Caution: The transmission lock mechanism is abnormal

I think that you have a real problem. The problem might be with the shift control actuator assembly, the transmission control ECU, or the parking lock mechanism. I suggest that you have your dealer diagnose the problem, as it may be covered under the powertrain or hybrid system warranty.

 

[deleted, superfluous]

 

how are you testing the battery?
i've only seen this happen when the 12v gets low and other times i just turned
the car off a second time and it went away
before spending too much, maybe you can get a good load test on the battery
reading the battery voltage isn't as good as an actual load test

 

Your 2004 transaxle has an electric motor operated parking 'paw', a mechanical lock that freezes the front wheel. If it fails to engage, the transmission remains in "N" when the car is turned off and can easily roll away.

The error message is telling you to always use the "parking brake" to hold the rear wheels fixed and try to use a flat place so they will not "give" and the car drift away.

This is a safety feature and should be fixed soon. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to be 'cheap' given where it is located. ... bummer ...

If you are very, very lucky, a connector has come loose and the electric driven parking paw won't have to be replaced. This is lucky in congratulations on winning the lottery.

Bob Wilson

 

like ive said, the battery should be load tested first. ive had that exact message on my car at least 7 times since ive gotten it, and its always been because i had the car in accessories too long, like 45-60 minutes of the radio will cause the parking warning
to come on, and the battery was still good enough to get the car started

reading your voltage of the diagnostic screen is not the same as an actual load test
and that is physically removing the battery and connecting it to the tester
a battery can have one or several weak cells but still read normal voltage on the mfd


also on more then one occasion i've gotten that message to come up, just by
maybe turning the car from ready to off a little fast ( i think )


also worth noting is this is my second 12 v battery and i only have 35,000 miles on the car.
toyota dealerships do not physically remove the 12 volt battery and check it for load
when you have the car checked, unless you scream at the service advisor for 10 minutes!


i would use the parking brake, like other people say, but if it comes on more then once or twice in a row or if it happens regulary, oh yeah tow the car and have it checked

 

if you sit with the car in ig-on/neutral for a while it might do this. DH saw this message on the occasional prius after an alignment, where it sits on the rack in ig-on and neutral.

the other time he saw it, it turned out to be a faulty park lock actuator.

 

It's "pawl", not "paw".

 

Let's see... You have a 4 year old battery and a condition that is known to come up with a weak battery. I'd just replace that battery because it's worn out. All sorts of weird things start to happen when computers don't get the juice they need. This is just the first one you've run into.

Get an Optima yellow top, plus the conversion. It's a better battery for about the same price as the original.

 

AMEN!!!!!

I got an '07 in April '07, and in Dec '07 the original 12 volt battery went pffffft! (wouldn't hold a charge).

I got the Optima yellow top and the replacement kit (from elearn.com? something like that) and popped it in.

Now, I can sit with accessories on for quite a while, and no problems whatsoever!

Well worth the effort and the $$$

 

when my battery went pfffft i got a free one from a toyota delear i did not have to pay for it

yeah car purchased feb 07, battery went sour nov 07, got new battery for free

 

Yeah. I was considering taking it back to the dealer and getting the battery replaced under warranty.

Two things made it more attractive for me not to:

1) I got the yellow-top Optima deep-discharge battery instead of the OEM battery. I think that the yellow-top is a better battery.

2) I've never had a good experience at any dealer getting warranty work done. It always has taken at least several hours. It took me about 1/2 hour to replace the battery myself, so it was worth it to me to spend the $$$, get the better battery, and save the time.

 

i have had pretty good luck on getting freebie rewards for being a whine, heh
so far ive gotten a battery, a free exterior detail, and when i left toyota on the last oil change / tire rotation, one of my $18-$20 wheel ornaments went missing!

i wonder if you can glue them on with plastic cement

if i could of afford the yellow top battery and the fit kit, i probably would of gotten that and a free battery
from the dealer, heh

 

when I go to the Optima web site ( OPTIMA Batteries ), the "find battery by vehicle" method does not show a Prius replacement battery. Which battery did you use?

 

you will never find the correct battery by going to optima and asking for a battery
specifically for a prius

you have to tell optima you have something like a mazda miata and ask for optima yellow top #51 and then get a converter cable for the battery stand offs

battery links
12 Volt (12v) Toyota Prius Auxilary Battery for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 with free shipping
cable $25
Parts kit for installing Optima battery on 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008 Prius

 

Bought it here:

12 Volt (12v) Toyota Prius Auxilary Battery for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 with free shipping

Pictures showing battery and installation:

Prius Optima Aux

Also, make sure that you buy the $15 conversion kit too - you'll need it.

 

Thank you rigormortis and kohnen

 

All you need to do is reset the computer to do this, do the following:

• Put foot on brake push power
• foot off brake push power
• foot on brake push power

It should start after this

 

i heard if you hold the power button down for a long time, the entire prius will reboot