Engine will not start- Weird issue

After finding another ride... go to sears or car parts store and buy a DTC code reader, take gas can. Bring home at least 3 gallons of gas and add to tank then plug in code reader (under dash in front of driver) then list any or all codes and report back to us.
BTW, 2001 to check battery... Set parking brake, then with foot on brake, turn key to "ACC" mode (one click short of Ignition position) then with normal "consumption" screen up push "Display" rocker switch. Now, press upper left corner of screen then lower left corner three times. Push-Push, Push-Push,Push-Push. Release brake, screen should change to diagnostic screen... test from that screen

Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/engine-will-not-start-weird-issue.94150/#ixzz2Rkmx2jj4​

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This test will not work on my 2001 when you press the lower left in will change to showing motor screen ect may be different version software.​

 

The trick is in just where you make those six touches on the screen. Think the top and bottom left corners of the rectangular outlined area, not the whole screen itself. If you look in the audio/nav section of the service manual volume 1 (online at techinfo.toyota.com or on paper from helminc.com) the pictures show exactly where to touch.

Now, the only useful stuff you'll find on these diagnostic screens (unless you're troubleshooting a radio/DC/nav problem) is on the Vehicle Signal Check screen, where you'll be able to read the voltage on the 12 volt battery, and you can probably read that more directly on whetever DTC reader you got in step 1.

You should be aware that most DTC readers you can get at Sears or a car parts store are capable of reading only a small fraction of the diagnostic information on a Prius. Not only will they fail to show you a lot of the information from the engine computer, they may not know the other six computers running the car even exist.

Many of us don't recommend even spending the money on a scanner that can't scan the car. You can stop at a car store and let them use one of their scanners to read engine codes for you, and if that solves your problem it's free and it's great, but before spending money on a scantool for yourself you can learn a lot about what tools will actually be useful on a Prius by searching posts on this forum. (Also, for when you don't have a scantool handy, there are ways to make most of the car's computers show you their trouble codes--but not other diagnostic info--by blinking lights on the dash. You can find that information indirectly by searching this forum, or directly by looking in volume 1 of the manual. Two important computers that can't blink codes at you are the traction battery and hybrid-vehicle ECUs, so in shopping for a scantool I recommend making sure you get one that can talk to those.)

-Chap

 

This thread is weird (as its title), funny and useless, all at the same time. There are at least three people with the same problem, who somehow must fix the problem BUT NOONE post the fix, and a lot of "experts" that make this thread just long but not a bit useful.

 

Key to diagnosing a hybrid is pulling the codes with an appropriate scan tool. It owners don't want to pay to have the codes read or purchase an appropriate tool like Techstream it's hard to help them.

And yes, it sucks when owners don't post what they did to fix their car. I will say based on experience if Gen1 won't run for more than 10 seconds start by cleaning throttle body and MAF (and any oil pooling at bottom of intake). This is relatively easy task without buying any parts may get car back on its feet.

 

Part of what makes the thread weird and funny is the classic business where someone has posted some concern and no trouble codes, so there's not enough info to know what the problem is, and then other people tag on their concerns with their cars, also with no trouble codes, so there's no way to say they have the same problem or not.

And if nobody comes back and posts further information, that's the way it stays.

 

Unlike many others here who only comment on their problems and not their solutions or professional reviewers who often have no idea what they are talking about, I am going to leave the problem and the solution, which is still unfinished until the inverter coolant pump arrives.

I was driving on a neighborhood street, a normal day, without cold, heat, rain or snow, and the vehicle stopped. First time something like this has happened to me. There was a slight smell of burning. Tried to start it again and nothing. No ready, no gear position indication, intermittent fuel gauge (I knew positively that the tank was almost full), no red triangle, no alarm, nothing.

I disconnected the 12 V battery and reconnected it after 5 minutes, I even disconnected the main battery, and nothing, everything was the same.

I tried looking for information here and it was the most frustrating thing that has ever happened to me.

The next day I started checking the fuses one by one until I found the AM2 15 Amp fuse blown. This fuse, in addition to powering the inverter's coolant pump, powers a good part of the computers when the car starts up.

Luckily for me, the replacement fuse I had was 20A, so I put it in and it allowed me to see smoke coming out of the area where the inverter coolant pump is. So far I did not know if it was the pump or some wiring. The 20A fuse held without blowing.

I began to disassemble everything necessary to be able to extract the pump and when I was able to get to it I saw that there were ashes in its lower part. Here is the culprit. I electrically disconnected the pump, put the vehicle on and everything went back to normal. I even started it for a few seconds to check that no other fault appeared and the car started without problems and without indicating any fault.

Before that I used Techstream to try to identify the problem, but without any luck, because most of the computers were out.

Now I'm waiting for the pump to arrive, to change it and solve my problem.

 

I can see why you didn't quickly find the many threads here about that somewhat common issue: it's common for Gen 2! (In fact it's so well known for Gen 2 I immediately thought that's what you had when you reported it.) You might be the first one reporting it in a Gen 1. If you had posted in a thread describing the specific symptoms you've just described here, there was a chance the professional reviewers with no idea what they're talking about might have made the connection to the many Gen 2 threads we've got describing that issue.

For Gen 2

For Gen 2 it's well documented:



For Gen 1

For Gen 1, there isn't the same handy connector near the fuse box to disconnect the pump. You just have to unplug the pump itself.

So I guess now we need a picture locating the AM2 fuse for Gen 1 also.



It would also be good to start a Gen 1 thread specifically about this; it will be easier to find there than here, with just a vague "engine will not start - weird issue" and three people tagging on at different times who probably had three different problems.

About oversizing a fuse

After your experience oversizing the fuse and having the pump continue to burn, a careful inspection of the wire harness and the wiring inside the fuse box might be advisable. My dad bought a used Ford once where the previous owner had addressed an issue (caused by a sharp sheet metal edge that had entered a dome light wire) by installing a higher-rated fuse. We had to replace the whole harness from the instrument panel to the back of the car; it was crispy enough that when we took it out and bent it, the insulation fell off in flakes.

[Edited: the pump/AM2 issue is so common for Gen 2, at first I completely missed it was a Gen 1 this time.]