'01 transaxle questions

ozron · 10-22-2007, 11:03 AM

Have a '01 with 104,000 miles. Triangle warning and engine light on. The car will turn on, engine starts and will run but car only shudders when you put it in drive or rev. Engine increases RPM but car will barely move. The display shows no 'charge' activity while the engine is running in park, drive or rev.

I have a code reader but it does not give a code for the above problem. It will reset but lights come right back on.

Is my transaxle bad? How can I be sure before I change it.

I Have a 'parts car' - '03 with 30,000 mile. left front damage and salvage title.

Thanks in advance

bwilson4web · 10-22-2007, 11:44 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ozron @ Oct 22 2007, 10:03 AM) [snapback]528820[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Have a '01 with 104,000 miles. Triangle warning and engine light on. The car will turn on, engine starts and will run but car only shudders when you put it in drive or rev. Engine increases RPM but car will barely move. The display shows no 'charge' activity while the engine is running in park, drive or rev.[/b]

How long will the car run in "P"? Can you let it warm-up? Does the throttle plate move? What is the SOC show on the traction battery? Is there any indication, without moving, of a charge going to the traction battery?

Note: be sure to put the parking brake on for any future startup tests. This will keep the daylight running headlamps off.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ozron @ Oct 22 2007, 10:03 AM) [snapback]528820[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I have a code reader but it does not give a code for the above problem. It will reset but lights come right back on.

Is my transaxle bad? How can I be sure before I change it.

I Have a 'parts car' - '03 with 30,000 mile. left front damage and salvage title.

Thanks in advance
[/b]

We don't have enough information to make a call.

What are your options for getting it to a dealer to have them read out the codes?

What make/model of scanner are you using?

How quickly must this car be returned to service?

Bob Wilson

ozron · 10-22-2007, 11:56 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Oct 22 2007, 10:44 AM) [snapback]528843[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

How long will the car run in "P"? Can you let it warm-up? Does the throttle plate move? What is the SOC show on the traction battery? Is there any indication, without moving, of a charge going to the traction battery?

Note: be sure to put the parking brake on for any future startup tests. This will keep the daylight running headlamps off.
We don't have enough information to make a call.

What are your options for getting it to a dealer to have them read out the codes?

What make/model of scanner are you using?

How quickly must this car be returned to service?

Bob Wilson
[/b]

The engine will run for up to 5 min then shut down and MAIN lite comes on. Throttle plate moves.SOC shows no flo from engine or MG2. I can not detect any charge going to the main battery

Parking brake is on during tests.
Not using a scanner - just a simple code reader and no number codes come up.

Not in any hurry. It's a spare car.

Note

Eariler the engine would not start. However the car would move fwd and rev under main battery power.
I changed the inverter. Now the car starts but will not move.

jk450 · 10-22-2007, 01:33 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ozron @ Oct 22 2007, 11:03 AM) [snapback]528820[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Have a '01 with 104,000 miles. Triangle warning and engine light on. The car will turn on, engine starts and will run but car only shudders when you put it in drive or rev. Engine increases RPM but car will barely move. The display shows no 'charge' activity while the engine is running in park, drive or rev.

I have a code reader but it does not give a code for the above problem. It will reset but lights come right back on.

Is my transaxle bad? How can I be sure before I change it.

I Have a 'parts car' - '03 with 30,000 mile. left front damage and salvage title.

Thanks in advance
[/b]

No diagnosis can be made until, at the very least, the trouble code and sub-code are known. And make sure you get your advice from folks who have actually diagnosed and repaired transaxle and/or inverter issues. There's a lot of guessing on this forum that comes off as reasoned advice.

bwilson4web · 10-23-2007, 12:03 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ozron @ Oct 22 2007, 10:56 AM) [snapback]528860[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

. . .
Eariler the engine would not start. However the car would move fwd and rev under main battery power.
I changed the inverter. Now the car starts but will not move.
[/b]

When you swapped the inverter, did you ohm out the transaxle?

So with the swapped inverter, you still don't see a charge?

