Nuther new bee....2001 Prius

prime grip · Jul 6, 2022

Herb Gayheart said: ↑

I recently bought a 2001 Prius...mainly just for the learning experience since it cost $150 dollars.. 102,000 miles on the odometer... Have three other vehicles so no worries! I knew that the individual batteries , if good, were worth 25 to 50 bucks each...

The first incident happened when I picked it up... A mechanic bud of mine had been driving it with a dealer tag for several years...but told me before I bought it that it would loose power after a few miles...necessitating a coast to the side of the road.. turning the key off and on and going on ones merry way...well and good..I understood that others would have that problem..so we jumped the little lawnmower sized battery and I pulled the auto a few feet toward his garage so he could empty it of a misc. collection of tools , fishing rods .etc... That done, I got in it , hoping to drive it a few miles to home...but NO!!! smoke began to billow out the trunk....acrid smelling smoke...

Still no worries..just something to fix.!! We loaded it on a flat bed and took it home...no charge...

When home I discovered that the Large orange molex that connected the voltage sense wires from the individual batteries hand melted and burned up.. Wondering what it is molded from given the acrid smoke??

So...out came the battery....and an order for a battery controller and wire harness on ebay...120 bucks for both..free shipping...naturally....Installed...charged battery ....and started auto...all was well...it ran...but Orange triangle was lit, check engine lite on, and brake lite on...abs lite on... Not a big surprise...its called trouble shooting and learning....
Around the block I went...brakes sort of work ..soft...country driving...little traffic...no worries!! Now a rumble from the rear driver side wheel... wheel bearing of course... back to EBAy...55 bucks and free shipping... around the block again...and noise gone...abs lite off..(I had discovered the abs connector was disconnected on that wheel... when replacing the hub assy...

Ok... longer drives...country roads...no tags, no insurance,. no cops!! OOps!! after a few miles,, engine races but no power, traction motor may be pulling a bit for I coast to the side of the road ...turn key off , wait a bit,,,back on....and away I go...Home by the shortest way... FUN!!
I borrowed an OBD II error code device and found no codes...OK.... Its a Prius and likely the reader is not savvy to read codes for a Prius... Now what...? Herb
Click to expand...

Great story, i have a 2021 XLE and your story is awesome. Keep going please and make it a happy ending .

Nuther new bee....2001 Prius

prime grip Member

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Nuther new bee....2001 Prius

prime grip Member