"Check Hybrid System" light and I'm stranded.

My first post.

On a road trip... Padre Tx to Dallas and just south of San Antonio (what I'm trying to say here is I'm a long way from home) and while sitting at a red light the "check hybrid system" and orange triangle with the exclamation point of death came on.

I was off the road with the car turned off in seconds.

Opened up the hood and the inverter coolant reservoir container is empty... what was in it all over the engine.

It was the expensive genuine, pink, Toyota Special, coolant too.

2010 Prius III with 76,000 miles, and the 100,000 mile warranty. So I call the road side assistance # on the warranty card, and long story short it gets towed to the nearest dealer.

It's there now, being Saturday evening, awaiting Monday morning. And I'm in a crappy motel wondering how bad this is going to be.

Anyone been through this before and lived to tell?

But that's not all, say you pull your Prius into a parking spot, then it's towed out by lifting the rear and pulled (while in park) onto a flat bed trailer? I don't know how he got it off, maybe it's better for now that I wasn't there to see. But if the front wheels were dragged that short a distance.... well I guess my question is if the hybrid engine isn't ruined, did it being towed this way ruin it?

Thanks to any/all for your advice and replies, or just nods of sympathy. Those are appreciated too.


Ms. 2010PriusIII+

 

Thanks guys/gals!

I do know I got her turned off as fast as could ever be possible. Having just exited the highway I'm just lucky I wasn't still on it leaving me with fewer options. Nothing smelled or felt hotter than usual, and I feel pretty confident nothing got fried. Well... we'll see but I do feel pretty good about that.

Road side assistance wouldn't even give me the number for the tow company and insisted I go through them. So yes, it was their call. The tow guy said he'd only done one Prius before, and it was a pain. Made him nervous I think, the lack of "manual" options on the Prius. Makes me nervous too. I did hear him call ahead for assistance in getting it off the trailer when we got to the dealership, I'm hoping someone with more hybrid experience at his company was available to give him some pointers over the radio.

It is probably a hose or clamp or something, but I wonder if a water pump failure didn't contribute. Something got hot and a hose was blown off. This car is foreign to me and I'm certainly no expert. I've just done my own oil changes. I added a bit of coolant several months and miles ago, in June. I couldn't get any hands or fingers in the tiny spaces to feel around much. Couldn't see much with my flashlight either, but the coolant was definitely every where in there. Looked like it was spraying upwards, then pooled where ever it found a resting place.

Monday morning awaits and I'll be sure to fill you guys in.

I hope warranty covers it. I know I didn't do it! I wasn't even under the hood when it happened !
I hope the rest of the drive is uneventful. 500+ miles seems to be a long way right after something like this.
I hope it doesn't catch on fire like savany71 ! Man o' man.

Thanks again guys. I feel a little less stranded with your kind words and experience given. I'll keep y'all posted.

 

gilderman:

Weeeeell.... I don't want to incriminate myself, especially if you were on the highway too (I see you're in Texas also) and saw me do something uncouth, but it was closer to 75-85. Speed limit in those parts is 75 and I had the cruise set at 79 most of the way. You know, to keep up with the flow.
Maybe you're a cop...
There was one part were I did go a little closer to 86, I confess. But it was short lived and the car never saw 90.

My average speed for the past 7 months has been only 33mph. It's a slow trip to work, and in the shopping areas. This trip brought my avg up to 52 mph. Quite a change in a short time yes, but I would hope the Prius can handle highway speeds on a road trip, like all the other cars I was passing, I mean traveling alongside, on the same highway.

nedim:
I was hoping they could hook up one of those devices and check for codes real quick so I could go home, I mean, to a hotel, knowing just a little bit. But with an hour and a half to go to close, and 3 guys in shop garb standing around, and my cries for help, all I got were perfectly synchronized shoulder shrugs. I hope the A team comes in Monday morning and it's a quick find, if not a quick fix. I hate to think a quick clamp or hose fix plus fluid was all it needed and I could have been back on the road, but now I won't know until Monday. No codes showed up on the display... forgive my ignorance if that's not how it works.

 

They say a rock hit the radiator. 1000 bucks to fix it, and we're waiting on the part.
Here is a pic, in the middle of the light- the bright spot is where they say a rock or something hit it.

 

Radiator Gaurds! I want some! How do I get those, wonder if that's something I can have them install while they're already in there? Would love a pic if someone has these on their Prius.