08 Prius struck by Lightning!

[Bear68]

Well, the day has arrived. I have repaired a number of cars struck by lightning and today I was assigned an 08 Prius that got the Big Spark. This should be a rather interesting case since it is the first Hybrid I have ever heard of being hit by lightning.

For peace of mind, the driver and his child are completely safe and uninjured. The bolt seems to have hit the radio antenna, leaving only a somewhat charred circuit board. The scantool could not communicate with the following computers: Engine ECU, Hybrid ECU, HV Battery ECU, and Cruise Control ECU. The radio is understandably dead. The CAN communication is also inoperative. At this point, my diagnosis is on hold awaiting authorization to order a new Gateway ECU.

I will be give more information as I continue, (providing the insurance company decides not to total the car) and I will photograph any interesting sights, including the antenna remains. This should get Very Interesting!

[TonyPSchaefer]

There was a concern in '04 and '05 that hybrid would be more prone to lightning strikes. If word of this single incident gets out, the anti-hybrid media could have a field day.

Than again, perhaps the wait-time would drop. Hmmmm

[tochatihu]

Wow. Was the damage to the other lightning-struck cars limited to electronic circuitry?

Was the Prius occupied at the time it was 'Chosen'?

[Bear68]

Originally Posted by tochatihu

Wow. Was the damage to the other lightning-struck cars limited to electronic circuitry?

Was the Prius occupied at the time it was 'Chosen'?

#1: Surprisingly , no. I had a Highlander that had an ABS wheel speed gear cage get damaged. (slight melt spot, enough to not read properly)
and a Corolla that had the antenna cut cleanly in two.

#2: Yes, I believe it may even have been in motion at the time of the strike.

[Bear68]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

There was a concern in '04 and '05 that hybrid would be more prone to lightning strikes. If word of this single incident gets out, the anti-hybrid media could have a field day.

Than again, perhaps the wait-time would drop. Hmmmm

Personally, IMO, the HV battery and invertor assmebly and motors are so well insulated already and isolated from the car body (unlike the 12V system) that the HV system is actually LESS likely to be damaged by lightning. Unfortunately, the ECUs are not so well protected....

[Ichabod]

That does sound interesting. I wouldn't expect the electronics to fare well, but I would expect people to be OK, due to the skin effect (commonly mistaken for the Farraday cage effect).

I don't suspect that even blown fuses would stop lightning from jumping through various sensitive bits... I think most interesting in your report might be the difference between the repairs on a Prius vs a "standard" car. Maybe you can share a synopsis of some other car's lightning repair for the sake of contrast?

[JamesWyatt]

Same car?

Thunderstorms+prius...help me

[Bear68]

Originally Posted by JamesWyatt

Same car?

Thunderstorms+prius...help me

Sounds like the same car! I will keep things anonymous for obvious reasons, but I see no harm is sharing diagnosis and repair details.

For Ichabod: Most cases wind up with ECUs being shorted and burned since the voltage is usually travelling into the skin and body of the car and therefore actually finds ways to bypass the fuses. Strangely, there were NO blown fuses on this Prius. Radios are susceptable if the strike is on the antenna, otherwise, the engine ECU, sometimes the ABS ECU, and rarely the SRS ECU can be affected. No two have been identical so far. Diagnosis begins with checking fuses and power and ground to whichever ECUs are having issues with communication.

One step at a time is generally the best way to proceed. I would rather avoid replacing computers that are good but recieving bad input from other computers or sensors. I generally also try to look for the entrance and exit "wounds". In this case, the entrance is obviously the antenna. I have not yet identified the exit. The waiting game has begun, waiting for the insurance adjuster, then waiting for the insurance company to determine if they will pursue repairs or total the vehicle.

Whoops! My mistake!! I didn't read the other thread all the way through. Not the same car! This one is a black 08, but the codes cannot be retrieved from the various ECUs until the gateway ECU can communicate properly.

[galaxee]

whew, well that's a new one to DH. let us know how the gateway ecu works out if they approve it.

[galaxee]

what were the can signal line voltages on the high and low side?