2017 Prius prime quit while driving all warning lights came on

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Prius Blues, Feb 15, 2025 at 9:47 PM.

  1. Prius Blues

    Prius Blues Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    My wife was driving when the car suddenly quit and all the warning lighting came on. She coasted to the side of the road and had the car towed home. I checked the car out and as the car seemed to have power but would not shift out of natural. All the warning lights on the dash where lit up.

    I instantly thought it was an electrical problem, Battery, computer, or something like that. As it turns out the problem was the water pump. Yes, the water pump malfunctioned. The Prius apparently has a self preservation mode that shuts the entire car down and turns on every warning light. Great idea LOL.

    After replacing the water pump, the car fired right up and runs great again.
     
    #1 Prius Blues, Feb 15, 2025 at 9:47 PM
    Brian1954 likes this.
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
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    If it's like a gen 3, and knows it has a water pump problem, it probably shuts the engine down (with check-engine and master warning lights, and the brake/traction lights that come on with hybrid-system codes) when the coolant gets up to 105℃ or so. If the driver presses on under battery power, that lasts how long it lasts, and then additional things happen.

    Usually when I read "every warning light" in a post, I take it as "multiple warning lights", unless there's a photo that really shows every icon shown in the owners' manual really is lit up.
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Feb 15, 2025 at 10:18 PM
  3. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Yes, a dead inverter coolant pump will do that. The ICE coolant pump, not so much - you'll get an engine over temperature lamp, but it won't shut down.
    It's a good idea to look at both coolant bottles levels every once in a while. The 2016 -2017 model year are know to get leaks in the exhaust gas heat exchanger, which will show up as low coolant in the ICE coolant bottle. If you let this go on too long, you'll get engine over temperature lamp will come ON. There's a TSB out on this, if it happens to you. The good news is that it's covered under your extended CARB warranty.

    Hope this helps...
     
    #3 BiomedO1, Feb 15, 2025 at 10:25 PM
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Was that a change for gen 4?

    A gen 3 will turn the engine right off at 105℃, if the ECM is reporting a water pump issue. (Nothing special happens at 105℃ if no water pump issue is being reported.)
     
    #4 ChapmanF, Feb 15, 2025 at 10:46 PM
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