2003 prius. code p3130, p3002 & p3125 were "cleared" of the computer. should I worry

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by donemite69, Jul 26, 2011.

  1. donemite69

    donemite69 New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2011
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    Location:
    baltimore
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Model:
    I
    My car shut down on me. computer was being fuzzy and went out on me. I took it to a shop that didn't seem to know much. They gave me a list of the following codes......

    p3130 (inverter cooling)
    p3002 (HV ECU)
    p3125 (converter/inverter ASM)

    They "cleared the codes" from the computer somehow magically and now the car is fine (no warning lights).
    I'm scared to drive it though 'because they said it could happen again. And since they didn't do any work on the car and something is indeed wrong, I'm in trouble. When the car died, the temperature outside had a heat index of 110 degrees from the humidity and high heat.

    Could the car have overheated?

    How serious is it if those codes come up and are just "cleared away" by a mechanic? How long will it take the computer to pick up the problem again? I've driven it a total of 2 miles since and don't plan to go any further until I find out more. It seems like the warning lights would come back on during that trip.... or the car would do the same thing again. If its just one of the pumps or hoses, I don't want to ruin the inverter by driving it.

    Also, about other codes that came up.... are they coming up because of p3130 code? I was reading about that and i heard it was possible.

    Anybody got any suggestions?

    Are there any free manuals online? How big of a task is it to replace the pumps or hoses myself?

    thanks for reading. Please help save my poor poor car.
     
    #1 donemite69, Jul 26, 2011
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
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    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Look at the inverter coolant reservoir when the Prius is READY. Do you see fluid turbulence?

    If yes, then the pump is working. If no, then the pump is not working and that probably is the reason for P3130 and P3125.

    Depending upon ambient temps and vehicle speed you may have to drive the car 20 miles or more from a cold start, before the inverter will overheat.

    It is actually quite easy to clear the DTC logged by the hybrid vehicle ECU and a special tool is not required; all you need do is disconnect the 12V battery negative terminal for a few minutes, thus allowing the ECU memory to be lost.

    It is a moderate task to replace the inverter coolant pump which is located behind the driver's headlamp assembly, but fairly difficult to purge the system of air. techinfo.toyota.com is a subscription website where you can download official Toyota repair documentation, and you can do a search for info on how to do this. Good luck.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Jul 26, 2011
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