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2002 Prius died on #405 in LA last night

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by Debora, Oct 27, 2012.

  1. Debora

    Debora Junior Member

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    Last night I was driving home from San Diego to Los Angeles in my 2002 Prius, and the 'triangle of death' as you call it, went on. I got off the #405 and parked for 10 minutes while I read the manual which said get to a dealer as soon as possible. I started it back up and the engine seemed to be fine but the 'triangle of death' was still there, so I decided to continue to drive but stayed in the right lane. I must have gone another 20 miles when I suddenly lost engine power, the headlights and dashboard were fine, and hazard lights worked fine. I was able to get to a safe place and towed the car home. Today I am researching what happened. Along with the 'triangle of death', the check engine light (little red icon) was on but I didn't get the 'Main Engin' error message. Anyway, I'm trying to research what the problem might be before taking it to the dealer.​

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    #1 Debora, Oct 27, 2012
  2. Debora

    Debora Junior Member

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    Sunday, I tried to start my wonderful 2002 Prius and I only got a clicking sound like the battery was dead. I figured it was the auxiliary battery. However, my trusted mechanic has replaced the auxiliary battery and it turns on with Ready light, but then immediately shuts down. Any ideas on what this could be????
     
    #2 Debora, Sep 23, 2015
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    on the 405? that's the worst. are you okay? we can guess at many things, but the best thing to do is have your trusted mechanic hook up tech stream diagnostics to pinpoint the problem. all the best!(y)

    p.s. how many miles on her?
     
    #3 bisco, Sep 23, 2015
  4. vaughnstark777

    vaughnstark777 Member

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    #4 vaughnstark777, Sep 23, 2015
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. What was the resolution to the problem that you described in your 2012 OP?
    2. Regarding your current problem, please be precise about what "shuts down" means? Does this mean none of the electrical systems operate? For example, does the dashboard go dead? Can you turn on the headlights? Does the cabin lighting work?
    3. If the dashboard warning lights are on, then diagnostic trouble codes may have been logged, and your trusted mechanic needs to read the DTC. Then you'll have a clue about what is wrong.
    4. If in fact, "shuts down" means that the car has lost electrical power, then it is necessary to select one circuit which lost power, and start from the 12V battery, moving towards that circuit, to figure out what the problem is. If your mechanic is competent to diagnose electrical problems, then s/he will benefit from access to the electrical wiring diagram, which is available at techinfo.toyota.com
     
    #5 Patrick Wong, Sep 25, 2015
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