy, be happy, and be safe.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

George,

I may have put this reply in the wrong place (the thread referred to). Hopefully I got it right this time.

Thank you so much for jumping in. I was reading about the issue online and discovered the stoopid thing has an immobilizer complete with its very own fuse. I'll be checking your idea and this fuse as soon as I'm alone tomorrow. It's not technically "working" on a car if that's a I'm doing is it?

Thank you again. I'll let you know.

.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.