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Prius C 2012 Hybrid Check System Behavior

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by mtwong26, Jul 19, 2021.

  1. mtwong26

    mtwong26 Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Austin
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    One
    Hi folks,

    I have a 2012 Prius C that has 80k miles on it that I drive regularly.

    Yesterday, out of the blue, the "Check Hybrid System" light came on although I thought the car was operating normally. I was only a few miles away from home, so I drove home.

    When the light came on, the battery was at 1 bar, but after the drive home battery reads as fully charged.

    I do notice that the car never engages the hybrid engine, however. At idle, the gas engine is on the entire time. I also noticed that in the energy monitor there is no arrows/activity while the car is driving like there typically is.

    Anyone have any ideas? I've scheduled an appointment with a hybrid mechanic for later in the week - they are five miles away and I'm hoping I can at least drive it to them to get it checked out since the car still starts and drives.
     
    #1 mtwong26, Jul 19, 2021
  2. Syed Ashar Ali

    Syed Ashar Ali Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Yes you need a new hybrid battery
     
    #2 Syed Ashar Ali, Jul 20, 2021
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
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    IV
    If it is a good hybrid mechanic they will have a diagnostic code reader that will be able to retrieve the codes from the car identifying whatever issue is being reported by your "check hybrid system" message.

    Needing a new hybrid battery is certainly one of the possibilities, but it is one among many. The trouble codes will inform the next steps.
     
    #3 ChapmanF, Jul 20, 2021
    Pri3C and mtwong26 like this.
  4. mtwong26

    mtwong26 Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    One
    Do you mind expanding on why you believe it's the hybrid battery? Considering there's only 80k miles, it seems a bit premature for the battery to die.
     
    #4 mtwong26, Jul 20, 2021
  5. Syed Ashar Ali

    Syed Ashar Ali Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I believe every prius is different. Majority of them will last a long time.. But every car is different.

    Also I had the same problem error message as you. Not engaging in hybrid mode, gas engine running constantly etc. And it was my hybrid battery.

    If you can get a cheap obd scanner from Amazon, connect it to your obd port. Download any obd app from Google play if you have android. Connect the obd via bluetooth from your phone to obd. Once you install the app do diagnostics. It should come up with a P0a80 code. That's the hybrid failure code. If you don't want to buy an obd yourself you can stop by autozone or etc and they can look it up.

    Also...look on YouTube and type "clean hybrid battery fan prius c" it's pretty easy. Maybe if you clean the fan, the error might go away? Most likely not. But it's worth a shot.
     
    #5 Syed Ashar Ali, Jul 22, 2021
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  6. Syed Ashar Ali

    Syed Ashar Ali Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    One more thing to add. Yes the car is running. But I wouldn't ride it for too long. Or it might leave you stranded. You never know when it might just not start up.
     
    #6 Syed Ashar Ali, Jul 22, 2021
  7. topshot

    topshot Member

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    Location:
    Midwest
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    It is unusual for the level to go to 1 bar on the c. Mine (2015) never goes to 1 bar before the engine kicks in. It's good that it did charge again though. The behavior you describe is normal when it has thrown a hybrid battery code as it will no longer use the battery. However you need to make sure it keeps charging the battery or it won't start the engine in the future.

    In addition to making sure your battery fan is running when needed and not clogged, check the condition of your 12V battery. It should read well over 12V. If it is still original it definitely needs to be replaced anyway. A weak 12V can cause all sorts of odd things to happen.

    It could still be the hybrid battery has a bad cell now. In your case it is more a function of age and heat (Austin) rather than mileage. Unfortunately, you are almost certainly just outside of the 10 year warranty period.
     
    #7 topshot, Jul 22, 2021
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