Codes P3000 and P3009 on 2002 Prius

[beth524]

There is nothing too close by but I really need to try and find a competent tech. The manager here keeps telling me that it would be a lot of time and money to pull everything apart to diagnose the problem and that I need to wait until more symptoms appear and the light comes on continously and does not go off. I told them I am taking a 1500 mile trip this week and he said not to worry about it. He thinks it is the battery but is waiting for more info from Toyota on what to do. I hope I am safe to drive this car!!!

[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by beth524

. . . I told them I am taking a 1500 mile trip this week and he said not to worry about it. . . .

Hummm, 750 miles to Huntsville AL, 1,500 miles round trip. I could take a few minutes to look at your car. <GRINS>

Or you could stop off in North Carolina and visit galaxee and DH.

Bob Wilson

[tochatihu]

Did you have the HV battery resealed under the special service campaign way back? I think it was SSC 40G. If so there should be a sticker saying so on the driver door frame. If not, you shoul dstill be able to get this for free.

These codes can mean a voltage leak in te battery or elsewhere in the wiring. They can be more ominous. Or, just maybe they could be set because if a weak 12 volt battery. Prius is a little tricky in that regard.

Could find a different Toyota shop to load test the battery? This one does not sound top tier based on your description. I am not trying to dissuade you from taking the trip, but it would be great to know more about the situation.

Doesn't anyone in the northeast on PriusChat hae a Graham Davies miniscanner? Beth needs to have her high and low module voltages measured.

[beth524]

I did have the resealing done (so they claim) though I do not see a sticker on the door frame. I have a receipt from the dealer. When I get back from Maile I am going to find a different dealer unless mine has something concrete to report. Thanks everyone for your advice.

[Angie]

I too had the ominous orange triange with the ! in the center. This appeared out of the blue one hot day a few weeks ago. I tried to get it in for diagnosis, but of course it went off, and since the car was still driveable, I didn't bother to bring it in. Several days later, the orange triangle appeared again and the check engine light came on. I brought it in to the Toyota dealer I have used since I bought the car in 2001. Those pesky P3000 and P3009 codes were diagnosed and I was informed I needed a new Hybrid battery. My dealer provided 50% assistance (through Toyota assistance) and split the cost with me. This still was a big financial commitment, but I am not quite ready to buy another vehicle right now. Since I have had the car back (5 days now), I have noticed a significant improvement in the gas mileage (7-8 mpg) even with using the A/C everyday. My 17-year old son also noticed the difference in the gas mileage. (He borrows my car when he needs to get better get mileage than his 18 mpg truck gets!)
BTW, I also needed a power steering sensor replacement last year and this same dealer covered the replacement (through Toyota assistance) in full ( I was out of warranty). I have had most of my service done at this dealership so I guess having a lengthy relationship with them helped.

[bwilson4web]

Please track your mileage for the next year. Patrick Wong did after his traction battery replacement and I've also used the Dept. of Energy fleet study data and both indicate there is a mileage improvement that decays over a 3-4 month interval. Your data would be critical to our understanding what is going on.

If you need a mileage database, I would recommend MyHybridCar because each of your mileage records are open (see my entries.) Others are OK if they allow anyone to track the fill-up by fill-up records.

Thanks!
Bob Wilson

[beth524]

I just got back from driving a 1300 mile trip and the mileage was averaging 44.5 which did not seem very good. Also, my son noticed that the green battery icon on the center screen never totally was full. I cannot remember if it ever looks totally full. Would this also be any kind of sign that the battery is having a problem? Other than that, the car was fine. No lights, no driving or handling issues.
Now my dealer says they are going to "inspect" the battery and see if it needs a new one. I keep mentioning to test the cell voltages and they tell me that this is done only in certain cases, with certain codes. What to do?

[Fl_Fyr_Fytr]

This may be apples to oranges, but my IMA batt threw a code twice before a major trip. Each time it did, it had been sitting for more than 2-3 days without being ran. After the code reset (pulling the fuse), it would work fine till the next time it sat. I drove the car 1000 miles there and then about 50 miles a day for six days while there and then another 1000 miles back. It worked like a champ the whole time so long as it got constant use. After returning, the car sat for some five days and the next time I started it, it threw a code that would not be reset (pack failure).

In summory, our hybrid packs thrive on use so long trips aren't a problem. If your pack is trully the problem, the fact that it didn't throw a code while on the trip doesn't suprize me.

[tochatihu]

Glad the trip went OK Beth. Ask them what their inspection includes. A proper battery test will measure the voltage differences between the highest and lowest modules during charging and discharging cycles. If the voltage differences are too large, HV battery is diagnosed as poor. It seems to me that any competent Toyota shop could do this, and would if you asked for it. Would not be free.

[beth524]

Well, finally, success!!! They inspected the battery and found corrosion and replaced it, still under warranty. I am glad I persisted and didn't just wait until "furthur Problems". Hopefully no furthur problems ever! Thanks for all your help.