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2006 Prius Error Codes and Troubleshooting

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by halfastronomical, May 30, 2015.

  1. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    Hey folks, This is my first actual login to priuschat, though I have lurked here forever. Thanks for all your help in the past! Now I have seen the codes that I have been dreading...

    This is a 2006 prius with 180k on it, that we have had since 2007 and it has been wrecked. (hit a deer) It had problems when the coolant flow control was hooked up in reverse after it got back from the body shop, but the toyota dealership fixed it. 12v battery replaced a year ago and showing 12.7v with no drain and 11.9 with a drain, on the onboard monitor.

    My wife got gas yesterday and after restarting the prius, the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. ESV, Check Engine, RED TRIANGLE of Impending Doom. It was also sluggish(hybrid drive didn't seem to work, only gas) and did not seem to charge the battery. Also the battery fan was very loud but working fine. These were the same symptoms exhibited when the flow valve was reversed.
    Also the battery was showing 1 bar of charge when she got home. The cruise control would also not work.


    So now, I take it to the parts store and connect the computer and get these codes

    c1289 MV System Regen Malfunction Current
    1310 Malfunction system current
    p0a80 Replace Hybrid Battery
    P3022 Battery Block 12 weak
    p1116 Coolant temperature sensor stack
    p1121 coolant flow control valve

    I know that the p0a80 is bad and the p3022 means there is a weak cell, but I am having trouble here:

    On the way back from the store, the hybrid battery charged into the green, which it WOULD NOT do earlier, but the hybrid drive did not seem to be pulling the car. The car cranks and gas engine runs fine.

    I was wondering quite a few things here...
    would the coolant codes be remnants of the last problem and not deleted from last time?
    The codes had no date that I saw.

    Its just that all these errors and symptoms together make no sense when I am trying to troubleshoot and figure out a course of action.

    Would any of you fine troubleshooters like to shed some light on this and tell me my next step? I am really having problems wrapping my brain around this combination of symptoms

    Thanks in advance and have a blessed day!
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome! i'm just guessing here, but i think you're onto something. probably best to clear the codes and start fresh. likely, you'll be deciding a course of action on the hybrid battery. all the best!(y)
     
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  3. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    c1289 MV System Regen Malfunction Current WRONG CODE....sorry

    it should be c1259

    Also, Thanks! I will check to see how I can manually clear the codes. I will probably find that info before anybody would have time to reply here.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if you're gonna diy it, you should get mini vci, i'm sure you've read about it. if not, take it to a reputable hybrid shoppe or dealer.
     
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Don't worry about that one - it's just logged by the brake (or 'skid control') ECU to indicate that it has been notified of some other problem by the Hybrid ECU. Since you already have the hybrid and battery codes, those are your real issues - the C1259 will be magically fixed when they are. :)

    -Chap
     
  6. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    thanks! I am having problems understanding why the battery magically started to charge after being stone dead and exhibiting the battery codes. could it possibly be faulty wiring harness due to the wreck? I have a very mild electrical background, and I just cant wrap my brain around it.
     
  7. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    Ok here is an update: Disconnected the 12v and reconnected to clear codes. It seemed to drive normal, but the hybrid battery drained noticeably more quickly than usual. It drove normally and the battery fan was quiet, cruise worked and hybrid drive seemed to be pulling. Then I noticed it charging more quickly too and soon topped out, but still drove fine. I drove approximately 8 miles and all the lights came back on and it exhibited the same symptoms. I will have to go back to the parts store to get more codes, but all of that still seems like the battery or wiring, sadly...
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    seems like the battery, but agree, the not charging temporarily was odd, but again, a battery with bad cell(s) does strange things. did you check the inverter coolant level and pump health?
     
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  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Your conclusion that the traction battery is at fault is quite reasonable. If you continue to get P0A80, that will be confirmed.
     
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  10. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    Thanks again guys. Bisco, I did check the coolant level and saw that the pump was whirring the coolant around in the reservoir, so it should be working.

    I cleared the codes, checked the codes again and it was only the traction battery codes that came up. looks like a new battery is unavoidable. I considered the wiring due to the wreck we had ending in wiring harness replacement. I found a great secret squirrel deal (steal really) on a new dorman battery with a 3 year warranty and I think that I am going to attempt to do it myself. I have a multimeter to detour natural selection, so I should bet set. I checked out a youtube video and it looked quite straightforward. Anybody care to recommend the "definitive" guide on battery replacement? This is the first video that i watched and it didn't look that bad.


    Thanks again everybody. I plan to drive the wheels off of this Prius, so I knew that this day would come. Just didnt know it would be today.
     
  11. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    I ordered the dorman battery today for 1100 bucks (wahoo! my mother is in the auto parts industry) I am out of work today to start tearing it apart and preparing for the battery to come in tomorrow. I am using a video tutorial and also a step by step paper guide. Wish me luck! Any tips would be appreciated. Hopefully I will be able to take this and give help to others from this experience. Thanks again to everybody that helped me out.
     
  12. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Be aware that the battery ECU does not come with the "new" battery although it is inside the case. This will have to be changed over.

    John
     
  13. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    I got the seats out and everything out and I am about to remove the battery. Thanks for the tips! Wish me luck!!!
     
  14. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    While I think that's true of new batteries as sold by Toyota, I'm under the impression that Dorman rebuilts come with an ECU in place, ready to go in the car.

    -Chap
     
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  15. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    Yes, good info! I have not even looked into it, but I am ready for either. That might be a good thing to check into right now.... Thanks and blessings
     
  16. halfastronomical

    halfastronomical Junior Member

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    Success! Thanks everybody! The whole thing took around 3 hours total. The battery life seems a lot stronger already. I could not have doe it without the prius community. I am totally my wife's hero right now, so I have got to go. :)
     
  17. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Congratulations on a job well done.:)

    John