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P2601 and P1116 error Codes at 300,000 miles

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by carpediemck, Jan 4, 2014.

  1. carpediemck

    carpediemck Junior Member

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    My son drives our old 2005 Prius with over 300000 miles on it. He had a front end accident a few years ago, and, after body repair and a straightened frame, the car has been running pretty well, although the mpgs have been in the low 30s. This may be the result of his "lead foot." He recently saw the check engine light and the car shows the codes P2601 and P1116. He is a college student with limited funds but, he has pretty decent technical acumen. Can anyone recommend a protocol if he is to fix the car himself? I was going to take the car to the local dealership and have them do a $50.00 diagnostic test. After that, I thought that he could buy the used parts if necessary, and install them.
     
    #1 carpediemck, Jan 4, 2014
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    For $50 you are not going to get much help from your local dealer.

    DTC P1116 means that the coolant heat recovery system temperature sensor is not reporting a change in coolant temperature when it is supposed to.
    DTC P2601 means that the coolant heat recovery system (CHRS) pump is not operating. Maybe the pump has failed or the associated relay is not operating.

    My suggestion would be that your son should subscribe to techinfo.toyota.com so that he can research the two DTC. He can short the switched contacts of the CHRS relay (located in the small relay box mounted on the firewall above the engine) to see if the CHRS pump will run.

    Often, after a front-end accident, the CHRS canister is damaged but not replaced. That might be part of the problem here. The driver's side front fender liner can be removed to inspect the CHRS canister and CHRS pump.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Jan 4, 2014
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  3. carpediemck

    carpediemck Junior Member

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    Thank you, Patrick. I've noticed that you are one of the most knowledgeable people here, so I truly appreciate your response. I hope he knows how to short the switched contacts of the CHRS relay.
     
    #3 carpediemck, Jan 4, 2014
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  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    #4 Patrick Wong, Jan 4, 2014
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  5. carpediemck

    carpediemck Junior Member

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    Thank you, Patrick. As I suspected, my son didn't know how to short the contacts. We both felt very tentative about our amateur attempts to fix a car with so many electrical risks . We still want to avoid the dealership so we went to our old faithful mechanic who is very good, but is not a hybrid specialist. He recommended 2 possibilities; 1) We should go to the dealership and get a more thorough scan and he will help with the repair for far less than the charges of the dealership. 2) Replace the CHRS pump and tank because the car has more than 300000 miles on it.
    I wish I knew of a hybrid specialist in the Lehigh Valley, Pa. or Phila., Pa. area who is reasonable and trustworthy.
     
    #5 carpediemck, Jan 6, 2014
  6. tf4624

    tf4624 Active Member

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    if its just he pump it self above the coolant tank its like a 15-20 min job max to unbolt the black bracket then unbolt the unit it self and replace it.
     
    #6 tf4624, Feb 17, 2014
  7. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    Quick acceleration is not so detrimental in the Prius. Low 30's are terrible unless the car is always going uphill, or has loaded roof racks. If not, this would indicate some additional problems. 12V battery has shorted cell, bad alignment, low tire pressure, HV battery on its way out (to be expected at that mileage), or poor engine power (but not bad enough to trigger DTC). If it is your intent to work on the car and keep it running well, get the mini VCI on ebay to help with diagnostics.
     
    #7 nh7o, Feb 18, 2014
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  8. rposton

    rposton Member

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    Low 30's + lead foot, I am guessing he drives it fast. Very fast. Above 90, often. 200K miles. If so, then it should show as some oil usage between oil changes. If so, then I would expect another code soon, for that catalytic converter. They are $2K from the dealer. Recommend that your son stay below 80, or better yet, closer to the posted speed limit since I don't think there are many 70 mph roads near where he is - I could be wrong. If you get the catalytic converter code, I have tried both the $2K dealer choice, and I have tried the $400 (approx.) Amazon, let the local shop put it on, and have found that I like the $400 path better. Just saying.

    Low 30s. Perhaps he likes idling with the heat on too. Wow.

    I hope your son does well at school, and then maybe he would be interested in that 420hp Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R.
     
    #8 rposton, Feb 25, 2016
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