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Prius won’t start

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by gvl, Oct 10, 2024.

  1. gvl

    gvl New Member

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    My daughter’s car, can we infer anything from these symptoms? I don’t have the car with me and won’t be able to pull the codes for a couple of days.

    New user can’t add a link, guess mods you can delete this.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    have you tested the 12 volt?
     
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  3. gvl

    gvl New Member

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    Nope, but the accessory battery was recently replaced. The dashboard lights up, then first fuel bar is flashing but there should be gas in the tank. Then after some time all gears flash as well as the tire pressure light, I thought this pattern may mean something, forum won’t let me to link the video. I won’t be able to get to the car until the weekend.
     
  4. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Lots of flashing things on the dash make me think that there is a communication bus problem. Specifically on the CAN bus. I would check all fuses in underhood and underdash fuse boxes.

    Is your scanner capable of checking all systems on a Gen2 Prius? Here's a thread that reviews several apps and devices for a smartphone. Some are "all system" capable. (The Autel AP200 has been mostly replaced with the AP2500 or AP2500E).

    https://priuschat.com/index.php?posts/3290690

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  5. gvl

    gvl New Member

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    Turned out 12V battery was low, jumped it the car started right up, by the time I got to the car it was so low the doors wouldn’t open, had to use the physical key. This is a newish AGM battery installed within last year, so while possible it’s defective I tend to think there’s some underlying issue that caused it to drain. No signs of trouble when the car was driven prior to this event, it sat unused only for a couple of days after all systems were off. Are there known issues with 12V battery drain? Reportedly the red triangle came on at one point when the car wasn’t starting. I tried to pull ECU codes with a generic reader and there was none. It’s s an 08 with just under 170k miles, original hybrid battery.
     
    #5 gvl, Oct 14, 2024
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2024
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    nothing we can point to. if the car is exceeding the normal drain when off, if there isn't an interior like stuck on, it could be anything and will take a lot of electrical trouble shooting.
    take the 12v back and have it charged and tested, it should be under warranty.
     
  7. gvl

    gvl New Member

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    I’ll wait and see if it happens again, the car started fine today after I drove it around for 30 mins yesterday. In retrospect, the old battery may have been drained too, I thought it just died of age and bought a replacement.
     
  8. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    A deep discharge caused by a light left on (like the rear hatch over a few days) can damage the battery by losing capacity. Aftermarket accessories such as an obd2 Bluetooth adapter or an aftermarket radio have been known to drain the battery. It’s easy to have the capacity checked free at most auto supplies or the battery seller.

    Measuring the normal or excessive parasitic draw is rather easy as well but may require a shop or an experienced diy’er.
     
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