Hymotion "flashing LED" error codes

Does anybody have a list of the Hymotion error codes? (When the pack detects an error, it flashes the LED by the on/off switch on the dash. You get a bunch of short flashes, with a long flash in between). I've asked my installer, but it's the weekend.

The first time it flashed, I didn't realize you were supposed to count the flashes until it went away.

Then my wife saw it Friday and said there were 14 flashes. A123 said that means that the 12V battery is low; which is possible, but I doubt it. The flashing went away and when it came back yesterday, I counted and I got 12 flashes. I'm still waiting to find out what that means.

I think my wife was counting the long delimiter flash, which I don't include; but then I can't explain why we're off by two. Maybe it's really giving us a different error now.

SaucyRed,
I had flashing on mine once. It happened when I tried to to start the Prius while the Hymotion system was plugged in recharging.

I drove to Green Car Company to look up the error code on their computer system.
My attempt to start the Prius, while it was plugged in, created a communication error between the Hymotion L5 battery and the Prius.

But when we went outside to check my Hymotion Prius, the code went away. It seems that just rebooting the system, turning the car off for a while, allows the L5 battery to regain communication with the Prius.

I have not had any problems in the past week since this happened.

I no longer turn the Hymotion battery off at all. I just leave the button in the "ON" position at all times until the battery is empty. Even when it is empty I leave it in the "ON" position. Whenever I play with the button, trying to guess when I can use the stock battery for a while, I normally just get a bunch of beeping.

The system seems much happier to be left "ON" all the time.

I agree. I tried turning it off once when my pack was drained. No difference. I drive as if the switch doesn't exist.
I do think it wiold be great if we had a list of the codes. Peakoil how well do you know your dealer
Chris

Yeah, I leave my pack on all the time too.

We got lots more flashing LEDs. Always 12 or 13 flashes. A123 and my installer were quick to tell me that 14 flashes (my wife's miscount) meant the 12V battery, but didn't seem to want to tell me what 12 and 13 meant. But after several iterations and some apparent puzzlement on their part, I took it in today and they gave me a new pack. Fingers crossed.

I am an investor in the dealer. I can get all of the flashing codes and their meaning. But I need to check with Hymotion to see if I can post them publicly.

Wow. That was cool of them.

I heard that one owner backed his Prius into the garage with the rear hatch open. It caused the side to become leaky and water started collecting under the Hymotion battery. Some water got inside of the battery. It ruined it. I suspect it is not covered by insurance or warranty. The damge to the car is covered, but not the battery unless you added the battery to your insurance as an aftermarket upgrade.

Sounds interesting. On a side note do you know if they would give out the information on the rear spring/shock install they did for the Charity model ? I definitely notice the height difference in the rear and would like to know what they did to offset the extra 200lbs.
Chris

We had one designed with a local shop. It is specifically designed to support the 180 lbs of extra Hymotion weight in the rear of the Prius. We are ordering a lot of them because we have several hundred Hymotion batteries to install. We figure a lot of people will pay $200 for parts and 1 hour for labor to upgrade the rear spring so it doesn't ride so low.

We could probably ship you a set of rear springs and you could find someone local to you that can install them.

Call Green Car Company and ask for Susan. She is the general manager. Tell her you read about the upgrade springs on the charity auction listing and she will tell you the price and shipping. I don't know all of the details personally. It might be a little more than $200, but I am not positive of the exact amount. I don't think they have even considered selling them outside of this location.

Aurgh. Even with a new pack...we got 13 flashes today. I'm taking it in to the installer tomorrow. Is anybody else getting these, or am I really the unfortunate one?

I really love getting 100mpg when the pack is working...and being able to pick my daughter up from work entirely in electric mode when it's warm...but sure hate hauling around 200 useless pounds (at over $50/pound) when it's not.

FYI, we haven't had any flashes at all. Sounds as if something is wrong.

I haven't had any either. I would get it checked out by the CHIP installer.

I took it in to the installer (Green Car Co) this morning for a free oil change.

There was an OBD code this time, indicating a communication error. But they ran diagnostics on both sides and don't see anything wrong. They don't know what the issue is.

