2001 Warning Light And no Reverse!

You would recognize the brake accumulator pump sound, right? It sounds a lot like a ... low stuck whirring noise, and you'll often hear it as soon as you turn the key to 'on' (unless the brake pressure is already up from recently running). So my guess is that's the sound you're hearing, which is normal.

The last time I asked a dealer to hook up a scan tool and read out codes, they quoted me $60 over the phone, and then forgot to charge me anything when I got there.

-Chap

 

Yes, you should visit the Toyota dealer as soon as possible and expect to pay for one hour of labor time. Ask to have all DTC retrieved and for the tech's diagnosis. Then if you post them we might be able to suggest whether the tech's diagnosis is reasonable.

Based upon the symptoms you mentioned I would say that you have a hybrid system problem: the hybrid vehicle ECU, the traction battery, or the transaxle.

 

Welcome to PriusChat. Based on what you've told, there may be no urgent need to ask for a code scan unless some (new) issue presents itself.

Some shops willl do it for free, and if yours is one, then by all means go take advantage of that. Bring them a package of cookies as a gift.

Well, patrick posted first and said "go", so I guess you'd better. but it is driving OK, right?

 

How far is the Toyota dealer from your home?

Can you drive around the block in your neighborhood without major drama occurring?

 

This is a common problem for Classic Prius in cold weather. TSB EG011-03 provides the thinking behind your service writer's recommendation. However the TSB suggests that the tech actually do troubleshooting to determine the failed part. The service writer instead is saying just to replace everything, which is easy for him/her to do if you are willing to pay the $2K.

Here's what I suggest you do:

Make sure the car is tuned up by installing new iridium spark plugs (using the correct NGK or Denso plugs only) if they have not been recently replaced. The fact that you are getting misfire codes (P030x) implies that you have a problem at minimum with the spark plug in cylinder #1 - or maybe with the fuel injector for that cylinder.

Check the engine air filter and replace if dirty. Make sure the engine oil level is correct (not overfilled) and 5W-30 viscosity or thinner. Finally, clean the throttle body and throttle plate using the appropriate cleaner.

Then drive the car for a while and see if you still have engine start problems. If yes, then find the engine ECU located behind the glove box and note the part number. If the ECU part number is not 89661-47054, then see if you can buy a used ECU with this part number from a salvage yard, the going price is ~$300. Install the ECU, and your troubles should be over.

 

Patrick's got you covered. You might also confirm that the connections to cylinder 1 (ignitor and fuel injector) are firmly plugged in. Heck check all 4 cylinders' connections, why not?

It is rare but unknown for TSB EG011-03 to require the fuel pump relay and fuel tank assembly to be replaced. If there is evidence that you might need those, check in again because the price of those parts is not actually not excessive. THe fuel tank assembly takes several hours, so that would be the worst thing to actually face.

 

I understand that some retail auto stores (Kragens,etc) will allow you to use thier scan guage to look at codes. Would these codes show up on a Prius?

 

Hi Andy,

Since the engine ECU logged those codes, it is likely that a generic OBD-II code reader would produce them. However if the hybrid vehicle or traction battery ECUs produced codes, a generic reader may or may not produce them.

 

Thanks Pat, Just for kicks, I bought a scan guage at Harbor freight, cheap, like $50.00. It showed me absolutely nothing, so I bought it back for a refund, 10 minutes later. Of course it only promised to pick-up error codes, which I probably had none. I had used the old diagnostic system on my 84 Camry, which was an interesting procedure, but tedious. Short two pins and then observe the dashboard screen and look for and count pulses. This was all covered in the Toyota Repair manual, which was then about $35.00 I never quite figured it out as the car always registered OK. It's hard to fix something that isn't broke. Andy.

 

Hi Andy,

Well - if you want to buy an OBD-II code reader and test it, it is easy enough to force some DTC to be present. For example, you could disconnect the wiring harness connector to one of the spark igniters or fuel injectors to get an engine DTC. You could remove the traction battery interlock to get a DTC from the traction battery ECU (and maybe hybrid vehicle ECU.)

Some problems have "two trip" detection logic, so you may need to start the car a couple of times before warning lights will come on.

Then to clear any codes, restore whatever you had disconnected. Then disconnect the 12V battery negative terminal for a few minutes, or use the code clearing function of the code reader.

 

xx

 

Did you notice any problems with the spark plugs or the igniters, especially for the cylinder logging the misfire code?

Yes, you can disconnect the negative terminal of the 12V battery for several minutes to clear the DTC. The battery is located on the left side of the trunk area. When you open the trunk you will notice a small access cover that has three or four plastic fasteners. Remove the fasteners so that you can take the cover off. Then you will see the battery.

To clean the throttle body and plate, remove the air filter cover and air filter after the car is IG-OFF. If the air filter is dirty, replace it.

Look down the throttle body. Twist the throttle open, rotating the spring-loaded shaft by hand. You will probably see black deposits. If so, remove them. Probably easiest to use throttle body cleaner spray (that is safe for use with catalytic converters.)