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Check Hybrid System and then car has repeatedly died

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by NjPriusowner, Mar 20, 2012.

  1. NjPriusowner

    NjPriusowner New Member

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    Please help. We bought a brand new 2010 III in the spring 2010. Later that summer we received the first Check Hybrid System warning but it went away after a few hours. About a year later the light came on again and the car died. We had towed to the dealership and they could not find a problem. This happened again. Car was dead. We brought it to the dealership and they replaced the battery. Then when we went to pick it up at the dealership, the car was dead. The dealership told us "oh, one of the mechanics left the battery unplugged." They got it working again. About a month later while my wife was driving the CHS warning went on again and the car died in the middle of an intersection. Again, no problem was detected by the dealership. The vehicle only has about 6000 miles on it. We are afraid to drive it. The problem seems to mostly happen in the warmer weather. However about amonth ago, 3 out of 4 windows stopped working. I checked the fuses and they were fine. Again, I brought it in and they said the windows work fine and there is no problem. I am going crazy. Has anyone seen anything like this?
     
    #1 NjPriusowner, Mar 20, 2012
  2. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Search PC for instruction how to check you 12v battery under load, after the car has sat for a few hours. I know you wrote that the 12v was replaced not too long ago, but I suspect the dealership either defrauded you, or put in a bum replacement.

    The symptoms are *so* typical of a run-down 12v.
     
    #2 SageBrush, Mar 20, 2012
  3. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    that's a little too new to require a 12v.. and if it was replaced, the problem points to the 12v inverter. (next possible assumption for me anyway)... it's not giving a healthy 12v (14v) feed, so the car basically shuts down once the battery starts to drain... like a bad alternator. that causes your 12v items to shut off.. some 12v items are rather important.

    if you short the 12v line while moving, the car shuts off.. (my real point)

    so... if its failing or shorting or something similar (even your 12v dropping because of it) (basically a short)... the car shuts off. however..

    if you can restart after a fail (and it isn't a "slow" restart)... then it's giving decent power and the fault could be somewhere else...
     
    #3 V8Cobrakid, Mar 20, 2012
  4. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    Not necessarily. 6,000 miles in a couple years is too few miles to keep the 12V battery in a healthy state. Sounds it might be the same problem that this member had.
     
    #4 32kcolors, Mar 20, 2012
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  5. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    The replacement battery could've been defective (happened to me), but more likely the OP rarely drove the car since the replacement not giving it a chance to charge up and further running it down. After all, it has 6,000 miles in two years.
     
    #5 32kcolors, Mar 20, 2012
  6. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    you have a good point. i kinda read over the point that the car only has 6k miles. (how newbie of me)

    maybe the dealer charged the battery and considered it ok.. since it's new-ish and they felt it should still hold a charge? (either way it's wrong)
     
    #6 V8Cobrakid, Mar 21, 2012
  7. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    I had the HV battery ECU die on me at about 50k miles, which brought up a similar error warning. But the Toyota dealer found the error codes, replaced the correct part and no worries since.
     
    #7 GrumpyCabbie, Mar 21, 2012
  8. OlblindMan

    OlblindMan Junior Member

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    I am concerned at the number of people who say the problem wasn't found by the dealer..... If my dealer gets the car running and cannot tell me WHY it broke down, I am trading it in for a SUBARU, or a MAZDA......... still well-made cars like Toyota used to be.
     
    #8 OlblindMan, Jun 7, 2017
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'd go with mazda, i've heard horrible things about suburu.
     
    #9 bisco, Jun 7, 2017
  10. Tyfly

    Tyfly Member

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    My experience has been the opposite.

    We owned a 2008 Mazda CX-7.
    * Replaced the turbo 2X $2000 each, warranty for first.

    * Replaced A/C compressor 4 times $900 each

    * Oil cooler failed $800

    Traded for a new 2014 Toyota 4Runner
    Only expenses have been routine maintenance.
     
    #10 Tyfly, Jun 8, 2017
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  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    thanks, it sounds like toyota comes out on top again.
     
    #11 bisco, Jun 8, 2017
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