2005 Prius Won't Go Into Gear

any warning lights?

have you read the trouble codes with tech stream?

have you tested the 12v?

is there movement in the inverter fluid reservoir?

how many miles on her?

 

I finally disconnected the battery and reconnected it. That temporarily fix the problem. I was able to get home but upon arriving home and shutting off the vehicle, it would not restart again - same problem. I disconnected the battery a second time and again the vehicle would then operate.

Isn't this the "normal" symptoms of a HV Battery ground fault?

 

Wouldn’t that throw a code that could be read on a cheap OBD scanner? I’m guessing that’s what the guy is using, Techstream would have pulled up a code.

 

To prevent this problem (which you'll need to pull the codes and see where it's coming from), you would need to replace the part (my guess is the entire HV Battery).

 

Remove HV battery from car and place on driveway.
Remove metal covers and pressure wash the battery to remove all 'leaked' electrolyte, therefore clearing ground fault problem.
Suspend HV battery to allow drip dry, or dry using compressed air or hair dryer.
Install covers.
Install in car and fire it up.................

No guts no glory...........

Just kidding...please don't do this....

 

good idea, ask him to hold onto the rails after you take the cover off

 

While you have the HV battery out and opened up, inspect every module very closely for signs of leaked electrolyte. It is very hard to spot as it is clear in colour. You could also use your ohmmeter to see if there is any voltage resistance between each positive terminal and the case below it.

 

If the battery is charged then what resistance would you expect to measure between the positive terminal and the case below it? Are you referring to the positive on each battery cell or the full HV battery? If you are referring to the HV battery then how do you tell which one is the positive terminal )I don't think they are marked). Does leaked electrolyte mean there is 1 or more bad cells? I also noticed crystals on top of some cells, so what does that indicate? I've been told there are sensors built into the battery that may be broken and cause the battery to fail. How do I test them?

 

I was only talking about the HV battery and the modules of which it is made (there are 28 of these modules.)

Probably a poor choice of words, but if you can measure any voltage from the +ve terminal of any module to the case, then you have a ground leak. You could also try to measure resistance, but you need to use a MΩ meter to measure. You should be reading 10 MΩ or above (IIRC).

No, I am referring to each module. Each module is made up of 6 cells and you cannot do any cell level diagnostics or repair.

They are.

It means that there is at least one leaking module, but that does not mean there is only one leaker, there could be more than one.

That could indicate electrolyte is leaking.

You have been misinformed or have misunderstood. The sensors measure voltage and temperature and the wire frame harness (as it is called) connects back the battery ECU which monitors the battery.

Hope that clarifies.

BTW, if you are just ask to clarify, that is ok, but if you intend to ask about your car specifically, please start your own thread, rather than hijack someone else's. It can make a thread very confusing when there is more than one subject vehicle involved.

 

Not trying to condone such, but someone actually did this on a gen3 battery pack (after removing the important bits first) :

I hate meeses to pieces!

 

This is the most important thing you said.

 

I'm new to this so thanks for feedback. I was looking for clarification but now will start a new conversation.