Bob Wilson

jk450 · 10-23-2007, 03:41 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Oct 23 2007, 12:03 AM) [snapback]529152[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

When you swapped the inverter, did you ohm out the transaxle?
[/b]

Why would you ohm out the transaxle? And what would you expect to learn?

patsparks · 10-23-2007, 08:28 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jk450 @ Oct 23 2007, 05:11 PM) [snapback]529194[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Why would you ohm out the transaxle? And what would you expect to learn?
[/b]

I'd want to see each winding has a similar resistance even if I didn't have the specifications. You would need to know which pins to probe.

bwilson4web · 10-23-2007, 10:33 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jk450 @ Oct 23 2007, 02:41 AM) [snapback]529194[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Why would you ohm out the transaxle? And what would you expect to learn?
[/b]

Not only to see if all six legs looked balanced but also to check for a winding-to-case short. Ordinarily all stator coils should be open to the case. The manual indicates the proper testing requires a super sensitive meter. But if you are seeing enough continuity for an ordinary, hand held meter to show, then that would a 'dead on' indication that a transaxle replacement is needed.

Bob Wilson

jk450 · 10-23-2007, 01:38 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Oct 23 2007, 10:33 AM) [snapback]529262[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Not only to see if all six legs looked balanced but also to check for a winding-to-case short. Ordinarily all stator coils should be open to the case. The manual indicates the proper testing requires a super sensitive meter. But if you are seeing enough continuity for an ordinary, hand held meter to show, then that would a 'dead on' indication that a transaxle replacement is needed.

Bob Wilson
[/b]

I would expect a DTC in such situations. Have you seen a transaxle with either problem that didn't set a code?

Toyota is correct about the need for a milliohmmeter when measuring specific winding resistances. It's interesting to do, but I haven't yet found a situation in which it helped with a diagnosis.

donee · 10-23-2007, 06:19 PM

Hi All,

Ohming out the Transaxle will tell you if you have three equal length pieces of wire between the terminals. Which would might tell you if you have a short or not, and definatly, if one of the three coils has burned through a winding (open circuit) . If the resistance between two of the terminal (there three possible combinations per motor) is lower or higher than the rest, this indicates a problem. How much of a difference is permitted should be given in the Prius technical information.

Leakage is important too, but you need a Megger for this. As the Prius has a ground fault circuit, and leakage to ground from the coils I would expect to either trigger it all the time, or every once and a while on voltage peaks.

The main reason to do it is to avoid smoking, or stressing (burning out some link wires to a transitor die - if that is what they are using - but not all) a perfectly good inverter.

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10-22-2007, 11:03 AM	#1
ozron Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 5 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Have a '01 with 104,000 miles. Triangle warning and engine light on. The car will turn on, engine starts and will run but car only shudders when you put it in drive or rev. Engine increases RPM but car will barely move. The display shows no 'charge' activity while the engine is running in park, drive or rev. I have a code reader but it does not give a code for the above problem. It will reset but lights come right back on. Is my transaxle bad? How can I be sure before I change it. I Have a 'parts car' - '03 with 30,000 mile. left front damage and salvage title. Thanks in advance

10-23-2007, 06:19 PM	#10
donee Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 2,244 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #2 Thanks: 2 Thanked 54 Times in 47 Posts Friends: 0	Hi All, Ohming out the Transaxle will tell you if you have three equal length pieces of wire between the terminals. Which would might tell you if you have a short or not, and definatly, if one of the three coils has burned through a winding (open circuit) . If the resistance between two of the terminal (there three possible combinations per motor) is lower or higher than the rest, this indicates a problem. How much of a difference is permitted should be given in the Prius technical information. Leakage is important too, but you need a Megger for this. As the Prius has a ground fault circuit, and leakage to ground from the coils I would expect to either trigger it all the time, or every once and a while on voltage peaks. The main reason to do it is to avoid smoking, or stressing (burning out some link wires to a transitor die - if that is what they are using - but not all) a perfectly good inverter.