Scary message

it is possible that a code is stored

 

Yeah... I'm with Bisco on this... Just because the Toyota Stealership doesn't care, doesn't mean the rest of us don't. Do you have Toyota Techstream? If not consider buying a Mini-VCI dongle for an old windows laptop. Most sellers of these dongles provide a hacked copy of Toyota Techstream. Also keep one of these in your glovebox: Panlong OBD2 Scanner Bluetooth OBDII Diagnostic Tool Car Code Reader Turn Off... | eBay It allows you to connect your phone to your car so you can use apps like Dr. Prius and Car Scanner (ELM) and could one day be the difference between quickly making it home versus waiting all night for a super expensive tow truck to show up a 100 miles from the nearest town!

 

Actually found a section in the Owner's Manual, P.570, but there are so many possible causes of the issue mentioned...

 

or at least carry the bluedriver module & load the app onto your phone. ours just diagnosed a trouble code .... mb diesel exhaust fluid heater going out. The code was stored even tho it cleared - as it was loose contact. pretty accurate now days.

 

Umm... Perhaps next time you're 100 miles from the nearest town and you don't know what's wrong and you're sitting on the side of road you can rethink being warned previously as well as on PriusChat and think about how spending less that US$20 on a device that would give you access to apps to get you home was not really worth it?

As in Gen5 Prius has some very concerning issues that earlier Prius have not had and if you aren't going to get better informed about those issues/concerns, why post and ask for help in the first place?

 

Canadians always say that about Americans...

 

I've been wondering what error codes and mishaps putting a 12-V LFP battery in parallel with the 12-V lead–acid battery would generate. Let's see what else comes next.

Parasitic battery drain? | Page 5 | PriusChat

 

Toyota could use some editorial oversight on the dash messages; they’re very bewildering. You get used to their boneheaded uselessness, but…

 

Hey now, Albertan's are more american than the rest of us ;D

(friendly jab don't take this too seriously)

But If Gokhan quoted you right, maybe something is wrong. And yeah, Paul, honestly having an OBD scanner in general is a good idea. I have one in both my cars. It used to be they were expensive, and you had different levels of scanners and they could be huge. Now, its bluetooth dongles and an app on the phone you carry all over the place anyway.

Also, you've had terrible luck with the 12V and the user manual page posted about the issue straight up says to check the 12V connection.

It's entirely possible putting another battery in the chain has created issues.

And for what its worth priuscamper, I don't think Gen 5 has had massive issues. I think most of us are trouble free with our cars.

 

..... says every person ever pulled over by cops for speeding

best to just suck it up, lean into it, & own it. Let us know what kind of bluetooth dongle you end up with.

 

But it’s worth posting about

 

Do you have a link to a working Moni-VCI dongle? The one I bought and returned (through Amazon) didn't connect to the car and the CD that came with it was blank

 

Just get an autel if it works on gen 5

 

A simple Bluetooth OBD2 dongle sure helped me last night. I got a little lazy with remembering to disconnect the 12V battery while working on my dash wiring. After finishing up the right hand side of the car, I started the car up to pick up some dinner and got way more warnings than usual. Check engine, hybrid system malfunction, bunch of driving alert errors.

I eventually realized the issue and grabbed the dongle to clear the codes(mostly loss of communication errors). After the reset, I'm good except for the airbag code(the dash is still off so the passenger airbag is still disconnected).

A good Bluetooth code reader should be a standard part of any car tool kit.


Another anecdote:
Having one handy also helped me a couple Christmases ago. I was out on the road, halfway to my relatives' place for Christmas Day dinner. Out of nowhere, my 2010 Prius started giving me a major hybrid system error. Basically the "pull over NOW!" error. I was worried since it was in the middle of nowhere on a holiday and it was something like -20F with a 40+mph headwind(putting the wind chill approaching -60F/-50C).

Remembering I had the reader, I plugged it in to see exactly what the problem was. Turned out to be an out of spec temperature reading in the inverter cooling system. Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was so cold out, it was causing the temp to go BELOW the normal range. I cleared the code and continued on. If I drove above 75mph(the speed limit), the code came back. So I cleared it again and drove a little slower. Never came back again.

If I hadn't had a reader, I wouldn't have known it was safe to continue driving. And that could have been dangerous(even deadly) considering the situation.

 

Having something in your glove box that can handle many different types of failure events, as well as allow you to change vehicle settings you can't access otherwise is intelligent if you're gonna experience a vehicle malfunction as "scary."

Basing what your Gen5 Prius might need in an unexpected future based on your success with a Dodge Ram isn't wise.

Another way to see it is that pending less than $20 on an OBD2 diagnostics reader, an orange safety vest and emergency lights or flares and a small tool kit when traveling long distances isn't becuase you expect or want to have to use those items, it's just basic precaution / safety in case you have to.

But I get it... People on here who can afford a brand new overpriced Prius aren't like all us DIY folks on here who can't afford a car until it's at least 5-10 years old.

 

You summed it up perfectly!