1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

I’m having problems with my 2008 Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by jprius!, Aug 4, 2024.

  1. jprius!

    jprius! New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2024
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    Kennesaw, GA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    What’s up, everyone? I just wanted to see if I’m the only one with this problem, or if it’s just my car.
    The A/C stopped working a few days ago, in this summer heat. I don’t know if something might be leaking from the car (taking it to the shop in a few days)

    My phone would not connect to make calls, and yesterday the whole multimedia screen went black.

    I disconnected the 12v battery and reconnected it after a min, just to see if it was related to the problem. Started the car and multimedia system was working, back to normal.

    Do yall think it’s a battery related problem?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,129
    50,045
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    doesn't sound like it. you can get a free 12v load test at many auto parts stores, how old is it?
    any trouble lights?
     
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,369
    1,791
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Do you have a red triangle or orange lights on the dash My guess will be probably the inverter pump is on the way out
     
    landspeed and jprius! like this.
  4. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    7,854
    3,965
    0
    Location:
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    ... or the MFD is on the way out - intermittent for now but will get worse as time goes on.

    BTW, it wouldn't hurt to fully charge your 12 V battery and test it with a tester.
     
  5. jprius!

    jprius! New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2024
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    Kennesaw, GA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    that might be the problem, since I got this car over a year ago, it shows the red exclamation mark at times, but now it’s just there with the orange warning lights as well. I’ve been taking my car to the mechanic but it always seems to go back to the same problem, I’ll ask them to check the inverter pump and see what they say
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,129
    50,045
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    get a prius aware scanner, or find a mech who has one
     
  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,369
    1,791
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Just walk out to the car and push the button to make it ready while you're sitting in the seat and do all the stuff you do then pull the hood release as you're getting out of the car lift up the hood and on the driver side right behind the headlight Just put your hand down there You should hear a saint clicking kind of a fluttering sound when you put your hands straight down behind the headlight You should feel that fluttering buzzing sound now look with a flashlight at what your hand is touching It's a flat looking pancake with a nipple sticking straight up out of it and one sticking off to the side and hoses are applied to the nipples If that thing is buzzing and clattering then you undo the reservoir in between the engine and the thing that says hybrid synergy drive on the silver cover you take the black lid with the yellow writing off of the opaque red colored flask and you look in there with your flashlight be real quiet and you're looking for water movement ever so slightly you can barely tell it and then if you touch the hose right in front of the reservoir that you're checking there's a nipple there If you put your hand around it you'll feel the vibration you just felt on the other side at the pump on that hose barely If you don't then it seems like you're not moving water that's a problem needs to be checked at low speed around town it's not going to affect you driving in the higher heat of the summer trying to go down the highway it will throttle charging levels back away from the hvbattery and things won't look the same