REd Triangle of Death - but no problems or codes?

honey, trust me, you don't understand.

 

MIL comes on for many things I've gotten more out of my U-scan tool than my volt meter $80 . Your HV coolant pump was a recall item and dealer service would have jumped on it like free money. I replaced mine again at 330k. Thanks to the thread by Patrick Wong I did it myself without swearing


iPhone ?

 

1. read the codes
2. read the codes
3. read the codes

If those lights came on, there were codes. The codes that make those lights come on are not in the computers you can read with a generic scan tool. A Prius-aware scan tool is one that can read the rest. It costs more than a $10 multimeter but less than a kick-nice person one. Not reading them is passing up free information from the computer(s) that know exactly what problem they're trying to tell you about, and then filling the thread with guesswork instead.

In this case it might be too late, but it's usually best to read for the codes (and accompanying freeze frames if any) before trying things like checking the 12 V battery terminals (which might make the computers forget the information you haven't read yet).

Yes, as is so often repeated on PriusChat, it is possible for a crazy low aux battery voltage to lead to computer glitches, maybe even spurious codes. It's repeated so often you'd think it happens to everybody else far more often than it's ever happened to me. But really. When your car computers turn on warning lights to tell you they have trouble codes, it doesn't make much sense to start by assuming that something is causing the computers to log bogus codes. What percentage of the time do the computers all work properly while they're driving your car? Pretty high, right? You can start by assuming the computers know exactly what they're trying to tell you about and it could save you time racing down a dozen blind alleys. If you happen to get some bizarre flock of unrelated codes that don't match reality when you check, then maybe the are-they-bogus question comes up.

[/rant] I'm here to help. This hurts me more than it hurts you. Etc.

-Chap

 

the battery is borderline, and could be a problem. best to replace it now. if it isn't a problem, it will be soon.

 

yup, that's weak. a new battery with a full charge should read 13.0 volts. my 3 year old reads 12.7 and i keep an eye on it.

 

how about your doors, I had my red triangle turn on with door not closed all of the way while in drive. just a thought.

 

that makes a difference. check yours in the morning before starting.

 

don't open the drivers door, that will fire up the brake accumulator and reduce the reading.

 

Those numbers are not of any use in troubleshooting. That will be the day, when a car can read its own codes.

 

google.

 

Yeah, I felt that surge of excitement too when I discovered that screen on the dash, but those are just the AVC-LAN diagnostics useful for troubleshooting your dash display, audio components, and navigation. All the other functions of the car are controlled by other computers that have to have their codes retrieved over the OBD-II port using a Prius-capable scan tool. (Some of them also have a vestigial option to blink codes on certain dash lights if you jumper certain pins at the OBD-II port. Others don't.)

I see you did find the voltage monitor on the signal check screen, which is really about the only generally useful thing about the in-dash diagnostics (unless you're troubleshooting an audio or nav problem).

Your aux battery voltages are nothing to be ashamed of; they're in the ballpark with mine and I'm having no voltage-related troubles. Onward to reading the codes so you find out what your computers really are warning you about.

-Chap