HELP! Just Bought a 2005 and having a MAJOR problem

[JenandScottieV]

Can anyone help me? We disabled the reverse beep in my 2005 today (which I have owned less than a month) and since then, when I put the car from P to R to back up, the car shifts itself into neutral. The same thing happens when I go from P to D for drive unless I hit the accelerator immediately. I am so upset and worried, I don't know how or what we could have done to cause this? Can anyone give insight please? Thanks in advance for your time.


Sincerely,

A worried Jen

[FL_Prius_Driver]

Neutral is the safety position the computer puts the car into if it gets unexpected commands. Help us with a few more details:
1) How do you know it is in neutral? (i.e. Does the dash indicator go to N when you put it in either D or R?)
2) When you step on the accelerator, does the indicator shift by itself or is it already in D or R?
3) Have you tried to revert back to the beeping on to see if the car returned to normal?

Answering this will help and everyone wants you to be both safe and not worried.

[hobbit]

Are you briefly landing the shifter in the desired position and then
letting go entirely, allowing it to spring back to that "rest"
position on the right? If you dawdle in the left-hand "null"
position where N is for more than a half-second, it will go to
Neutral. Now, if the car is going to N by itself some time after
you've successfully shifted and are driving, that's a problem, but
hopefully just a loose wire from the shifter assembly to the ECU.
.
Indiana, eh? How close to Scottsburg [southern part] are you?
.
_H*

[TonyPSchaefer]

Hobbit's asking about Indiana geography. You're stepping on my toes, mister!

Jen, what these guy shave said is exactly what I was thinking. It's possible that you are too concerned about the shifting. I've gotten so accustomed to shifting that I just flip the shifter with the tips of my fingers with little thought. There's no reason to hold it or pause or anything. Since it's just a software command, it's pretty much no different than hitting a key on your keyboard.

With that said, if we are wrong and it really does shift into [N] after a successful shift into [D] or [R] then you really need to get it to a dealer and take it up with the person from whom you bought it.

[JenVanVooren]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FL_Prius_Driver @ Jul 15 2007, 07:32 PM) [snapback]479340[/snapback]</div>

Neutral is the safety position the computer puts the car into if it gets unexpected commands. Help us with a few more details:
1) How do you know it is in neutral? (i.e. Does the dash indicator go to N when you put it in either D or R?)
2) When you step on the accelerator, does the indicator shift by itself or is it already in D or R?
3) Have you tried to revert back to the beeping on to see if the car returned to normal?

Answering this will help and everyone wants you to be both safe and not worried.
[/b]

Thanks for the responses...Here are my best answers

1. I know (ok, think) it is in Neutral because of the indicator going to "N" and also losing all power with the accelerator. I go to back out of the driveway and have to physically hold the shifter up (in reverse) to get to the end of the drive where I can put it into drive and have the same thing happen. I am not exaggerating the shifts, just doing what I have been for the past month.

2. When I step on the accelerator, it will stay in the gear as long as I am holding the knob in position it will kick into gear and I can release the knob. It will not go into neutral again until I put it in Park and either try to go into D or R again.

3. We did try to put the beep back on again, then we turned it off again, and now it is back on.

We bought the car used from a Toyota dealer, but they do not go through the certification process to make their cars "Toyota Certified Used cars," but I did take it to a more trusted Toyota dealer and had them check everything out before we bought it. We passed on the 1800.00 extended warranty and now I am bummed. I love this car and it's only been a month!

I am going to call the other dealer (not where we bought it) and try to get it in tomorrow. I hope it is ok to drive it to the dealer. I am having no other issues after it gets in gear.



I would be glad to try anything else that you guys have in mind, thanks again.

-Jen in IN

Oh and I am in Northern, IN (South Bend area). Is Scottsburgh close to Evansville?

[hobbit]

That's just bizarre. I hope it gets resolved soon.
.
The reason I mentioned Scottsburg is Steve at Autobeyours is a Prius
tech and could probably help dope out what's up. But it sounds a
little far for you to go, especially if the assembled folks here can
remotely help diagnose your problem! Maybe one of the Chicago-area
techie folks would be into making a road trip...
.
_H*

[galaxee]

did the reverse beep disable process work right the first time? i don't know what kinds of other things can be changed from that easter egg.

wonder if it's not the shifter mechanism? i'll ask DH what happens when that breaks, he's replaced at least one of them before.

we're only somewhat available lately, and it's only going to get worse over the next couple weeks. we'll try to keep up.

[JenVanVooren]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jul 15 2007, 10:42 PM) [snapback]479418[/snapback]</div>

did the reverse beep disable process work right the first time? i don't know what kinds of other things can be changed from that easter egg.

wonder if it's not the shifter mechanism? i'll ask DH what happens when that breaks, he's replaced at least one of them before.

we're only somewhat available lately, and it's only going to get worse over the next couple weeks. we'll try to keep up.
[/b]

Ok, so I took it in today and got a quote for 798.00. The entire shifter assembly unit needs replaced (Toyota OEM 3356047022) and then when they did the diagnostic tests, they found that the brakelight switch needs replaced as well (OEM 8434047020). I am a little weary about paying what they want for the parts (360 for the shift assem and 60 for the brake switch). I might try to find them online and then just pay the 70/hr in labor to have them installed at the dealer. Any ideas as to why the shifter assembly would need replaced? The dealer said that they have never replaced one yet, so did I do something wrong in the month I have owned it?

I am so sad....I love this car, but it is already needing repairs. I guess is a lesson, don't buy USED!

Any further insight you guys could give as to why these went out at 44,000 miles would be appreciated...Thanks for all of your help thus far!


Sincerely,

Sad (and broke!) Jen in IN

Oh and BTW, JenVanVooren and JenandScottieV are both me, I didn't know we had 2 names, but we do! Thanks.

[hobbit]

Seriously -- I'll be passing through northern Indiana in TWO DAYS
on my way to Hybridfest, and then again on the way out [although I'm
heading southward toward said Scottsburg on the flip side]. On the
westward leg I'm going right THROUGH South Bend. PM me if you want
an extra set of eyeballs and diagnostic-fu on this puppy, with the
caveat that I do have to make it north of Chicago by Wednesday night
or Thurs. morningish.
.
The shift control is a weird system of sense coils, and has TEN wires
going into the hybrid ECU. If the set that registers the leftward
movement is stuck or not picking up what it should, that could cause
it to always be electronically asserted "leftward" which is what
makes me think flakey connectors right off, and that's easy to at
least check for. The shift is a non-contact device, and really
shouldn't be breaking unless you've got a total fluke.
.
_H*

[galaxee]

yep, then i'll definitely ask hubby what symptoms caused the replacement of the shifter assy. we're going to be out late working on a project tonight but if i have a moment i will reply back with his answer.

actually, i bet you could replace it yourself if you're technically inclined. it's totally self-enclosed, it's just a box really. he brought it home to show me.

and on the frequency, yeah that's a rare one. the "local toyota dealer" listed in my sig is one of the busiest prius shops in the country so DH gets a pretty basic idea of what's common and what isn't.