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06 Prius not starting, low battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cardana24, Oct 12, 2014.

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  1. cardana24

    cardana24 Junior Member

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    Hey Guys, I have an 06 Prius and I just swapped the transmission out. I got the car to start while it was still on jack stands but after I lowered the car onto the floor I went to start it and it would not start. I am wondering if my battery could be the issue. I am new to prius so I am not sure how this is supposed to work. When I initially put the service plug back in and started the car the display was showing about half bars. When the car would not start I am only showing one bar on the battery display...I assume this is showing me the HV battery charge. So I went into service mode to check the 12volt battery, while in acc the car shows 11.7Volts, then when I switched the headlights on it dropped down to 10.8 volts. Is the 12 volt battery bad and stopping the car from starting? Can I put my jump box on the 12 volt battery and try to start the car?
     
    #1 cardana24, Oct 12, 2014
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    probably. yes you can jump it, be careful not to cross the pos and neg. btw, after you put the service plug in, did you slide it and snap it? it's a bit complicated and can seem connected when it's not.
     
    #2 bisco, Oct 12, 2014
  3. cardana24

    cardana24 Junior Member

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    I put my jump box on it and it showed voltage around 12 volts but it would still not start. I do have OBDII codes that the car will not let me erase.
    There are three codes and they all point towards "Drive Motor A position sensor circut" Where is this and would it stop the car from starting?
     
    #3 cardana24, Oct 12, 2014
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you're beyond me now, but i think it's the replacement tranny. are you getting the ready light?
     
    #4 bisco, Oct 12, 2014
  5. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    Try the jumper pack for 12V-battery. Only use small jumper back with battery or jump from non-running car. But if it still doesn’t start don’t let it try for many times. Hv-battery will be damaged or degraded if it’s discharged too much. If it still doesn’t start remove 12V-battery cable for same time to reset it and try again. If it still doesn’t start put it on ig-on mode (power button two times without pressing brake pedal) and read fault codes with techstream.
     
    #5 valde3, Oct 12, 2014
  6. cardana24

    cardana24 Junior Member

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    I'm really not sure where I should be getting a ready light. I am also having issues with my key. It will not turn the car on when put in the slot and the anti theft light continues to blink when it's in the slot...it does not recognize that it's in the slot. But if I use it as a smart key the car will power up, but now it will not start...but it would start earlier...I don't really get it.
     
    #6 cardana24, Oct 12, 2014
  7. cardana24

    cardana24 Junior Member

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    What is techstream?
     
    #7 cardana24, Oct 12, 2014
  8. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Do you have a 2nd key that works in the key slot? You probably have a replacement key that was never programed for the slot. It's a separate programming step that was probably skipped.

    If you have a key that works in the slot, you can copy it to the key you are using
     
    #8 JC91006, Oct 12, 2014
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sometimes, the 12volt is so bad, a jump won't help. you might want to replace it and go from there. the ready light is on the display near the shifter letters on the gen II i think? it lights up 'ready' when you push the start button with your foot on the brake. also, the light on the start button turns green.
     
    #9 bisco, Oct 12, 2014
  10. cardana24

    cardana24 Junior Member

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    I hear you, the battery is really expensive so I would like to have a better idea of that's what it is. Will the ICE start with a low 12 volt battery? What about with a low HV battery?
     
    #10 cardana24, Oct 12, 2014
  11. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    It sounds like problem with transmission or you just haven’t plugged something in completely. When diagnosing this don’t let it try to start for many times. Hv-battery will be damaged or degraded if it’s discharged too much. Do your diagnostics in ig-on mode (power button two times without pressing brake pedal). And you should use techstream software that will give you more information.


    Here is link to same problem look at those connectors mentioned there Drive motor 'a' position sensor circuit | PriusChat

    Techstream:
    it will make diagnosing Priuses lot easier and sometimes it is essential.

    Amazon.com : Fotga Newest V8.00.034 MINI VCI for TOYOTA TIS Techstream Diagnostic Cable & Software : Toyota Mongoose Cable : Car Electronics


    Hv-battery will start the engine so if you let it get to discharged engine can’t start to charge it.
     
    #11 valde3, Oct 12, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2014
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the 12 volt fires the computer, but if it's under 12, it won't usually do it. the hybrid battery turns the engine, so you have to figure out if the system is booting up first. (12 volt) they are only 150 bucks or so, if you think that's expensive, you ain't seen nothing yet!;)
     
    #12 bisco, Oct 12, 2014
  13. cardana24

    cardana24 Junior Member

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    Those codes could be stored from previous attempts of trying to start the car without the connector on the firewall side of the trans plugged in...I really don't know at this point. But like I said earlier the car started, 10 minutes prior to me not being able to start the car. What could have changed in those 10 minutes? Could I have killed the battery some how?

    It's over 175 to get one today...but I know what you are saying. Is something in the 12 volt system something that reads when my key is in the slot? The reason I ask is because the car is not recognizing my key being in the key slot. It will only power on when used as a smart key...I assumed these functions would be tied together but maybe not.
     
    #13 cardana24, Oct 12, 2014
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i don't think i've ever heard of the key working as sks, and not in the slot. when you say it will power on, what do you mean by 'it is not starting'?
     
    #14 bisco, Oct 12, 2014
  15. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Yes that can happen if the step to program the key in slot was skipped. For sure it's a replacement key
     
    #15 JC91006, Oct 12, 2014
  16. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    Try clearing codes and resetting everything by unplugging 12V battery for some time. Then try starting it once. If it doesn’t work put it on ig-on and read codes. Maybe your key just isn’t programmed to work in slot? Has it ever worked in slot?
     
    #16 valde3, Oct 12, 2014
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed. too many unknowns here.
     
    #17 bisco, Oct 12, 2014
  18. cardana24

    cardana24 Junior Member

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    I does not make since to me, I drove the car into the garage a few weeks ago to do the trans swap and I used the key in the slot...could it loose the programming?

    This car is new to me, but I drove it a few weeks ago with using the key in the slot, not as a smart key...honestly I never knew this key functioned as a smart key until the slot would not work.

    How long do I need to unplug it to reset? I already unpluged the service plug and unhooked the 12 volt battery for about a minute, with no change. When I tried clearing the codes with the obdII scanner the car would ding at me and then not allow me to erase the codes...not really sure what was going on there either.
     
    #18 cardana24, Oct 12, 2014
  19. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If everything is connected properly and 12v battery is good, then it would mean the replacement transxle is bad
     
    #19 JC91006, Oct 12, 2014
  20. cardana24

    cardana24 Junior Member

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    Okay, that's one thing I am trying to figure out here. Is my 12 volt battery good? It shows 11.7 volts on acc and 10.8 when the lights are switched on.
     
    #20 cardana24, Oct 12, 2014
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