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Intermittent Master warning triangle with Hybrid system warning light

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Lodrun, Jan 16, 2023.

  1. Lodrun

    Lodrun My proper car is an MGC

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    I have a 2007 Prius (T4 Spirit) with 88K miles on the clock. I only drive a handful of miles most weeks. Every few weeks the Master warning triangle comes on with the Hybrid system warning light display at the top of the Multi-information/Nav screen, It sometimes clears when the car is left standing but always (so far) clears if I charge the 12V aux. battery. When I run the built in diagnostics, the aux battery reads 12.5V (no load), 12.2V (loaded) and 14.2V charging, which seems OK. When I run OBD port diagnostics there seem to be no error codes recorded. The aux battery is just coming up to 3 years old. The car drives perfectly throughout. Any help would be appreciated. The main hybrid batteries are original.

    Thanks, Ian
     
    #1 Lodrun, Jan 16, 2023
  2. AzWxGuy

    AzWxGuy Weather Guy

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    You might want to try getting the little 12V battery load tested. I see the battery it isn't very old, but a vehicle driven a handful of miles is a recipe for troubles. A load test at a local parts shop will sort that out. They usually don't charge for the service. Alternately, there could also be problems with electrical connections to ground. These intermittent warning lights sure get your attention, and are usually the first sign of a depleted 12V auxiliary battery. A seasonal change in the weather also seems to trigger these things.
     
    #2 AzWxGuy, Jan 16, 2023
  3. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Anyone in that situation, with any car really, needs to find a way to keep the 12 V battery charged.
    That usually means connecting it to a battery tender when not driven........or at least once a week overnight.

    If that isn't practical, you might need a new battery every 3 years or so.
    Keeping a "jump pack" with you would be a good idea too.
     
    #3 sam spade 2, Jan 16, 2023
  4. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Well as long as the MGC is running good you should be an okay shape these funny little Japanese cars don't like sitting.
     
    #4 Tombukt2, Jan 16, 2023
  5. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    If practical, drive the car (much) more, or use a "smart" (AGM compatible) charger to maintain the 12V battery.

    Your OBD scanner is very likely not capable of communicating with most of the 15-16 ecu's on a Gen2 Prius. Here is a thread reviewing several scantool apps and devices.
    https://priuschat.com/index.php?posts/3290690

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #5 mr_guy_mann, Jan 16, 2023
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