ERROR! Major MALFUNCTION!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Hudon @ Jun 22 2006, 05:28 PM) [snapback]275450[/snapback]</div>

oh ya- that's a really rare one! but that's fixable and doesn't require inverter replacement.

the engine noise is what makes this not sound right.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tochatihu @ Jun 22 2006, 05:53 PM) [snapback]275464[/snapback]</div>

oh- that's a different one than what he was thinking of. thanks for the info, DAS.

anyway, we'll see how it pans out.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 22 2006, 05:06 PM) [snapback]275470[/snapback]</div>

Sorry if this is bad etiquette bumping up a year old thread but it only had 2 pages and the discussion was good and BWAAAAA, ... I have the same problem, with 40,000 miles, and yes I had the lawnmower type of sound too, but I was on a steep grade so even if my car could do 8mph it wasn't moving forward. However, reverse did work, so I pulled over called AAA and had them dolly the rear and off to Toyota we went.

Problem? Toyota called today and said we have a bad inverter!

Question: DrPhlox, did the problem go away after the inverter swap? I'd like to go on a trip to LA in two weeks and am really anxious?

Question 2: Is there any truth to never steam cleaning and/or simply washing the motor compartment? Or is that just an urban myth?

 

as far as washing the engine compartment, there is an air vent on top of the inverter, but it's in the back under the cowl. the other thing is water getting into the spark plug wells.

now re: inverter replacement, provided the install is done correctly, and provided the problem was in the inverter, that'll take care of it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 25 2007, 09:09 PM) [snapback]467990[/snapback]</div>

thanks galaxee, i'll report back when i pick up the car. interestingly, the 12 volt battery was dead a few weeks ago, apparently i left the reading lamp on, got a 'recharge' from AAA, hybrid battery was decent charge, no problems at all until this 'inverter' problem.

hopefully the part will come in today.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(berylrb @ Jun 26 2007, 10:56 AM) [snapback]468297[/snapback]</div>

wasn't able to pick up the car, parts on back order (wow, for a rare problem funny parts on back order), but technician said that it is a mechanical issue not a technology issue, which gives me some hope that linkage, or other moving parts just failed.

 

DrPhlox, Thanks greatly for keeping all us Prius owners up to date. One minor question if you get the chance is to ask the service center if the inverter is sent back to Toyota or some analysis center. Making a couple of assumptions (100,000 Prius's, 100 inverter failures, etc.) I come up with a Mean time between failure of 4 million hours for an inverter. A number that can only be achieved and maintained by Toyota closely examining rare events. Very sadly, you got one of these events, so now the focus in on how responsive the service department is. One lesson being learned is that hybrid autos will start to have performance described in MTBF and MPG instead of MPH and HP.

Thanks again.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jim1eye @ Jun 21 2006, 07:27 AM) [snapback]274637[/snapback]</div>

You think maybe the problem is underuse -- and HAL is rebelling at being ignored? <_<

Phil

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Phil Wheeler @ Jun 26 2007, 09:22 PM) [snapback]468604[/snapback]</div>

One prius chat member i spoke to said that he personally knows of about 19 stories, 20 with mine, so I think many just don't have a platform to share their story. However in my case i had double the miles 40K as opposed to 20K