Help! The Prius is dead!

Cathy,
What is the charge state of the 12V and the hybrid batteries? I don't know much, but I don't think it will start if the hybrid battery is flat.

 

I doubt the hybrid batteries are flat. You have to seriously abuse them to kill them, and they are disconnected from all power consuming devices (read: inverter) when not in READY mode.

ALL fuses will need to be checked if polarity was reversed. You can do a lot of damage reversing polarity, so DON'T DO IT! Hopefully it is just a bunch of fuses, but any of the electronic components could have been damaged.

I would agree the 12V battery was weak, since the lift was sluggish. That lift will probably use up the battery fairly quickly. Better to run it while in READY mode, so that the converter/hybrid battery/ICE can provide full 12V with plenty of current.

 

You sell yourself short. You were also one of the first in the COUNTRY to get one!

I hope the Toyota techs know enough to check all the fuses as Dan suggested. There are times when people find 1 cause and stop there. "Fixed the fuse, must be the computer is blown". Maybe not!! I would hope Toyota put plenty of safeguards in that area.

Since you do have the need for a higher than expected load on the 12V, I suggest you hit up Toyota for advice on a larger capacity 12V battery. There are other threads here asking about doing so, but I think you can benefit from Toyota's desire to help people with limited abilities in whatever sense.

 

I hope it is a well used demo. If I found out the dealer used my brand new car to swap ECUs, I would be very upset, and demand it be considered a used car and price it accordingly, or else provide exended warranty for free. Some of them parts are not covered under the hybrid warranty.

 

I have a friend who has a wife with MS, so he has a wheelchair lift in his 2003 Chevy Venture minivan. The power sliding side door makes this very easy.

He has a marine-style battery isolator and a deep cycle marine battery to power the lift. The isolator, as the name suggests, keeps the vehicle electrical system separate from lift electrical system.

He special ordered his Venture with the Towing package, which among other things has the higher output alternator and the trailer wiring harness. He uses the trailer red "power" feed to power the isolator and charge the deep cycle battery.

So far, the isolator and the separate electrical system for the wheelchair lift has worked flawlessly. The only problem is that he also uses the minivan as his daily driver for a 45km commute to work, and the fuel economy is killing him.

A battery isolator is good to separate heavy loads from the main electrical system. I'm not sure if this would work with the Prius inverter system though.

 

The important thing is you need an isolator that does not use just diodes.
That type won't work since there is no separate charging line.

check out this site for isolators and sample circuits suited for Prius cars:

http://www.hellroaring.com/bic75150.htm

 

the problem could be any of a multitude of things that were damaged up to an including the immobilizer, inverter/converter assy. main ECU, or any other thing imaginable or possible. Electronics just don't like reversed polarity. Instead of swapping out parts why not sit down with the electrical service manual and a DVM and start checking what all has power and what doesn't. If the car won't go live the OBD11 system won't tell them anything, I mean who's to say it's not blown. This repair could go to 4-5-6,000$ easily. If it's the inverter it alone is worth $6497.25 or as simple as the $45 fusible link on the battery terminal. Please keep us posted on the outcome of this incident. Thank you.

 

wow! did they give you any idea of the total cost? I'd sure like to know. All 14 computers probably adds up to $13 to $14,00 total.

 

8) Cathy K,

http://www.toyota.com/mobility/

Have you checked out this site?

Ben

 

Wow, that's neat! I have several friends that I have to send that to.