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2001 Prius

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by rvgrandma, Feb 21, 2023.

  1. rvgrandma

    rvgrandma New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2023
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    Location:
    Richland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have a 2001 Prius. I drove to the store fine but when I started it up to leave the dashboard and info panel lite up.

    I am now getting the red triangle and check engine with the ! mark in them. I had O'Reilly check and the code came out P0300. The gas engine runs smoothly but the electric is not running. It tries to kick on but quickly goes off. The hybrid batteries show fully charged.

    In 7/2018 at 151,000 miles the spark plugs, coils, and cables were replaced. Any ideas? I take it in next month to have the mechanic check it out but was hoping maybe some ideas before then.

    Will add, after about 5 miles of driving, the dashboard 'Brake' light comes on and I loose power. Then I have to pull over, shut off and restart then am fine for a few more miles.
     
    #1 rvgrandma, Feb 21, 2023
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2023
  2. Josey

    Josey Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2019
    290
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    Location:
    Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Model:
    One
    There are like 1001 threads on here about the P3000 code (hybrid battery control unit malfunction).

    The brake light is another story. Find a local, independently owned shop with a good reputation that works on hybrids. (Any old generic "mechanic" won't do). Take it to them sooner than "next month"
     
    #2 Josey, Feb 22, 2023
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,902
    16,209
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    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Some trouble codes are very specific in what they indicate, and some cover a very large range of causes. P3000, whose actual fortune cookie in the repair manual is "HV battery malfunction", is one of those with a very large range.

    There are two different ECUs in the car that can give you codes related to the HV battery: the battery ECU, which is right inside the battery itself and sets detailed codes for what is wrong, and the HV ECU, which is under the carpet at the front passenger's feet and is more of an orchestra conductor for the whole car. It gets reports from other ECUs, including the battery ECU.

    The P3000 code comes from the HV ECU, and it just broadly means that the battery ECU reported some issue with the battery. A good scan tool can retrieve INF codes from the P3000, which will narrow down a little further just what sort of issue the battery ECU reported. But you would normally then look for the specific codes from the battery ECU itself to get the details of what the issue is.

    The brake system trouble codes are easy to read, even if you do not have a scan tool (or if you have a scan tool but it's the kind that tells you there aren't any brake codes even when you obviously have brake warning lights). You can get those codes this way:

    Blink (a/k/a Flash) Codes – How to. | PriusChat

    You might find codes for some real issue with the brakes. But you might also just have blink code 59. All that code means is the brake system knows about some problem from the HV ECU, so it's going to standalone braking without regen. (So that makes a 59 brake code essentially double hearsay in this case: the battery ECU detects some actual problem, so the HV ECU sets P3000 because it heard something from the battery ECU, and the brake ECU sets blink code 59 because it heard that.)
     
    #3 ChapmanF, Feb 23, 2023
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