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All dashboard lights stay on - how can I reset them?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by jveatch, May 13, 2016.

  1. jveatch

    jveatch Junior Member

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    After my son drove our 2006 Prius at speeds up to 50mph for about 5 miles with the parking brake ON, the dashboard lights all come on and stay on. However, the car drives completely normal and does not seem to have suffered any damage. In fact, we drove it from Phoenix to Bremerton WA after this incident, and the lights stayed on the entire time. I have searched the forums for this issue but can't find a solution.

    Unrelated is the fact that the car has 250,000 miles on it and seems like new. The main battery was replaced at 180,000 miles.

    I have seen some forums that talk about using a paper clip to jumper two pins in the connector under the steering column for some issues.
     
  2. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    First, replace the rear brakes and drums. They are fried. You've probably boiled and contaminated the brake fluid, too, so get that flushed. The Prius has a different brake system, so the flush should be done by the dealer or other Prius mechanic. The brake replacement anyone can do.

    When you get the flush done, that mechanic will have the tools to properly read the codes to see what else is damaged, and reset the system.
     
  3. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    READ

    THE

    CODES!!!!!

    Options in my signature.

    EDIT: If you're in the Phoenix area, I would be happy to hook up my MiniVCI for you.
     
  4. jveatch

    jveatch Junior Member

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    I forgot to mention that after returning from Phoenix, I had AutoZone read the codes, and the only one was the oxygen sensor by the catalytic converter. That same code came up months ago before this incident.
     
  5. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    Disconnect the large white plug from the 12V for a few minutes. Replace and see if codes return.

    Then do what AC said.
     
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Can you take a picture of "all the lights" that are on?
     
  7. jveatch

    jveatch Junior Member

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    IMG_6548.JPG
     
  8. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    All those lights on, you definitely have codes related to the braking system. When I lost the power brakes on my car, all those lights were on. Maybe you need to recalibrate system to fix it or change out the skid control ecu.

    Reading the codes with a proper reader (like minivci) will tell you where to look
     
  9. jveatch

    jveatch Junior Member

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    Wouldn't the AutoZone reader been a proper reader? I'm not sure what to do. The car performs just fine. Probably the only thing I can do is take it to the local Toyota dealer. They'll charge $100 to read codes and tell me what needs to be done. Even though I have a good relationship with the dealer's maintenance staff, I'm not confident that they'll zero in on the correct solution.
     
  10. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    No. It will not read the DTC logged by the skid control ECU, which has reported a problem since those particular warning lights are on.
    If you want to DIY, then get Mini VCI. You need the DTC to have a clue about what the problem is.

    Although the car "performs just fine", the braking system is impaired. Hence you need to determine what is wrong if you are interested in safe motoring.
     
  11. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    Please do not drive this car until you fix the brakes. It is potentially dangerous. The rear brakes don't normally see as much service as the front, but they are still an important part of the system. And the lights indicate a possible problem with the control system. It will cost at least a few hundred dollars, but what is life safety (yours and all those in front of you) worth?

    The generic code readers at car parts stores will not see all Prius-specific codes, and there are many hundreds, if not thousands, of them.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i think it's worth the hundred bucks at the dealer (son, take care of this please) and i don't think they'll have a problem finding out what is wrong, if anything. brakes are not something to short change your families safety on. all the best!(y)
     
  13. Eddie Mudiwakure

    Eddie Mudiwakure New Member

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    Please follow the advice attached here.
     

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