They said they hadn't seen this in any of their fleet vehicles, and none of them have the Smartkey. They suggested I try plugging my Smartkey in to the dash, rather than keep it in my pocket. Seems unlikely; but working in software, I know how weird these bugs can be, and I'm willing to try anything to figure out what's going on here...

Mysterious. We have SKS and never plug it into the dash. It's either in a pocket or purse.

My current MPG is 99.7 for this tank! Too good to last, but I do get quite a kick out of it.

The communication error has happened a few times to me. With a software/database background, I have been trying to identify what triggers it. So far it has happened under a few different scenarios.

1) I try to start the Hymotion Prius while it is plugged in recharging. That can confuse the Hymotion battery software and create a communication error the next time you start.

2) Starting the Prius in accessory mode only, without completely starting the car, but the Hymotion battery is engaged. This can confuse the system and create a communication error.

In both scenarios, it clears itself by just turning off the Hymotion car for about 15 to 30 minutes, plugging in the car so that it starts the charging process and shuts down after finishing the charging process. The next time your start the car the battery starts with a fresh communication connection to the Prius system. Sometimes just turning off the car without charging is enough.

I have gotten the flashing codes a few times. It always resolves itself. In fact, today I got a Red Triangle and Engine Warning Light for the first time. The Hymotion system was still working and providing energy to my car. When I stopped for 30 minutes on an errand, it was gone when I got back in the car.

So the moral of the story is, I don't let the flashing codes bother me. It is a new experimental system. Hymotion is working on a firmware update to resolve the communication issues. There is nothing wrong with the battery.

I haven't seen any flashing on the LED in my car, either, but would be interested in knowing what the codes are just in case something does happen to the pack. Any news, PeakOil?

I will ask soon. I am travelling next week and won't be seeing the technicians. But when I get back I will try to get permission to post the flashing codes and what each means.

PeakOil, thanks for the ideas, but neither scenario applies. We have not started the car while plugged in, and we don't start it in just accessory mode.

We have gotten the "check engine" light three times since we got the new pack. It's a little disturbing, but fortunately it's easy to make go away; just turn the car off and on a few times (and my impatient wife discovered you don't have to wait 5 seconds between each cycle, either).

We've only gotten the flashing light (13 blinks) once since we got the new pack, but it's only been a week. I know the car still works fine when the light flashes, but for the money, I want the battery to be delivering power--and when the light flashes, it doesn't. The light will eventually go away on its own, but I don't know how to make it go away before I drive it.

The idea of turning the car off and doing another short charging cycle is interesting, and I will try it when I can; but usually my wife starts the car because she has to go somewhere, so she goes at 50mpg if the light is flashing. We usually (but not always) get the flashing light on our first trip of the day; so it might have something to do with car having been on the charger for a while, or pulled off the charger recently, or something like that.

I know that a firmware update is coming soon from Hymotion/A123. This is a communication error.

I got the triangle and engine light warning earlier this week. But even when those lights were on, my Hymotion battery was still providing power to the system. The lights went away the next time I stopped the car and it was off for an hour.

Nothing has happened since. Be patient with it. Hymotion is working hard to diagnose the software issue. The batteries are fine.

I got the 13-blink error again last night. Plugging the smart-key in to the dash apparently wasn't good enough to avoid the problem.

I followed PeakOil's advice and plugged the car back in. Unsurprisingly, the taillights didn't come on, because the pack was already full. I unplugged it and looked in the car; the LED was still flashing.

I sat around thinking a couple of minutes, and was about to try something else, when I noticed the LED was off. I started the car again...and it was fine. So maybe plugging the pack back in helps reset this error, even if it's already full?

I also think (though I am not sure) that this error has only happened when we pull the car off the charger AND it has fully charged (the taillights are off).

I'll keep checking...

I got my pack on 9/22. I have had 13 flashes on 4 separate occasions. When I experienced the flashing lights the L5 is not engaged at all- only the production hybrid system works. I experienced the MFD and dashboard error lights- which indicate the car should be immediately taken to a Toyota Dealer. When the error lights occurred, the pack also did not work. I am traveling to Boston on Friday to have my pack replaced.

I found the pack was working very efficiently the first week then my commutes starting using almost twice as much power to travel the same distance.

SuacyRed- we both have a 2005 Prius. Probably coincidence.